Lear is an
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in two acts with music by the German composer
Aribert ReimannAribert Reimann is a German opera composer, pianist and accompanist. His version of King Lear was written at the suggestion of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau who sang the title role.-Biography:...
, and a libretto by Claus H. Henneberg, based on Shakespeare's tragedy
King LearKing Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606, and is considered one of his greatest works. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king...
. Reimann wrote the title role specifically for the
baritoneBaritone is a type of classical male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek βαρύτονος, meaning 'deep sounding', music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second G below middle C to the F above...
Dietrich Fischer-DieskauDietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a German lyric baritone singer and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous lieder singers of his generation. He is greatly admired for his interpretive insight, note-perfect control of the tonal qualities and shadings of color in his voice, exceptional...
, who had suggested the subject to the composer as early as 1968. Reimann then received a commission from the
Bavarian State OperaThe Bayerische Staatsoper is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:...
in 1975. The world premiere, in a production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle with Fischer-Dieskau in the title role, occurred at the Nationaltheater,
MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
on 9 July 1978, with
Gerd AlbrechtGerd Albrecht is a German conductor. He was a first-prize winner at the International Conductors Competition in Besançon at age 22. His first post was as a repetiteur at the Stuttgart State Opera. Later, he became Senior Kapellmeister at the Mainz Municipal Theatre, and Generalmusikdirector in...
conducting.
Lear is an
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in two acts with music by the German composer
Aribert ReimannAribert Reimann is a German opera composer, pianist and accompanist. His version of King Lear was written at the suggestion of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau who sang the title role.-Biography:...
, and a libretto by Claus H. Henneberg, based on Shakespeare's tragedy
King LearKing Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606, and is considered one of his greatest works. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king...
. Reimann wrote the title role specifically for the
baritoneBaritone is a type of classical male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek βαρύτονος, meaning 'deep sounding', music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second G below middle C to the F above...
Dietrich Fischer-DieskauDietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a German lyric baritone singer and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous lieder singers of his generation. He is greatly admired for his interpretive insight, note-perfect control of the tonal qualities and shadings of color in his voice, exceptional...
, who had suggested the subject to the composer as early as 1968. Reimann then received a commission from the
Bavarian State OperaThe Bayerische Staatsoper is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:...
in 1975. The world premiere, in a production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle with Fischer-Dieskau in the title role, occurred at the Nationaltheater,
MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
on 9 July 1978, with
Gerd AlbrechtGerd Albrecht is a German conductor. He was a first-prize winner at the International Conductors Competition in Besançon at age 22. His first post was as a repetiteur at the Stuttgart State Opera. Later, he became Senior Kapellmeister at the Mainz Municipal Theatre, and Generalmusikdirector in...
conducting. The production was revived in Munich in 1980. The US premiere, in English translation, was at the
San Francisco OperaSan Francisco Opera is the second largest opera company in North America after the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola...
in June 1981, with
Thomas StewartThomas Stewart was an illegitimate son of King Robert II of Scotland. In 1380, Avignon Pope Clement VII provided Thomas with the Archdeaconry of the Bishopric of St. Andrews, as well as the canonry of Stobo in the Bishopric of Glasgow...
as Lear, and Gerd Albrecht as conductor. The Paris premiere was in November 1982, in a French translation by Antoinette Becker. The UK premiere was by
English National OperaEnglish National Opera is is an opera company based in London, England, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
in 1989.
One notable departure from operatic convention was to make the part of Lear's Fool a speaking role, rather than a sung role. In addition, compared to the Shakespeare original, the parts of Kent and Edmund, for example, have been greatly reduced.
Roles
- King Lear (baritone)
- King of France
- Duke of Albany (baritone)
- Duke of Cornwall
- Earl of Kent
- Earl of Gloucester (bass-baritone)
- Edgar (countertenor)
- Edmund
- Goneril (soprano)
- Regan (soprano)
- Cordelia (soprano)
- Lear's Fool (spoken role)
- Servant
- Knight
Recordings
- 1978: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a German lyric baritone singer and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous lieder singers of his generation. He is greatly admired for his interpretive insight, note-perfect control of the tonal qualities and shadings of color in his voice, exceptional...
, Karl Helm, Hans Wilbrink, Georg Paskuda, Richard Holm, Hans Günter Nöcker, David Knutson, Werner Gotz, Helga Dernesch, Colette Lorand, Julia VaradyJúlia Várady is a German soprano of Hungarian origin born in Nagyvárad, Hungary ....
, Rolf Boysen, Markus Gortizki, Gerhard Auer; Bavarian State OrchestraThe Bayerisches Staatsorchester is the orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera.- History :Founded in the times of Ludwig Senfl the orchestra, specialized in musica sacra, belonged to the finest ones in Europe already under Orlando di Lasso . In 1651 the Italian opera was introduced in Munich...
, Chorus of the Bavarian State OperaThe Bayerische Staatsoper is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:...
; Gerd AlbrechtGerd Albrecht is a German conductor. He was a first-prize winner at the International Conductors Competition in Besançon at age 22. His first post was as a repetiteur at the Stuttgart State Opera. Later, he became Senior Kapellmeister at the Mainz Municipal Theatre, and Generalmusikdirector in...
, conductor. Deutsche GrammophonDeutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label, now part of the Universal Music Group. It is also UMG's oldest active label.-History:...
463 480-2 (CD reissue)
- 2008: Wolfgang Koch, Magnus Baldvinsson, Dietrich Volle, Michael McCown, Hans-Jürgen Lazar, Johannes Martin Kränzle, Martin Wölfel, Frank van Aken, Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Caroline Whisnant, Britta Stallmeister; Frankfurter Museumsorchester
The Frankfurter Museumsorchester is the resident orchestra of the Frankfurt am Main City Opera House, Germany. Its somewhat peculiar name is derived from the series of "Museum Concerts", organized by the Frankfurter Museumsgeselslchaft since 1808. The orchestra is ranked as an "A-list" ensemble...
, Chorus of the Frankfurt Opera, Sebastian Weigle, conductor. Oehms classics OC 921