Jephtas Gelübde
Encyclopedia
Jephtas Gelübde was the first opera composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer
. The libretto
, which is elaborated from the biblical
story of Jephtha
, was by Aloys Schreiber. The first performance was at the Hoftheater in Munich
on 23 December 1812.
in April 1812, writing the overture last of all. During his revision of the score in June and July, Meyerbeer had already begun writing his second opera, Wirth und Gast. The score reflects Vogler's interest in colourful orchestration.
Rehearsals began for the opera in November 1812, with which Meyerbeer was not satisfied. 'Deliberate and accidental hindrances of every sort intruded, and even on the 20th December I was not certain whether the opera would be given in the 23rd. Anxiety, annoyance and vexation of every sort bothered me in these six weeks'. In the event there were three performances, and the operas was fairly successful with many numbers applauded, although the composer though that Lanius, as Jeptha, 'played very mediocrely'.
Two manuscripts of the score survive, one in the British Library
, London
, the other in Brussels
.
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer was a noted German opera composer, and the first great exponent of "grand opera." At his peak in the 1830s and 1840s, he was the most famous and successful composer of opera in Europe, yet he is rarely performed today.-Early years:He was born to a Jewish family in Tasdorf , near...
. The libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, which is elaborated from the biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
story of Jephtha
Jephtha
Jephthah is a character in the Old Testament's Book of Judges, serving as a judge over Israel for a period of six years . He lived in Gilead and was a member of the Tribe of Manasseh. His father's name was also Gilead...
, was by Aloys Schreiber. The first performance was at the Hoftheater in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
on 23 December 1812.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 1812 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Jephta | Christian Lanius | |
| Sulima, (Jephta's 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... |
Helena Harlas |
| Asmaweth (Sulima's lover) | 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... |
Georg Weixelbaum |
| Tirza (Sulima's servant) | Mlle. Flerr | |
| Abdon | Herr Mittermayr | |
| High Priest | Herr Schwadke | |
| Choruses of Levite Levite In Jewish tradition, a Levite is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe that received cities but were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their inheritance"... s, of prisoners and of warriors |
||
Background
Meyerbeer wrote Jephtas Gelübde while he was studying with Abt Vogler, (and while he was still known as Jakob, rather than the first name Giacomo which he was to adopt after his studies in Italy). He completed the score in WürzburgWürzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
in April 1812, writing the overture last of all. During his revision of the score in June and July, Meyerbeer had already begun writing his second opera, Wirth und Gast. The score reflects Vogler's interest in colourful orchestration.
Rehearsals began for the opera in November 1812, with which Meyerbeer was not satisfied. 'Deliberate and accidental hindrances of every sort intruded, and even on the 20th December I was not certain whether the opera would be given in the 23rd. Anxiety, annoyance and vexation of every sort bothered me in these six weeks'. In the event there were three performances, and the operas was fairly successful with many numbers applauded, although the composer though that Lanius, as Jeptha, 'played very mediocrely'.
Two manuscripts of the score survive, one in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the other in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.