''Der Silbersee: ein Wintermärchen'' (''The Silver Lake: a Winter's Fairy Tale'') is a 'play with music' in three acts by

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

to a German text by

Georg Kaiser Friedrich Carl Georg Kaiser, called Georg Kaiser, (25 November 1878 – 4 June 1945) was a German dramatist. Biography Kaiser was born in Magdeburg. He was highly prolific and wrote in a number of different styles. An Expressionist dramatist, ...

. The subtitle is an allusion to

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lie ...

's 1844

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...

epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

, ''

Germany. A Winter's Tale ''Germany. A Winter's Tale'' (german: Deutschland. Ein Wintermärchen) is a satirical Epic poetry, epic poem by the Germans, German writer Heinrich Heine (1797–1856), describing the thoughts of a journey from Paris to Hamburg the author made in ...

''.

Premiere performances

''Der Silbersee'' was

premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its f ...

d on 18 February 1933 ''simultaneously'' at the Altes Theater (Leipzig), the and the Stadttheater Magdeburg, just three weeks after the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

Machtergreifung Adolf Hitler's rise to power began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919 when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He rose to a place of prominence in the early years of the party. Be ...

on 30 January 1933. The Leipzig production was directed by Detlev Sierck, conducted by

Gustav Brecher Gustav Brecher (5 February 1879 – May 1940) was a German conductor, composer, and music critic. As director of the Leipzig Opera, he conducted world premieres of works by Ernst Krenek and Kurt Weill, including '' Jonny spielt auf'' and '' Ris ...

, and designed by

Caspar Neher Caspar Neher (born Rudolf Ludwig Caspar Neher; 11 April 1897 – 30 June 1962) was an Austrian-German scenographer and librettist, known principally for his career-long working relationship with Bertolt Brecht. Neher was born in Augsburg. He ...

. It was the last production of both Weill and Kaiser in the

Weimar Republic The German Reich, commonly referred to as the Weimar Republic,, was a historical period of Germany from 9 November 1918 to 23 March 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is also r ...

before they were forced to emigrate. It was banned on 4 March 1933 by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...

after having been performed 16 times.

Performance history

A complete performance of ''Der Silbersee'' runs about three hours, consisting of roughly equal parts of dialogue and music. The long and complex play requires skilled actors, but the vocal demands of Weill's score require trained singers. The difficulty in reconciling these needs makes successful performance of the piece difficult, and modern productions have consisted mostly of abridged concert versions and adaptations. An abridged version with diminished orchestration was prepared by

Boris Blacher Boris Blacher (30 January 1975) was a German composer and librettist. Life Blacher was born when his parents (of German-Estonian and Russian backgrounds) were living within a Russian-speaking community in the Manchurian town of Niuzhuang () ( ...

and presented as part of the Berlin Festival at the Schlosspark-Theater, in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under m ...

, on 19 September 1955. At the

Holland Festival The Holland Festival () is the oldest and largest performing arts festival in the Netherlands. It takes place every June in Amsterdam. It comprises theatre, music, opera and modern dance. In recent years, multimedia, visual arts, film and archit ...

at The Hague on 25 June 1971, a 90-minute concert version was prepared by Jozef Heinzelmann and David Drew. It included the entire score in its original orchestration, with narration spoken by

Lotte Lenya Lotte Lenya (born Karoline Wilhelmine Charlotte Blamauer; 18 October 1898 – 27 November 1981) was an Austrian-American singer, diseuse, and actress, long based in the United States. In the German-speaking and classical music world, she is bes ...

. The performance was conducted by

Gary Bertini Gary Bertini ( he, גארי ברתיני, May 1, 1927 – March 17, 2005) was one of the most important Israeli musicians and conductors. In 1978 he was awarded the Israel Prize for Music. Biography Gary Bertini was born ''Shloyme Golergant'' in ...

. A 50-minute concert version devised by David Drew for five soloists, chorus and orchestra with no narration or dialogue was presented on 10 September 1975 in West Berlin. Performers included

Anja Silja Anja Silja Regina Langwagen (, born 17 April 1940) is a German soprano singer. Biography Born in Berlin, Silja began her operatic career at a very early age, with her grandfather, Egon Friedrich Maria Anders van Rijn, as her voice teacher. Sh ...

(soprano) and Günther Reich (baritone), conducted by Gary Bertini. On 20 March 1980 in the

New York State Theater The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet, modern and other forms of dance, part of the Lincoln Center, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Originally ...

in New York City, the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...

presented a free adaptation entitled ''Silverlake'' with an English libretto by

Hugh Wheeler Hugh Callingham Wheeler (19 March 1912 – 26 July 1987) was a British novelist, screenwriter, librettist, poet and translator. He resided in the United States from 1934 until his death and became a naturalized citizen in 1942. He had attended Lo ...

and a musically continuous score devised by Lys Symonette who also adapted the lyrics. The score incorporated incidental music Weill had composed for the Berlin stage as well as music written for a 1927 production of

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty ...

