Feuersnot

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Feuersnot

Feuersnot (The Need for Fire or Fire Famine), Op. 50, is a Singgedicht (sung poem) or opera

Opera

Opera is an Performing arts in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work which combines a text and a musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition....
in one act by Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss

Richard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic music and early modern eras, particularly of operas, Lieder and tone poems. Strauss was also a prominent Conducting....
. The German

German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
libretto was written by Ernst von Wolzogen

Ernst von Wolzogen

Ernst von Wolzogen...
, based on J. Ketel's report "Das erloschene Feuer zu Audenaerde" in the Oudenaarde Gazette, Leipzig

Leipzig

Leipzig is, with a population of over 511,252, the largest city in the States of Germany of Saxony, Germany....
, 1843. It was Strauss' second opera.

Thematically, the opera has been interpreted as a parody of Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, Conducting, theatre director and essayist, primarily known for his operas . Unlike most other great opera composers, Wagner wrote both the scenario and libretto for his works....
's idea of "redemption through love", with the character of Kunrad representing Strauss himself.

premiere was at the Dresden

Dresden

Dresden is the capital city of the Germany Federal Free state of Saxony. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon triangle metropolitan area....
Hofoper

Semperoper

The Semperoper is the opera house of the Saxon State Opera Dresden and the concert hall of the S?chsische Staatskapelle Dresden in Dresden, Germany....
on November 21, 1901.

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Encyclopedia

Feuersnot (The Need for Fire or Fire Famine), Op. 50, is a Singgedicht (sung poem) or opera

Opera

Richard Strauss

German language

Ernst von Wolzogen

Ernst von Wolzogen...
, based on J. Ketel's report "Das erloschene Feuer zu Audenaerde" in the Oudenaarde Gazette, Leipzig

Leipzig

Richard Wagner

Performance history

The premiere was at the Dresden

Dresden

Semperoper

The Semperoper is the opera house of the Saxon State Opera Dresden and the concert hall of the S?chsische Staatskapelle Dresden in Dresden, Germany....
on November 21, 1901. Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler was a Bohemian-born Austrian composer and conducting. He was best known during his own lifetime as one of the leading orchestral and operatic conductors of the day....
directed the Vienna premiere at the Hofoper on January 29, 1902, in the presence of the composer, but it was not a commercial success, in spite of Mahler's careful musical preparation. At the time of the premiere, the sexual and erotic subtexts and psychology were disturbing to audiences, as well as the perceived "advanced" nature of the music itself to more conservative-minded musicians. The Berlin premiere was on 28 October 1902.

Since Strauss's time, the opera has rarely been staged or performed. The Zurich premiere was not until 1953. The New York City premiere was in 1985, at the Manhattan School of Music. In the UK, Chelsea Opera Group presented a concert performance in 2000.

Roles

		Premiere, November 21, 1901 (Ernst von Schuch Ernst von Schuch Ernst Edler von Schuch, born Ernst Gottfried Schuch was an Austrian Conducting, who became famous through his working collaborations with Richard Strauss at the Dresden Court Opera.... )
Schweiker von Gundelfingen, the bailiff	low tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male voice type and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between the C one octave below middle C to the A above in choral music, and up to high C in solo work....
Ortolf Sentlinger, the mayor	low bass
Diemut, his daughter	high soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately 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....	Annie Krull Annie Krull File:Annie Krull as Elektra.jpgAnna Maria Krull was Germans operatic soprano. She is most remembered today for having created the title role in Richard Strauss' opera Elektra ....
Elsbeth, her friend	mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of European classical music female voice type 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 ....
Wigelis, her friend	low contralto Contralto In music, a contralto is a type of European classical music female voice type with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the deepest female singing voice....
Margret, her friend	high soprano
Kunrad, the alchemist	high baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of European classical music male voice type that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice....	Karl Scheidemantel
Jorg Poschel, the Leitgeb	low bass
Hämerlein, the haberdasher	baritone
Kofel, the blacksmith	bass
Kunz Gilgenstock, the baker and brewer	bass
Ortlieb Tulbeck, the cooper	high tenor
Ursula, his wife	contralto
Ruger Asbeck, the potter	tenor
Walpurg, his wife	high soprano
Citizens, women, children, retainers

Synopsis

Setting: Medieval Munich, on Midsummer Night

During the Midsummer festival, lovers swear fidelity by leaping through the flames of a bonfire (known traditionally as Johannisfeuer). A sorcerer, Kunrad, has appeared in the city, and his presence disturbs the people. Kunrad is attracted to Diemut, daughter to the mayor. He kisses her in public. She rebuffs him by promising to bring him up to her room in a basket, but then leaves him hanging halfway up. In retaliation, he quenches all the festival bonfires and denounces the people as philistines. The only way to restore the fires is via "the body of a virgin in heat", which shocks the populace. They persuade Diemut to yield to Kunrad. She does so, and after she has her first-ever sexual experience (depicted in the orchestra), with a light glowing in her room, the fires are restored.

Selected recordings

Arts Music (CD reissue, original LP on Acanta): Raimund Grumbach, Bernd Weikl, Carmen Anhorn, Helmut Berger-Tuna, Ruthild Engert, Marga Schiml, Keith Engen, Willi Brokmeier, Julia Varady
Julia Varady

J?lia V?rady is a German soprano of Hungary origin born in Nagyv?rad, Hungary .At the age of six she began violin lessons at the music conservatory in Cluj-Napoca and then, aged fourteen, voice training with Emilia Popp....
, Hans-Dieter Bader, Kaja Borris, Manfred Schenk, Friedrich Lenz; Tölzer Boys Choir; Bavarian Radio Chorus; Munich Radio Orchestra; Heinz Fricke, conductor
Orfeo D'Or: Karl Ostertag, Max Pröbstl, Maud Cunitz, Marcel Cordes, Antonia Fahberg, Irmgard Barth, Lisolette Nösler, Georg Wieter, Karl Hopper, Keith Engen, Rudolf Wünzer, Paul Kuen, Ina Gerhein, Walter Carnuth, Gerla Sommerschuh; Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian State Opera
Bavarian State Opera

The Bayerische Staatsoper is an opera company based in Munich, Germany in existence since 1653. Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra....
; Rudolf Kempe
Rudolf Kempe

Rudolf Kempe was a Germany conducting....
, conductor (1958 live recording)