Der Templer und die Jüdin
Encyclopedia
Der Templer und die Jüdin (The Templar and the Jewess) is an opera
(designated as a grosse romantische Oper
) in three acts by Heinrich Marschner
. The German libretto by Wilhelm August Wohlbrück was based on a number of intermediate works based in turn on Walter Scott
's Ivanhoe
.
on 22 December 1829
. It became Marschner's most successful work and was staged more than 200 times in Germany during the next 70 years.
A revised version with recitatives rather than spoken dialogue was performed in Berlin
on 3 August 1831 with Eduard Devrient
as Bois-Guilbert. It was given in London
at the Prince's Theatre on 17 June 1840, and in New York
on 29 January 1872.
Many critics regarded the opera as unnecessarily complicated (and expensive to produce) and simplified versions were prepared by Felix Mottl
, Richard Kleinmichel and finally Hans Pfitzner
(1912). The latter's version was performed in Lübeck
, Strasbourg
and Cologne
just before the First World War.
The opera was revived at the Wexford Festival in 1989, conducted by Albert Rosen and directed by Francesca Zambello
with William Stone as Bois-Guilbert.
, Saxons, Normans, Templars and Robin Hood
(here called Lokslei, i.e., Locksley) and his band of outlaws.
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...
(designated as a grosse romantische Oper
Romantische Oper
Romantische Oper was a genre of early nineteenth-century German opera, developed not from the German Singspiel of the eighteenth-century but from the opéras comiques of the French Revolution...
) in three acts by Heinrich Marschner
Heinrich Marschner
Heinrich August Marschner , was the most important composer of German Romantic opera between Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner, and is remembered principally for his operas Hans Heiling , Der Vampyr , and Der Templer und die Jüdin...
. The German libretto by Wilhelm August Wohlbrück was based on a number of intermediate works based in turn on Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
.
Performance history
The first performance took place at the Stadttheater in LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
on 22 December 1829
1829 in music
-Events:*December 29 – Soprano Eugenia Tadolini makes a house debut at the Teatro Regio di Parma.*Felix Mendelssohn conducts Bach's St Matthew Passion at Berlin...
. It became Marschner's most successful work and was staged more than 200 times in Germany during the next 70 years.
A revised version with recitatives rather than spoken dialogue was performed in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 3 August 1831 with Eduard Devrient
Eduard Devrient
Eduard Devrient was a German baritone, librettist, playwright, actor, theatre director and theatre reformer and historian.Devrient came from a theatrical family...
as Bois-Guilbert. It was given in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the Prince's Theatre on 17 June 1840, and in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 29 January 1872.
Many critics regarded the opera as unnecessarily complicated (and expensive to produce) and simplified versions were prepared by Felix Mottl
Felix Mottl
Felix Josef von Mottl was an Austrian conductor and composer. He was regarded as one of the most brilliant conductors of his day. He composed three operas, of which Agnes Bernauer was the most successful, as well as a string quartet and numerous songs and other music...
, Richard Kleinmichel and finally Hans Pfitzner
Hans Pfitzner
Hans Erich Pfitzner was a German composer and self-described anti-modernist. His best known work is the post-Romantic opera Palestrina, loosely based on the life of the great sixteenth-century composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.-Biography:Pfitzner was born in Moscow, Russia, where his...
(1912). The latter's version was performed in Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
just before the First World War.
The opera was revived at the Wexford Festival in 1989, conducted by Albert Rosen and directed by Francesca Zambello
Francesca Zambello
Francesca Zambello is a leading American opera and theatre director. Zambello lived in Europe when she was a child, learning to speak French, Italian, German and Russian. Zambello is of Italian descent, the daughter of Jean , an actress and Charles C. Zambello, a former actor who became head of...
with William Stone as Bois-Guilbert.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 22 December, 1829 (Conductor: Heinrich Marschner) |
|---|---|---|
| Brian de Bois-Guilbert, Templar | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Heinrich Hammermeister |
| Friar Tuck, Hermit of Copmanhurst | bass | Wilhelm Fischer |
| Cedric von Rotherwood, Saxon knight | bass | Wilhelm Pögner |
| The Black Knight (King Richard I) | bass | Eduard Schütz |
| Lokslei, the outlaw leader | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
|
| Lucas de Beaumanoir, Knights Templar Grand Master | bass | |
| Maurice de Bracy, Norman knight | tenor | |
| Rebecca, the Jewess, daughter of Isaac of York | 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... |
Fortunata Franchetti-Wazel |
| Rowena von Hargottstandstede, ward of Cedric | soprano | Henriette Wüst |
| Wamba, a fool | tenor | August Wiedemann |
| Wilfried von Ivanhoe, son of Cedric | tenor | Ubrich |
| Oswald, Cedric's steward | bass | |
| Albert Malvoisin, Norman knight | spoken | |
| Conrad, Malvoisin's squire | spoken | |
| Elgitha, Rowena's maid | spoken | |
| Isaac of York, a Jew | spoken | |
| Walter, an outlaw | spoken | |
| Willibald, an outlaw | spoken | |
| Robert, Bois-Guilbert's squire | spoken | |
| Philip, Bois-Guilbert's squire | spoken | |
| Herdibert | spoken | |
Synopsis
The opera is set in England at the end of the 12th century and the main characters include The Black Knight, King Richard 'the Lionheart'Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, Saxons, Normans, Templars and Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
(here called Lokslei, i.e., Locksley) and his band of outlaws.