Die Rheinnixen
Encyclopedia
Die Rheinnixen is a romantic opera in four acts by Jacques Offenbach
. The original libretto by Charles-Louis-Etienne Nuitter
was translated into German by Alfred von Wolzogen.
The Elves’ Song from Die Rheinnixen was later used by Ernest Guiraud
when completing The Tales of Hoffmann, where it became the "Barcarolle
" (Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour), performed in the so-called Giulietta Act.
.
The first full performance was given at the Corum
, Montpellier
30 July 2002 with Regina Schörg, Nora Gubisch, Piotr Beczala
, and Dalibor Denis, and the Orchestre National de Montpellier, conducted by Friedemann Layer. This was recorded (see below). The first fully staged performance was given in Ljubljana
by the Slovenian National Opera under Dieter Rossberg on 13 January 2005. Performances followed in Trier
and at the Opéra de Lyon under Marc Minkowski
later in 2005, and in Cottbus
in 2006. (These performances, like the original Vienna premiere, were all given in German.) New Sussex Opera gave the British premiere of the work, under the title The Rhine Fairies, in October 2009, conducted by Nicholas Jenkins.
, near Kreuznach on the Rhine, during the wars of the 16th century.
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
. The original libretto by Charles-Louis-Etienne Nuitter
Charles-Louis-Etienne Nuitter
Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter was a French librettist, translator, writer and librarian born in Paris, France on 24 April 1828. He died there on 23 February 1899 after suffering a stroke a few days before.-Librettist and translator:...
was translated into German by Alfred von Wolzogen.
The Elves’ Song from Die Rheinnixen was later used by Ernest Guiraud
Ernest Guiraud
Ernest Guiraud was a French composer and music teacher born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for writing the traditional orchestral recitatives used for Bizet's opera Carmen and for Offenbach's opera Les contes d'Hoffmann .- Biography :Guiraud began his schooling in Louisiana under the...
when completing The Tales of Hoffmann, where it became the "Barcarolle
Barcarolle
A barcarole is a folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers, or a piece of music composed in that style...
" (Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour), performed in the so-called Giulietta Act.
Performance history
The first performance was given (in a truncated form owing to the illness of the tenor Alois Ander ) on 4 February 1864 at the Hoftheater in ViennaTheater am Kärntnertor
Theater am Kärntnertor or Kärntnertortheater was a prestigious theatre in Vienna during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries...
.
The first full performance was given at the Corum
Corum (Montpellier)
Montpellier's Corum is a building that houses both a conference centre and a opera house, and is located in the centre of the city in southern France....
, Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
30 July 2002 with Regina Schörg, Nora Gubisch, Piotr Beczala
Piotr Beczala
Piotr Beczała is a Polish operatic tenor.Piotr Beczała was born in southern Poland and initially trained in Katowice. His first engagements were with the Landestheatre in Linz, after which he became a regular member of Zurich Opera. Between 2004-2006, Beczała made several major international house...
, and Dalibor Denis, and the Orchestre National de Montpellier, conducted by Friedemann Layer. This was recorded (see below). The first fully staged performance was given in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
by the Slovenian National Opera under Dieter Rossberg on 13 January 2005. Performances followed in Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
and at the Opéra de Lyon under Marc Minkowski
Marc Minkowski
Marc Minkowski is a French conductor of classical music, especially known for his interpretations of French Baroque works. His mother is American, and his father was Alexandre Minkowski, a Polish-French professor of pediatrics and one of the founders of neonatology...
later in 2005, and in Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
in 2006. (These performances, like the original Vienna premiere, were all given in German.) New Sussex Opera gave the British premiere of the work, under the title The Rhine Fairies, in October 2009, conducted by Nicholas Jenkins.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 8 February 1864 |
|---|---|---|
| Conrad von Wenckheim, leader of the elector of the Palatinate's mercenaries | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Beck |
| Franz Waldung, a mercenary captain, originally from the locality | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Alois Ander |
| Gottfried, a hunter | bass | Mayerhofer |
| Hedwig, tenant of a Sickingen Franz von Sickingen Franz von Sickingen was a German knight, one of the most notable figures of the first period of the Reformation.-Biography:He was born at Ebernburg near Bad Kreuznach... farm on the Rhine |
mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Destinn |
| Armgard, her daughter | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Wildauer |
| A fairy | soprano | |
| First mercenary | tenor | Willem |
| Second mercenary | baritone | Soutscheck |
| A farmer | tenor | Campe |
| Winegrowers, peasants, mercenaries, elves, and fairies | ||
Synopsis
The story, involving soldiers and peasants and elves and fairies, takes place in and around the castle of Franz von SickingenFranz von Sickingen
Franz von Sickingen was a German knight, one of the most notable figures of the first period of the Reformation.-Biography:He was born at Ebernburg near Bad Kreuznach...
, near Kreuznach on the Rhine, during the wars of the 16th century.
Recordings
Offenbach: Les fées du Rhin (in German) - Orchestre National de Montpellier- Conductor: Friedemann Layer
- Principal singers: Regina SchörgRegina SchörgRegina Schörg is an Austrian soprano and teacher.Born in Austria, Schörg studied at the Konservatorium der Stadt Wien from 1989 to 1992, before joining the Landestheater in Linz....
, Nora Gubisch, Piotr BeczalaPiotr BeczalaPiotr Beczała is a Polish operatic tenor.Piotr Beczała was born in southern Poland and initially trained in Katowice. His first engagements were with the Landestheatre in Linz, after which he became a regular member of Zurich Opera. Between 2004-2006, Beczała made several major international house...
, Dalibor Jenis - Recording date: 2002
- Label: Universal / Accord CD 472 920-2
External links
- Review of the recording in Opera Today, accessed 19 November 2009
- Review of the recording in Musicweb International, accessed 19 November 2009
- Video of Die Rheinnixen selection from Vienna Philharmonic's 2010 Vienna New Year's ConcertVienna New Year's ConcertThe New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic is a concert of classical music that takes place each year in the morning of January 1 in Vienna, Austria...