Königskinder
Encyclopedia
Königskinder is a stage work by Engelbert Humperdinck
that exists in two versions: as a melodrama
and as an opera
or more precisely a Märchenoper. The libretto
was written by Ernst Rosmer (pen name of Else Bernstein-Porges), adapted from her play of the same name.
In 1894, Heinrich Porges
asked Humperdinck to write incidental music for his daughter Else's play. Humperdinck was interested in making the story into an opera but since Else Bernstein-Porges initially refused he opted for the play to be staged as a melodrama - that is with spoken dialog taking place along with an instrumental backdrop. (The work also included operatic arias and choruses, as well as unaccompanied dialog.)
In the melodramatic passages, Humperdinck designed an innovative hybrid notation that called for a text delivery somewhere between singing and speech. With this notation, the singer was expected to deliver a substantial portion of the text with approximate pitched melodies.
This version was first staged at the Munich
Hoftheater, with Hedwig Schako as the goose girl, on 23 January 1897 and enjoyed some success. However, Else Bernstein-Porges finally relented in 1907 and agreed that Humperdinck could transform the work into an opera.
in New York
on 28 December 1910, conducted by Alfred Hertz
, with Geraldine Farrar
as the Goose-Girl, Herman Jadlowker
as the King's Son, Louise Homer
as the Witch and Otto Goritz as the Fiddler. A Berlin premiere followed on 14 January 1911, conducted by Leo Blech
with Lola Artôt de Padilla
as the Goose-Girl and Walter Kirchhoff as the King's Son. Though the work lies in the shadow of Hänsel und Gretel, with which it shares a spirit, it is revived occasionally and has been recorded with strong casts several times. It was produced at the 1986 Wexford Festival, in 1997 at Sarasota Opera, in 2005 - 2007 at the Bayerische Staatsoper, and in 2007 at the Zurich Opera House
. In 2010, Dell'arte Opera Ensemble
gave a performance celebrating the hundredth anniversary of its premiere in New York City
.
Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck was a German composer, best known for his opera, Hänsel und Gretel. Humperdinck was born at Siegburg in the Rhine Province; at the age of 67 he died in Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.-Life:After receiving piano lessons, Humperdinck produced his first composition...
that exists in two versions: as a melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
and as an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
or more precisely a Märchenoper. 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...
was written by Ernst Rosmer (pen name of Else Bernstein-Porges), adapted from her play of the same name.
In 1894, Heinrich Porges
Heinrich Porges
Heinrich Porges was a Czech-Austrian choirmaster, music critic and writer of Jewish descent.-Life:...
asked Humperdinck to write incidental music for his daughter Else's play. Humperdinck was interested in making the story into an opera but since Else Bernstein-Porges initially refused he opted for the play to be staged as a melodrama - that is with spoken dialog taking place along with an instrumental backdrop. (The work also included operatic arias and choruses, as well as unaccompanied dialog.)
In the melodramatic passages, Humperdinck designed an innovative hybrid notation that called for a text delivery somewhere between singing and speech. With this notation, the singer was expected to deliver a substantial portion of the text with approximate pitched melodies.
This version was first staged at the 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...
Hoftheater, with Hedwig Schako as the goose girl, on 23 January 1897 and enjoyed some success. However, Else Bernstein-Porges finally relented in 1907 and agreed that Humperdinck could transform the work into an opera.
Performance History
Königskinder was first performed at the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 28 December 1910, conducted by Alfred Hertz
Alfred Hertz
Alfred Hertz , a German conductor born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. As a child, he contracted infantile paralysis and walked with a cane after that....
, with Geraldine Farrar
Geraldine Farrar
Geraldine Farrar was an American soprano opera singer and film actress, noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." She had a large following among young women, who were nicknamed "Gerry-flappers".- Early life and opera career :Farrar was born in Melrose,...
as the Goose-Girl, Herman Jadlowker
Herman Jadlowker
Herman Jadlowker was a leading Latvian-born tenor of Russian nationality who enjoyed an important international career during the first quarter of the 20th century....
as the King's Son, Louise Homer
Louise Homer
Louise Homer was an American operatic contralto who had an active international career in concert halls and opera houses from 1895 until her retirement in 1932. After a brief stint as a vaudeville entertainer in New England, she made her professional opera debut in France in 1898...
as the Witch and Otto Goritz as the Fiddler. A Berlin premiere followed on 14 January 1911, conducted by Leo Blech
Leo Blech
Leo Blech was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Schauspielhaus Leo Blech (21 April 1871 – 25 August 1958) was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Schauspielhaus Leo...
with Lola Artôt de Padilla
Lola Artôt de Padilla
Lola Artôt de Padilla was a French-Spanish soprano, renowned in Germany, where she mainly sang.-Biography:...
as the Goose-Girl and Walter Kirchhoff as the King's Son. Though the work lies in the shadow of Hänsel und Gretel, with which it shares a spirit, it is revived occasionally and has been recorded with strong casts several times. It was produced at the 1986 Wexford Festival, in 1997 at Sarasota Opera, in 2005 - 2007 at the Bayerische Staatsoper, and in 2007 at the Zurich Opera House
Zurich Opera House
Opernhaus Zürich is an opera house in the Swiss city of Zurich. It has been the home of the Zurich Opera since 1891.- History :...