's ''Gustav III'', and interpolated the "Muschel von Margate" ("Petroleum Song") (written for Léo Lania's 1928 play ''Konjunktur'') with new lyrics by Wheeler to create a duet for Olim and Severin in act 3. This version also adds Olim to the Lottery Agent's Tango, making it a duet, transfers the "Ballad of Caesar's Death" from the

ingénue The ''ingénue'' (, , ) is a stock character in literature, film and a role type in the theater, generally a girl or a young woman, who is endearingly innocent. ''Ingénue'' may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in such rol ...

Fennimore to the villainess Frau von Luber, and adds a role for a dancer representing Hunger. The cast included

Joel Grey Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical ''Cabaret'' on Broadway as well as in the 1972 fil ...

(Olim), William Neill (Severin), Elizabeth Hynes (Fennimore), Elaine Bonazzi (Frau von Luber), and Gary Chryst (Hunger). The production was directed by

Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

, conducted by

Julius Rudel Julius Rudel (6 March 1921 – 26 June 2014) was an Austrian-born American opera and orchestra conductor. He was born in Vienna and was a student at the city's Academy of Music. He emigrated to the United States at the age of 17 in 1938 after th ...

, and designed by Manuel Lutgenhorst. In 2014 it was produced at in

Kokkola Kokkola (; sv, Karleby, ) is a town and municipality of Finland. The town is located in the Central Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neighbour municipal ...

, Finland.

Roles

Synopsis

Act 1

A band of unemployed men who live on the banks of the Silbersee are driven by their hunger and despair to rob a grocery store. Severin is making off with a pineapple when he is shot and wounded by Olim, a provincial policeman. While preparing his official report, Olim's conscience is troubled by the desperation that he imagines has motivated Severin's crime, and he is touched by Severin's unlikely choice of plunder. Thanks to an unexpected lottery win, Olim suddenly acquires a fortune. He destroys his police report of the incident and vows to make amends to Severin. Olim presents himself to the bitter, hospitalized Severin as his benefactor without revealing his true identity.

Act 2

Olim has purchased an ancient castle and is attending to Severin's recovery with the help of his housekeeper Frau von Luber and her good-hearted and somewhat mystical niece Fennimore. Frau von Luber is from an old aristocratic family that has fallen on hard times. Sensing that Olim is hiding some secret that she may be able to use to her advantage, she orders Fennimore to spy upon the master and his guest in an attempt to unlock the mystery of their relationship. Meanwhile, Severin is unmoved by Olim's generosity and remains morbidly focused on revenge. At Severin's request, Fennimore delivers a message to his comrades at the Silbersee, who thereby learn his whereabouts and come to the castle, where they recognize Olim as the policeman whose gunshot crippled Severin.

Act 3

Frau von Luber now exploits Olim's fear of the furious Severin and manages to acquire both the castle and Olim's fortune. Fennimore foils her aunt's plan to set Severin murderously upon Olim by moving the two men to reconcile. Frau von Luber, now restored to wealth and property, dispossesses Olim and Severin, who set out through the snow to the Silbersee with the intention of drowning themselves. As they journey there, winter turns to spring and the voices of Fennimore and the unseen chorus encourage them to remain true to each other and to mankind by going forward in confidence and hope. When they arrive at the Silbersee, they find it miraculously still frozen solid, and they set out across it as Fennimore's voice is heard singing, (Silverlake will bear whoever must go farther).

Musical numbers

Overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") in music was originally the instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed over ...

(''Allegro assai'') – orchestra Act 1 :1 "Gräbst du?" – Two gravediggers :2 '' Alla marche funebre'': "Wir tragen den Toten zu Grabe" – Two gravediggers, two young men :3 "Der Bäkker bäckt ums Morgenrot" – Severin, two gravediggers, two young men :4 Song der beiden Verkäuferinnen: "Wir sind Mädchen, die an jedermann verkaufen" – Two shopgirls :4a Walzer – orchestra :5 Choruses ::''

Sostenuto Piano pedals are foot-operated levers at the base of a piano that change the instrument's sound in various ways. Modern pianos usually have three pedals, from left to right, the soft pedal (or una corda), the sostenuto pedal, and the sustaining ...

