Der Kuhreigen
Encyclopedia
Der Kuhreigen is an opera
(called a 'musikalisches Schauspiel' or 'musical play') in three acts by the Austria
n composer Wilhelm Kienzl
. The libretto
, by Richard Batka, is after Rudolf Hans Bartsch's
novel Die kleine Blanchefleur. It was first performed in Vienna
on 23 November 1911.
ORTF Orchestra
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
(called a 'musikalisches Schauspiel' or 'musical play') in three acts by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n composer Wilhelm Kienzl
Wilhelm Kienzl
Wilhelm Kienzl was an Austrian composer.-Biography:Kienzl was born in the small, picturesque Upper Austrian town of Waizenkirchen. His family moved to the Styrian capital of Graz in 1860, where he studied the violin under Ignaz Uhl, piano under Johann Buwa, and composition from 1872 under the...
. The libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, by Richard Batka, is after Rudolf Hans Bartsch's
Rudolf Hans Bartsch
Rudolf Hans Bartsch , was an Austrian military officer, and writer.-Life and work:...
novel Die kleine Blanchefleur. It was first performed in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on 23 November 1911.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 23 November 1911 Conductor: Robert Heger Robert Heger Robert Heger was a German conductor and composer from Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine.He studied at the Conservatory of Strasbourg, under Franz Stockhausen, then in Zurich under Lothar Kempter, and finally in Munich under Max von Schillings. After early conducting engagements in Strasbourg he made his... |
|---|---|---|
| Blanchefleur | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Maria Jeritza Maria Jeritza Maria Jeritza , born Marie Jedličková, was a celebrated Moravian soprano singer, long associated with the Vienna State Opera and the Metropolitan Opera... |
| Primus Thaller | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Rudolf Ritter |
| Brayole | tenor | |
| Cleo | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
|
| Dursel | bass | |
| Kanzler | bass | |
| The King | bass | |
| Marquis de Chézy | bass | |
| Marquis Massimelle | bass | |
Synopsis
Set in revolutionary France, this is the love story of the Swiss Sergeant Primus Thaller, condemned for singing the banned Swiss 'Kuhreigen' folksong, and Blanchefleur, wife of the Marquis Massimelle, who saves him and then herself becomes a victim of the revolution.Recordings
Kienzl: Der Kuhreigen - ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
ORTF Orchestra
- Conductor: Lothar ZagrosekLothar ZagrosekLothar Zagrosek is a German conductor. As a youth, he sang in the Regensburg Cathedral choir, including performances as the First Boy in The Magic Flute at the 1954 Salzburg Festival...
- Principal singers: Georg Schnapka, Robert Granzer, Mirjana Irosch, Adolfo Dallapozza, Christian Boesch, Walter Eder, Peter Drahosch, Rudolf Weiss, Elisabeth Sobota et al.
- Recording date: January 27, 1973
- Label: House of Opera - 6948 (CD)