''Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond'' (''Martha, or The Market at Richmond'') is a ''romantic comic''

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 four acts by Friedrich von Flotow set to 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 and based on a story by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges. Flotow had composed the first act of a ballet, ''Harriette, ou la servante de Greenwiche'', derived from a text by Saint-Georges, for the ballerina Adèle Dumilâtre. This was first performed by the

Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...

at the

Salle Le Peletier The Salle Le Peletier or Lepeletier (sometimes referred to as the Salle de la rue Le Peletier or the Opéra Le Peletier) was the home of the Paris Opera from 1821 until the building was destroyed by fire in 1873. The theatre was designed and con ...

on 21 February 1844. The time available for the composition was short, so the second and third acts were assigned, respectively, to Friedrich Burgmüller and Édouard Deldevez. The opera ''Martha'' was an adaptation of this ballet.

Critical appreciation

According to Gustav Kobbé, ''Martha'', though written by a native of

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...

and first performed in Vienna, is French in character and elegance. Flotow was French in his musical training, as were the origins of both the plot and the score of this work, effectively in the tradition of Auber. (Flotow studied composition in Paris under Reicha from 1827 until 1830, and having left on account of the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...

returned there from 1835 until 1848, and again from 1863 until 1868.)

Performance history

The first performance of ''Martha'' took place at the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna on 25 November 1847. Other early productions followed in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

(16 February 1848),

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

(1 March 1848),

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

(1 March 1848), and Berlin (7 March 1848). It was performed in Budapest in Hungarian (11 July 1848) and in Prague in German (24 March 1849) and in Czech (17 February 1850). There were several early productions in London, the first in German at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

(4 June 1849), followed by one in Italian at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

(1 July 1858) and another in English at Drury Lane (11 October 1858). Anna Bishop - CD Fredericks - VB Lawrence 1995 p320

In the United States, it was produced in English at Niblo's Garden in New York City on 1 November 1852 with

Anna Bishop Anna, Lady Bishop (9 January 181018 March 1884) was an English operatic soprano. She sang in many countries and was believed to be the most widely travelled singer of the 19th century.second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln The second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States took place on Saturday, March 4, 1865, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 20th inauguration and marked the commencement o ...

in 1865. It was first performed in France in Italian by the Théâtre-Italien at the Salle Ventadour in Paris on 11 February 1858 and in French at several provincial theatres beginning in December 1858 and at the

Théâtre Lyrique The Théâtre Lyrique () was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century (the other three being the Paris Opera, Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, and the Théâtre-Italien (1801–1878), Théâtre-Italien). ...

in Paris on 18 December 1865. According to T. J. Walsh, numerous editions of '' Kobbé's Opera Book'' have incorrectly given the date of the first performance at the Théâtre Lyrique as 16 December 1865. He also challenges Kobbé's statement that the aria "M'appari" (which Flotow composed for his earlier opera ''L'âme en peine'') was first introduced into the opera ''Martha'' at that theatre. He notes that it was sung by

Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...

at the Théâtre-Italien in 1858 and is also found (as "Ach! so fromm") in an early (probably 1848) Vienna edition of the score in the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

and was probably always a part of the opera. The confusion may have arisen from further alterations made by the Théâtre Lyrique's director,

Léon Carvalho Léon Carvalho (18 January 1825 – 29 December 1897) was a French impresario and stage director. Biography Born Léon Carvaille in Port Louis, British Mauritius, he came to France at an early age. He studied at the Paris Conservatory an ...

, which included the insertion in act 4 of Flotow's baritone aria "Depuis le jour j'ai paré ma chaumière" (also from ''L'âme en peine''). In 1877, at the Royal Italian Opera in Covent Garden, Victor Capoul performed as Lyonel, with Francesco Graziani (baritone) as Plunkett and

Sofia Scalchi Sofia Scalchi (November 29, 1850 – August 22, 1922) was an Italian operatic contralto who could also sing in the mezzo-soprano range. Her career was international, and she appeared at leading theatres in both Europe and America. Singing c ...

as Nancy. ''Martha'' received a fresh boost in popularity in 1906 when it was staged at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

in New York in a production that featured the famed tenor

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyric tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles that r ...