'' – orchestra ::"Olim! Tut es dir nicht leid?" – chorus ::"Jetzt bist du auf dem Wege" – chorus ::"Wenn die nicht schiltst" – chorus ::"Immer weiter dringen" – chorus ::"Noch hast du das Geld nicht'"– chorus :6 Song von der Krone des Gewinns: "Was zahlen Sie für einen Rat?" – Lottery agent :6a Choruses ::"Olim! was willst du tun?" – chorus ::"Olim! Willst du Vergessen?" – chorus ::"Du hast dich zum Aufbruch entschlossen" – chorus ::Nachspiel – orchestra : aMelodrama – Severin :7 "Was soll ich essen in der Morgenfrühe?" – Severin, Olim Act 2 : a''Moderato assai'' – orchestra :8 Fennimores Lied: "Ich bin eine arme Verwandte" – Fennimore :9 Ballade von Cäsars Tod: "

Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...

hiess eine Stadt" – Fennimore :10 ''Allegro moderato'' – orchestra ennimore's dance:11 Rache-Arie: "Erst trifft dich die Kugel" – Severin :12 Silbersee-Duett: "Auf jener Straße'' – Severin, Fennimore :12a Choral reprise of ''11'' Act 3 :13 ''Allegro assai'' – orchestra (shortened reprise of ''1a'') :14

Odysseus Odysseus ( ; grc-gre, Ὀδυσσεύς, Ὀδυσεύς, OdysseúsOdyseús, ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; lat, UlyssesUlixes), is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the ''Odyssey''. Odys ...

-Arie: "Wie Odysseus an den Mast des Schiffes" – Severin :15 Totentanz – orchestra :15a Schlaraffenland-Song: "Es wächst uns in den Mund der Wein" – Frau von Luber, Baron Laur :16 Finale ::''Andantino'' – orchestra ::"Ihr sollt den Weg nicht finden" – chorus ::''Allegretto'' – orchestra ::"Alles, was ist, ist Beginnen" – Fennimore's voice, chorus

Music

The theatrical form of ''Der Silbersee'' is difficult to classify and most closely resembles a singspiel, though with greater dramatic demands placed on the acting. As in his other works, Weill uses a broad variety of forms (songs, arias, duets, quartets, choruses), musical styles (

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

, funeral march,

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...

, polka,

foxtrot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a ti ...

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...

) and conventions (revenge aria,

moritat (; also spelled , or ) comes from Italian for "story-singer" and is known by many other names around the world. It is a theatrical form where a performer tells or sings a story while gesturing to a series of images. These images can be painted ...

, Totentanz, and dialogue spoken over elaborate musical accompaniment, i.e., melodrama). The orchestration requires a string section plus 13 other instruments.''Der Silbersee Ein Wintermärchen'' (1932–33)
Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, kwf.org. Retrieved 16 January 2011 The finale, depicting Severin and Olim's journey to the Silbersee through a stormy snowscape that transforms into spring, runs approximately 15 minutes and consists of melodrama, dialogue, instrumental passages, choruses, and an offstage solo.

Reception and consequences

As a result of the work's questioning of genre limitations, the

labelled it and placed a ban on the piece on 4 March 1933. The next day, Kaiser was expelled from the

Prussian Academy of Arts The Prussian Academy of Arts (German: ''Preußische Akademie der Künste'') was a state arts academy first established in Berlin, Brandenburg, in 1694/1696 by prince-elector Frederick III, in personal union Duke Frederick I of Prussia, and lat ...

, of which he was a member. On 21 March, ''Silbersee'' designer and longtime Weill collaborator

and his wife Erika drove Weill across the border in their car and together they headed for Paris. On 10 May the work with illustrations by Neher was burned on the Opera Plaza. In spite of the extreme censorship put on it at the time, the work has survived more or less intact. There have been complete recordings and performances made of it most since 1945.

Recordings

* ''Silverlake. A Winter's Tale'',

. Conductor:

. Elektra/Asylum/Nonesuch, 1980 (102 minutes) * ''Der Silbersee. Ein Wintermärchen'' – Kurt Weill Edition, vol. 1, Capriccio, 1990 (107 minutes) * Weill: ''Der Silbersee'',

Markus Stenz Markus Stenz (born 28 February 1965, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate) is a German conductor. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik Köln with Volker Wangenhein and at Tanglewood with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Stenz h ...

(conductor),

London Sinfonietta The London Sinfonietta is an English contemporary chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble has headquarters at Kings Place and is Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre. Since its inaugural concert in 1968—gi ...

Orchestra and Chorus, RCA, Red Seal Label, 1999 (85 minutes)

References

Notes Sources *

External links

Work details
including introduction by David Drew, audio samples, score examples;

Universal Edition Universal Edition (UE) is a classical music publishing firm. Founded in 1901 in Vienna, they originally intended to provide the core classical works and educational works to the Austrian market (which had until then been dominated by Leipzig-ba ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silbersee, Der Operas by Kurt Weill German-language operas Operas 1933 operas