Die Opernprobe
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Die Opernprobe'' (The opera rehearsal), also titled ''Die vornehmen Dilettanten'' (The distinguished dilettantes), is a comic opera (''
Spieloper In the 19th century, Spieloper (, 'opera play') was understood to mean a light opera genre, developed from Singspiel. Works typical of the genre include those by Albert Lortzing, such as ''Zar und Zimmermann'', and Otto Nicolai's ''The Merry Wives ...
'') in one act by
Albert Lortzing Gustav Albert Lortzing (23 October 1801 – 21 January 1851) was a German composer, librettist, actor and singer. He is considered to be the main representative of the German ''Spieloper'', a form similar to the French ''opéra comique'', which ...
, to a
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 ...
which he adapted from a play by Philippe Poisson which had been translated by . The premiere was on 20 January 1851 at the
Oper Frankfurt The Oper Frankfurt (Frankfurt Opera) is a German opera company based in Frankfurt. Opera in Frankfurt am Main has a long tradition, with many world premieres such as Franz Schreker's ''Der ferne Klang'' in 1912, ''Fennimore and Gerda, Fennimore ...
.


History

Lortzing was a successful composer of ''
Spieloper In the 19th century, Spieloper (, 'opera play') was understood to mean a light opera genre, developed from Singspiel. Works typical of the genre include those by Albert Lortzing, such as ''Zar und Zimmermann'', and Otto Nicolai's ''The Merry Wives ...
n'', comic operas with spoken dialogue, from ''
Zar und Zimmermann ''Zar und Zimmermann'' (''Tsar and Carpenter'') is a comic opera in three acts, music by Albert Lortzing, libretto by the composer after Georg Christian Römer's ''Der Bürgermeister von Saardam, oder Die zwei Peter'', itself based on the French p ...
'' in 1837 to ''
Der Waffenschmied ''Der Waffenschmied'' (The Armourer) 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 t ...
'' in 1846. He composed ''Die Opernprobe'' in 1850 when he was director of the in Berlin, which rarely played operas. For the
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 ...
, he freely adapted a 1733 French play by Philippe Poisson, ''L'Impromptu de campagne'', which Johann Friedrich Jünger had translated to German in 1794, as ''Die Komödie aus dem Stegreif'' (The improvised comedy). Lortzing had appeared as a character in the play in Cologne in 1825. ''Die Opernprobe'' premiered on 20 January 1851 at the Oper Frankfurt in a double-bill with
Friedrich Kaiser Friedrich Kaiser (3 April 1814, Biberach - 6 November 1874, Vienna) was an Austrian playwright. During his youth he was one of the most popular people in Vienna. Some of his plays were "Hans Hasenkopf" (1835); "Wer wird Amtmann" (1840), "Palais ...
's comedy ''Junker und Knecht''. The evening was a benefit performance for Samuel Friedrich Hassel who sang the role of The Count. Lortzing, who had been suffering from ill-health and was under considerable stress in his position as the conductor at the newly opened Friedrich-Wilhelmstädtisches Theater in Berlin, was not involved in the preparations for the Frankfurt premiere, nor did he attend the opening night. On the evening of 20 January he had planned to attend a performance of ''
The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( ) is an ''opera buffa'' (comic opera) in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's French comedy ' ...
'' at the
Königliches Opernhaus The Staatsoper Unter den Linden ( State Opera under the Lime Trees), also known as the Berlin State Opera (), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Pru ...
in Berlin with his friend . Instead, he returned home and went to bed early. He suffered a stroke during the night and died the next morning. Unbeknownst to Lortzing, his last opera had a very successful premiere in Frankfurt and remained in the repertoire in Germany until after World War II. It was published by
Bartholf Senff Bartholf Senff (2 September 1815 25 June 1900) was a German music publisher from Friedrichshall, Coburg. In 1850, he founded the publishing house which bears his name in Leipzig. His catalog contains original editions of Mendelssohn, Brahms, Gad ...
in Leipzig in 1899.


Roles


Synopsis

The action is an opera rehearsal in a hall of a count's palace with a view towards the garden, in 1794. The amateur performers include the servants. Hannchen, a servant, is the conductor. The story includes a strange nobleman who had escaped an arranged marriage to a woman he did not know. He falls in love with Louise and in the end, after complications, finds out that she was the bride his uncle had planned for him.


Recordings

''Die Opernprobe'' was recorded in 1951, the 100th anniversary of the premiere, with singers including
Helmut Krebs Helmut Krebs (October 8, 1913 in Dortmund – August 30, 2007 in Berlin) was a German tenor in opera and concert, who sang a wide range of roles from Baroque to contemporary works. Professional career Krebs studied at the Dortmund Conservatory and ...
, Lisa Otto and the
RIAS Kammerchor The RIAS Kammerchor (RIAS Chamber Choir) is a German choir based in Berlin, Germany. It receives support from the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre GmbH Berlin ("Berlin Radio Orchestra and Choirs"), a limited-liability company owned by the public br ...
. A 1974 recording, with the choir and orchestra of the
Bavarian State Opera The Bavarian State Opera () is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bavarian State Orchestra. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under El ...
conducted by
Otmar Suitner Otmar Suitner (; 16 May 1922 – 8 January 2010) was an Austrian conductor who spent most of his professional career in East Germany. He was born in Innsbruck and died in Berlin. He was principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden from 1960 ...
, features Regina Marheineke,
Nicolai Gedda Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, better known as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017), was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made his final ...
, Klaus Hirte and Walter Berry, among others.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Opernprobe, Die 1851 operas German-language operas Operas by Albert Lortzing Operas based on plays Operas Lortzing Opernprobe Operas about opera