, singing the opera in Italian. Lyonel was one of Caruso's most popular roles, performing it many times during subsequent seasons; he also recorded several extracts from the Italian version of the opera. ''Martha'' fell out of favor by the 1920s and it was rarely performed for decades thereafter. Interest in the opera was rekindled by the 1980s and recent productions in the United Kingdom have included those by Opera South in 1986 and 2009 and Bel Canto Opera in 2002. Those in the U.S. have included

Michigan Opera Theatre Detroit Opera is the principal opera company in Michigan, USA. The company is based in Detroit, where it performs in the Detroit Opera House. Prior to February 28, 2022, the company was named Michigan Opera Theatre. Annually, it produces four o ...

in 1985.Operatic beagles are in demand
October 23, 1985. ''

Lodi News-Sentinel The ''Lodi News-Sentinel'' is a daily newspaper based in Lodi, California, United States, and serving northern San Joaquin and southern Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat ...

''. Accessed May 10, 2010

Roles

Synopsis

:Time: 1710. :Place: Richmond, England.

Act 1

Lady Harriet Durham, a maid-of-honour to Queen Anne, is so tired of Court life, and so sick of her many insipid admirers, she retires to the country. But she becomes bored so she decides to attend the fair at Richmond where girls hire themselves out as servants. For a laugh, she and her confidante Nancy masquerade as maidservants. Her foppish old cousin, Sir Tristan, another admirer whom she deems a bore, accompanies them. Harriet manages to lose her escort, and then she and Nancy stand in the line of girls waiting to be hired. Two young farmers, Lyonel and Plunkett, are looking for a couple of wenches to do their housework and, being struck by the beauty and charm of the two masqueraders, proceed to hire them. Lady Harriet gives her name as Martha. The girls are soon dismayed to find they are legally bound to their new masters for a year. Sir Tristan is unable to retrieve them from their fate.

Act 2

Quickly, both farmers fall for their new maidservants — Lyonel for Harriet and Plunkett for Nancy. Harriet feels that Lyonel is of higher station than he appears. He is an orphan who was left with Plunkett's parents in early childhood. The new maids are totally inept at their tasks, which infuriates Plunkett. Finally, the new maids are told to go to bed, but escape through the window, with the aid of Sir Tristan. The young farmers are distressed and angry at the loss of their maids, and Lyonel's grief is so great that he falls into a melancholy state.

Act 3

Wandering in the forest, Lyonel meets a royal hunting party and recognises Lady Harriet. He declares his love for her, but she rebuffs him. Lyonel reminds her of her contract to serve him for a year. She tells the party the young man is mad, and Sir Tristan supports her declaration. Orders are given to imprison the young man. Lyonel has a ring his father gave him, saying if he was ever in trouble he was to send the ring to the Queen. He begs his friend to take it to the court.

Act 4

The ring saves Lyonel. The Queen recognises it as that of a banished nobleman, whose innocence has since been proven. Lady Harriet is now willing to accept his courtship as there is no longer a class difference to stand between them. She is filled with remorse for the way she has treated him. She reveals to him her true identity and tells him that his estate will be restored but he is blinded by anger with Harriet for the injustice she did him and refuses to accept her love. To win him back, Harriet and Nancy return to the fair once again dressed as country wenches. When Plunkett brings Lyonel to the fair and points out the two pretty serving-maids, Lyonel realises he does love Harriet. He embraces her, and they agree to marry, as do Plunkett and Nancy.

Noted arias, duets, ensembles

*"Ach! so fromm, ach! so traut (M'apparì tutt'amor)" (Lyonel) *"Blickt sein Aug" (Harriet and Lyonel) *"Lasst mich euch fragen (Porter-Lied)" Drinking Song (Plunkett) *"Letzte Rose ('' The Last Rose of Summer'')" (Qui sola vergin rosa) (Harriet, later with Lyonel) *"Mag der Himmel Euch vergeben" (Lyonel's Prayer) *"Schlafe wohl! Und mag Dich reuen" (Good Night Quartet) *"Was soll ich dazu sagen?" (Spinning-Wheel Quartet) *"Povero Lionello... Il mio Lionel" (Added by Flotow for baritone Graziani's Plunkett, solely in the Italian version)

