Das Nusch-Nuschi
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''Das Nusch-Nuschi'' (''The Nusch-Nuschi''), Op. 20, is an
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
in one act by
Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith ( ; ; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advo ...
, with a German
libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
by
Franz Blei Franz Blei (pseudonyms: Medardus, Dr. Peregrinus Steinhövel, Amadée de la Houlette, Franciscus Amadeus, Gussie Mc-Bill, Prokop Templin, Heliogabal, Nikodemus Schuster, L. O. G., Hans Adolar; January 18, 1871 July 10, 1942) was an essayist, play ...
. Subtitled ''A Play for Burmese Marionettes in One Act'' (Ein Spiel für burmanische Marionetten in einem Akt), it is a staged work with both singers and dancers. It is the second work in a
triptych A triptych ( ) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all m ...
of
expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
one-act operas, the others being ''Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen'' and ''Sancta Susanna''. They are the first operas written by Hindemith. The first two were premiered together at the Staatstheater Stuttgart, Württembergisches Landestheater in Stuttgart on 4 June 1921; all three were performed at the Oper Frankfurt in 1922.


History

''Das Nusch-Nuschi'' was the second piece in a triptych of one-act operas by Hindemith influenced by Expressionism. Hindemith experienced World War I as a soldier in Belgium and Northern France. In a second wave of expressionism after the war, he became interested in the movement. It was a period of changes in society. Hindemith describes: "the old world exploded". ''Das Nusch-Nuschi'' is based on a 1904 play by
Franz Blei Franz Blei (pseudonyms: Medardus, Dr. Peregrinus Steinhövel, Amadée de la Houlette, Franciscus Amadeus, Gussie Mc-Bill, Prokop Templin, Heliogabal, Nikodemus Schuster, L. O. G., Hans Adolar; January 18, 1871 July 10, 1942) was an essayist, play ...
, subtitled "A Play for Burmese Marionettes". Blei was a Richard Wagner, Wagner enthusiast when he was young, but turned to contributing to the satirical weekly ''Simplicissimus'' and wrote plays for the cabaret (The Eleven Executioners), founded in Munich and focused on puppet satire. He had his ''Nusch-Nuschi'' reprinted in 1913 in an issue of ''Die Aktion'' that was dedicated to his work. While ''Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen'' deals with brutality between the sexes, ''Das Nusch-Nuschi'' is in a way even "more subversive" as it ridicules brutality and intense emotions.


Roles


Music

He composed the work in 1920 and finished it on 14 August of that year. It is playful with elements of slapstick comedy, in contrast with the other two pieces of the triptych. The opera is in the tradition of commedia dell'arte with its stereotype characters. It is a satire on European drama and opera. Hindemith uses traditional musical forms, often in parody. A quote from Wagner's ''Tristan und Isolde'', Marke's "Mir dies!", was regarded as a sacrilege by some of Hindemith's contemporaries. Hindemith comments the third dance: "The following 'choral fugue' (with all mod cons: Augmentation (music), augmentation, diminutions, stretto and basso ostinato) simply thank their existence to an unfortunate coincidence: they were conceived by the composer. They have no further purpose than this: to incorporate themselves stylishly into the framework of this picture and provide all 'experts' with the opportunity to bark about the incredibly bad taste of their creator. Hallelujah! – It is essential that this piece be danced (or rather wobbled to) by two eunuchs with incredibly fat and naked bellies." Hindemith also quotes from ''Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Till Eulenspiegel'' by Richard Strauss, and parodies the exotic sounds of Mahler's ''Das Lied von der Erde'', using celesta, mandolin, harp and English horn. He contrasts tender music with "the screeches of two trained monkeys", and parodies the "neo-Baroque" style of Max Reger with a grotesque "choral fugue".


Performances

The opera was first performed, together with ''Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen'', on 4 June 1921 at the Staatstheater Stuttgart, Württembergisches Landestheater in Stuttgart, conducted by Fritz Busch and staged by Otto Erhardt. The artist Oskar Schlemmer was responsible for the stage set, costumes and choreography. The duration is given as 60 minutes.


References

Sources * * * * * *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nusch-Nuschi, Das Operas Operas by Paul Hindemith German-language operas 1921 operas One-act operas Operas based on plays