. In 2010, Dell'arte Opera Ensemble
Dell'arte Opera Ensemble
dell'Arte Opera Ensemble is an opera company in New York City whose dual mission is to nurture emerging singers through rehearsal and performance opportunities, coachings, seminars, and master classes, and to attract new audiences by offering them high-quality opera presentations at affordable...
gave a performance celebrating the hundredth anniversary of its premiere in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 28 December 1910 (Conductor: Alfred Hertz Alfred Hertz Alfred Hertz , a German conductor born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. As a child, he contracted infantile paralysis and walked with a cane after that.... ) |
|---|---|---|
| Goose-Girl (Gänsemagd) | 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... |
Geraldine Farrar Geraldine Farrar Geraldine Farrar was an American soprano opera singer and film actress, noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." She had a large following among young women, who were nicknamed "Gerry-flappers".- Early life and opera career :Farrar was born in Melrose,... |
| Witch (Hexe) | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
Louise Homer Louise Homer Louise Homer was an American operatic contralto who had an active international career in concert halls and opera houses from 1895 until her retirement in 1932. After a brief stint as a vaudeville entertainer in New England, she made her professional opera debut in France in 1898... |
| King's son (Köningssohn) | 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... |
Herman Jadlowker Herman Jadlowker Herman Jadlowker was a leading Latvian-born tenor of Russian nationality who enjoyed an important international career during the first quarter of the 20th century.... |
| Fiddler (Spielmann) | 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... |
Otto Goritz |
| Woodcutter | bass | Adamo Didur Adamo Didur Adamo Didur was a top-class Polish operatic bass vocalist. He sang extensively in opera in Europe and appeared at New York's Metropolitan Opera from 1908 to 1932.-Career:... |
| Broom-maker | tenor | Albert Reiss Albert Reiss Albert Reiss was a German operatic tenor who had a prolific career in Europe and the United States during the first third of the twentieth century. He spent much of his career performing at the Metropolitan Opera where he sang in more than 1,000 performances, including several premieres, between... |
| Stable girl | contralto | Marie Mattfeld |
| Innkeeper's daughter | 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... |
Florence Wickham |
| First gatekeeper | tenor | Ernst Maran |
| Second gatekeeper | baritone | William Hinshaw |
| Innkeeper | bass | Antonio Pini-Corsi Antonio Pini-Corsi Antonio Pini-Corsi was an Italian operatic baritone of international renown. He possessed a ripe-toned voice of great flexibility and displayed tremendous skill at patter singing... |
| First child | soprano | Edna Walter |
| Second child | soprano | Lotte Engel |
| Senior councillor | baritone | Marcel Reiner |
| Tailor | tenor | Julius Bayer |
Recordings
- 1952: Möller-Siepermann/Ihme-Säbich/Anders/Fischer-Dieskau, Orchester des Westdeutschen Rundfunks conducted by Richard Kraus, live in Cologne, Walhall
- 1976: Donath/Schwarz/Dallapozza/Prey, Münchner Rundfunkorchester conducted by Heinz Wallberg, EMI
- 1996: Schellenberger/Schmiege/Moser-T/Henschel, Münchner Rundfunkorchester conducted by Fabio Luisi, Calig
- 2005: Sala/Gubisch/Kaufmann/Roth, Orchestre National de Montpelier conducted by Armin Jordan, live in Montpellier, Accord
- 2007: Rey/Nikiteanu/Kaufmann/Widmer, Opernhaus Zürich conducted by Ingo Metzmacher, video from Zurich, Encore
- 2008: Banse/Schnaut/Vogt/Gerhaher, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, Berlin conducted by Ingo Metzmacher, live in Berlin, Premiere Opera
Sources
- Glauert, Amanda (1992). 'Königskinder' in the New Grove Dictionary of OperaNew Grove Dictionary of OperaThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
, 4 vols., edited by Stanley SadieStanley SadieStanley Sadie CBE was a leading British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , which was published as the first edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.Sadie was educated at St Paul's School,...
. London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-333-73432-7 - Operadis discography, accessed 11 November 2010