Musical content

The

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

is among von Flotow's most appreciated works. It begins with a slow A minor introduction, but changes suddenly to an A major theme (that of ''Lyonel's prayer'' in act 3, "Mag der Himmel Euch vergeben"), presented as an extended French horn solo with orchestral accompaniment that concludes with the theme stated by the full orchestra. It reverts to A minor with a busy, agitated motif for the Allegro, representing Lady Harriet and Nancy bustling about, leading into the slightly slower (''meno moto'') C major ''peasant girls' chorus'' theme from act 1, played by woodwinds accompanied by triangle and snare drum with ''pizzicato'' string punctuation. This concludes with a mini- coda for the full orchestra ''a tempo'' in C; then the agitated theme returns, but modulates several times from C through D minor and E minor to a section pitting the agitated theme in F major against ''Lyonel's prayer'' in the oboes, clarinets, and cellos in the midst of the orchestral texture, adding winds and brass to the theme in a ''crescendo'' until suddenly breaking off and reprising the ''peasant girls' chorus'' in A major. That leads without further modulation back to the ''Lyonel's prayer'' motif for full orchestra as in the beginning, and so the overture ends with a brisk, very short duple-meter coda. The fluctuations of light and shade are reminiscent of Schubertian scoring, or of Weber (e.g. ''

Der Freischütz ' (Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns, J. 277, Opus number, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Johann Fried ...

'' overture): but without modulation into remote tonalities, they never really portend a tragic conclusion, but rather the lovers' dilemmas and local color. Though the powerful overture hints at a darker outcome, the opera ends happily. The heroine's levity and Lyonel's sincerity are its themes. The dramatic music, as between Lyonel and Harriet in act 4, is weighty, while the scoring of the comic scenes is also (but differently) effective. In his own idiom, like

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

in ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'' or

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...

in '' Un ballo in maschera'', von Flotow could build convivial music into a tragic dramatic context. The

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852), was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist who was widely regarded as Ireland's "National poet, national bard" during the late Georgian era. The acclaim rested primarily on the popularity of his ''I ...

traditional Irish melody " The Last Rose of Summer", introduced for ''Martha'' in act 2, was a successful inclusion. Popular airs were then often introduced informally to operas as show-pieces by sopranos, for example " Home! Sweet Home!" in the lesson scene 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 ' ...

''. Singers such as

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria Lind (Madame Goldschmidt) (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in ...

Adelina Patti Adelina Patti (19 February 184327 September 1919) was a Spanish-Italian opera singer. At the height of her career, she was earning huge fees performing in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851, a ...

made much of them. In ''Martha'' the custom is formally perpetuated, and the melody then appears as a ''

leitmotif A leitmotif or () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is a partial angliciz ...

'' to represent Lyonel's longing.

Recordings

*1944 Erna Berger (Harriet), Else Tegetthoff (Nancy), Peter Anders (Lyonel), Josef Greindl (Plunkett), Eugen Fuchs (Tristan); Chor der Staatsoper Berlin /

Staatskapelle Berlin The Staatskapelle Berlin () is a German orchestra and the resident orchestra of the Berlin State Opera, Unter den Linden. The orchestra is one of the oldest in the world. Until the fall of the German Empire in 1918 the orchestra's name was , i.e ...

;

Johannes Schüler Johannes Schüler (21 June 18943 October 1966) was a German conductor. He held leading positions at opera houses such as the Berlin State Opera and the Staatsoper Hannover. He promoted contemporary music, leading the world premieres of Alban Be ...

(conductor) – Berlin Classics *1954 Elena Rizzieri (Harriet), Pia Tassinari (Nancy), Ferruccio Tagliavini (Lyonel), Carlo Tagliabue (Plunkett), Bruno Carmassi (Tristan); Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Torino della RAI; Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor) – Fonit Cetra (in Italian) *1955

Wilma Lipp Wilma Lipp (; 26 April 1925 – 26 January 2019) was an Austrian operatic soprano and academic voice teacher. A long-time member of the Vienna State Opera, she was particularly associated with the role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's ''Die Z ...

