Die schöne Galathee
Encyclopedia
Die schöne Galathee is an operetta
in two acts by Franz von Suppé
to a German libretto
by the composer and 'Poly Henrion' (the pseudonym of L Kohl von Kohlenegg).
In the early 1860s, French
operetta
s by Jacques Offenbach
were first presented in Vienna
. Franz von Suppé
was obliged to compete with them by taking the time-honored traditions of Vienna and combining it with the new style of Offenbach. Die schöne Galathee was Franz von Suppé's first critical success.
as a guest star singing the role of Ganymed. It was given in London
at the Opera Comique, on 6 November 1871, and in New York
at the Stadt Theater on 6 September 1867.
, the goddess of the love, to breathe life into the statue. His wish is granted and Galatea comes to life. However, Galatea turns out to be a very independent-minded creature. She is unfaithful to Pygmalion with his servant Ganymed (because he is much more pleasing to her than Pygmalion) and does not reject Midas, who offers her jewelry. When Pygmalion catches Galathee in a compromising situation, he implores Venus to turn her back into stone. The jewelry offered by Midas is also turned to stone, but the whole statue is sold to him.
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
in two acts by Franz von Suppé
Franz von Suppé
Franz von Suppé or Francesco Suppé Demelli was an Austrian composer of light operas who was born in what is now Croatia during the time his father was working in this outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
to a German 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 the composer and 'Poly Henrion' (the pseudonym of L Kohl von Kohlenegg).
In the early 1860s, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
s by Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
were first presented 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...
. Franz von Suppé
Franz von Suppé
Franz von Suppé or Francesco Suppé Demelli was an Austrian composer of light operas who was born in what is now Croatia during the time his father was working in this outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
was obliged to compete with them by taking the time-honored traditions of Vienna and combining it with the new style of Offenbach. Die schöne Galathee was Franz von Suppé's first critical success.
Performance history
The first performance was at Meysels-Theater in Berlin on 30 June 1863, with Anna Grobecker of the Vienna CarltheaterCarltheater
The Carltheater was a theatre in Vienna. It was in the suburbs in Leopoldstadt at Praterstraße 31 .It was the successor to the Leopoldstädter Theater. After a series of financial difficulties, that theater had been sold in 1838 to the director, Carl Carl, who continued to run it in parallel to his...
as a guest star singing the role of Ganymed. 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 Opera Comique, on 6 November 1871, 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...
at the Stadt Theater on 6 September 1867.
Roles and role creators
- Galathee (GalateaGalateaGalatea is an ancient Greek name meaning "she who is milk-white".Galatea or Galathea may refer to:-In mythology:* Galatea :**Galatea, a woman who prayed for her daughter to be turned into a son, Leucippus...
) (soprano) Ämilie Kraft - Ganymed (GanymedeGanymedeGanymede most often refers to:*Ganymede , Trojan prince in Greek mythology* Ganymede , Jupiter's largest moon, named after the mythological characterGanymede, Ganymed or Ganymedes may also refer to:...
) (mezzo-soprano) Anna Grobecker - Mydas (MidasMidasFor the legend of Gordias, a person who was taken by the people and made King, in obedience to the command of the oracle, see Gordias.Midas or King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold. This was called the Golden touch, or the...
) (baritone) Karl Treumann - PygmalionPygmalion (mythology)Pygmalion is a legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most familiar from Ovid's Metamorphoses, X, in which Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved.-In Ovid:In Ovid's narrative, Pygmalion was a...
(tenor) Telek
Synopsis
The sculptor Pygmalion has fallen madly in love with his statue of Galathee. Therefore he does not want to sell the statue to a patron of the arts, Mydas, and prays to VenusVenus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, the goddess of the love, to breathe life into the statue. His wish is granted and Galatea comes to life. However, Galatea turns out to be a very independent-minded creature. She is unfaithful to Pygmalion with his servant Ganymed (because he is much more pleasing to her than Pygmalion) and does not reject Midas, who offers her jewelry. When Pygmalion catches Galathee in a compromising situation, he implores Venus to turn her back into stone. The jewelry offered by Midas is also turned to stone, but the whole statue is sold to him.