(Harriet), Hetty Plümacher (Nancy), Waldemar Kmentt (Lyonel), Kurt Böhme (Plunkett), Rudolf Wünzer (Tristan); Chor der Bayerischen Rundfunks / Münchner Rundfunksorchester; Hans Gierster (conductor) – Cantus Classics *1956 Teresa Stich-Randall (Harriet), Hilde Rössel-Majdan (Nancy), Waldemar Kmentt (Lyonel), Walter Berry (Plunkett), Hans Braun (Tristan); Chor der Wiener Staatsoper / Wiener Symphoniker; Franz Salmhofer (conductor) – Gala (excerpts) *1960 Sonja Schöner (Harriet), Gisela Litz (Nancy), Donald Grobe (Lyonel), Karl-Christian Kohn (Plunkett), Walter Dicks (Tristan); Chor und Orchester des Hamburger Rundfunks; Walter Martin (conductor) – Cantus Classics *1960 Anneliese Rothenberger (Harriet), Hetty Plümacher (Nancy),

Fritz Wunderlich Friedrich "Fritz" Karl Otto Wunderlich (26 September 1930 – 17 September 1966) was a German lyric tenor, famed for his singing of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart repertory and various lieder. He died in an accident aged 35. Biography Wunde ...

(Lyonel),

Gottlob Frick Gottlob Frick (28 July 1906 – 18 August 1994) was a German operatic bass. He was known for his wide repertory including Wagner and Mozart roles. Some of his most celebrated roles were Wagnerian villains such as Hunding and Hagen in ''Der Ring ...

(Plunkett), Georg Völker (Tristan); Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin / Berliner Symphoniker; Berislav Klobučar (conductor) –

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

(excerpts) *1961

Victoria de los Ángeles Victoria de los Ángeles López García (1 November 192315 January 2005) was a Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. ...

(Harriet),

Rosalind Elias Rosalind Elias (March 13, 1930 – May 3, 2020) was an American mezzo-soprano who enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the Metropolitan Opera. She was best known for creating the role of Erika in Samuel Barber's '' Vanessa in'' 1958. Early ...

(Nancy),

Richard Tucker Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticker ...

(Lyonel), Giorgio Tozzi (Plunkett), Lorenzo Alvary (Tristan); Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera House; Nino Verchi (conductor) – Celestial Audio (live in English) *1965 Erika Köth (Harriet), Elisabeth Steiner (Nancy), Rudolf Schock (Lyonel), Walter Kreppel (Plunkett), Manfred Röhrl (Tristan); Der Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin / Berliner Symphoniker; Wilhelm Schüchter (conductor) – Eurodisc (excerpts) *1968 Anneliese Rothenberger (Harriet),

Brigitte Fassbaender Brigitte Fassbaender (; born 3 July 1939), is a German mezzo-soprano opera singer and a stage director. From 1999 to 2012 she was Theater manager, intendant (managing director) of the Tyrolean State Theatre in Innsbruck, Austria. She holds the ti ...

(Nancy),

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 ...

(Lyonel),

Hermann Prey Hermann Prey ( Berlin, 11 July 1929 – Krailling, 22 July 1998) was a German lyric baritone, who was equally at home in the Lied, operatic and concert repertoires. His American debut was in November 1952, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and ...

(Plunkett), Dieter Weller (Tristan); Der Chor der Bayerischer Staatsoper München / Der Orchester der Bayerischer Staatsoper München;

Robert Heger Robert Heger (19 August 1886 – 14 January 1978) was a German conductor and composer from Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine. Life and career He studied at the Conservatory of Strasbourg under Franz Stockhausen, then in Zurich under Lothar Kempt ...

(conductor) –

*1977 Lucia Popp (Harriet), Doris Soffel (Nancy), Siegfried Jerusalem (Lyonel), Karl Ridderbusch (Plunkett), Siegmund Nimsgern (Tristan); Chorus of the Bavarian Radio / Munich Radio Orchestra;

Heinz Wallberg Heinz Wallberg (16 March 192329 September 2004) was a German conductor. Wallberg was born in Herringen, Westphalia. He studied trumpet, violin and piano. He helped to support his family with his musical training after his father became unabl ...

(conductor) –

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

*2016 Maria Bengtsson (Harriet), Katharina Magiera (Nancy), AJ Glueckert (Lyonel), Björn Bürger (Plunkett), Barnaby Rea (Tristan); Chor der Oper Frankfurt / Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester; Sebastian Weigle (conductor) – Oehms (live)

References

Notes Sources * * * * *

External links

*
Libretto
opera-guide.ch
''Martha''
music.yodelout.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Martha (opera) 1847 operas German-language operas Operas Operas by Friedrich von Flotow Operas set in England