Masquerade (Nielsen)
Encyclopedia
Maskarade is an opera
in three acts by Carl Nielsen
to a Danish libretto
by Vilhelm Andersen, based on the comedy by Ludvig Holberg
.
Announcement of plans to turn Holberg’s classical comedy into an opera buffa met with dismay in Danish literary circles, but the opera quickly gained popularity, surpassing that of the play itself. Nielsen was not entirely satisfied with the opera, citing structural weakness in the final two acts; but he never got around to revising the work. The overture and the ballet from the third act (“Dance of the Cockerels”) are performed frequently, as noted by the Carl Nielsen Society, which states that overture is one of Nielsen's most widely performed works at concerts in Europe and North America.
, Copenhagen
, 11 November 1906. The United States
premiere was conducted by Igor Buketoff
, with St Paul Opera, Minnesota
and the first reported New York performance was by the Bronx Opera Company in 1983.
The story revolves around Leander and Leonora, two young people who meet fortuitously at a masquerade ball, swear their undying love for each other and exchange rings. The following day, Leander tells his valet Henrik of his newfound love. He becomes distraught when reminded by Henrik that his parents have betrothed him in marriage to a neighbor’s daughter. Things get complicated when Leonard, the neighbor whose daughter is the other part of this arrangement, comes complaining to Leander’s father that his daughter is in love with someone she met at the masquerade the previous night. In the third act, all is resolved when the various parties slip off to the night’s masquerade, where all is revealed to everyone’s mutual satisfaction.
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...
in three acts by Carl Nielsen
Carl Nielsen
Carl August Nielsen , , widely recognised as Denmark's greatest composer, was also a conductor and a violinist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age...
to a Danish 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 Vilhelm Andersen, based on the comedy by Ludvig Holberg
Ludvig Holberg
Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian double monarchy, who spent most of his adult life in Denmark. He was influenced by Humanism, the Enlightenment and the Baroque...
.
Announcement of plans to turn Holberg’s classical comedy into an opera buffa met with dismay in Danish literary circles, but the opera quickly gained popularity, surpassing that of the play itself. Nielsen was not entirely satisfied with the opera, citing structural weakness in the final two acts; but he never got around to revising the work. The overture and the ballet from the third act (“Dance of the Cockerels”) are performed frequently, as noted by the Carl Nielsen Society, which states that overture is one of Nielsen's most widely performed works at concerts in Europe and North America.
Performance history
The first performance was at Det Kongelige TeaterRoyal Danish Theatre
The Royal Danish Theatre is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first serving as the theatre of the king, and then as the theatre of the...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, 11 November 1906. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
premiere was conducted by Igor Buketoff
Igor Buketoff
Igor Buketoff was an American conductor, arranger and teacher. He had a special affinity with Russian music and with Sergei Rachmaninoff in particular. He also strongly promoted British contemporary music, and new music in general.- Biography :Buketoff was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the son...
, with St Paul Opera, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and the first reported New York performance was by the Bronx Opera Company in 1983.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast 11 November 1906 (Conductor: Carl Nielsen) |
|---|---|---|
| Jeronimus, a burgher of Copenhagen | bass baritone | Karl Mantzius |
| Magdelone, wife to Jeronimus | alto Alto Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,... |
Johanna Neijendam |
| Leander, son to Jeronimus | 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... |
Hans Kjerulf |
| Henrik, valet to Leander | baritone | Helge Nissen |
| Arv, servant to Jeronimus | tenor | Lars Knudsen |
| Leonard, a gentlemen from Slagelse Slagelse Slagelse, a town in east Denmark, is in Slagelse municipality on the island of Zealand. It is about 100 km southwest of Copenhagen. The population is 31,979 .... |
bass baritone | Peter Jerndorf |
| Leonora, daughter to Leonard | 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... |
Emilie Ulrich/Ingebord Norregaard-Hansen |
| Pernille, maid to Leonora | 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... |
Ida Møller/Margrethe Lindrop |
| A Mask Vendor | baritone | |
| A Doorman at the Masquerade | bass | |
| A Tutor | bass | |
| A Night Watchman | bass | |
| The Master of the Masquerade | bass | Albert Petersen |
| Masqueraders, Students, Girls, Officers | ||
Synopsis
- Time: Spring 1723
- Place: Copenhagen
The story revolves around Leander and Leonora, two young people who meet fortuitously at a masquerade ball, swear their undying love for each other and exchange rings. The following day, Leander tells his valet Henrik of his newfound love. He becomes distraught when reminded by Henrik that his parents have betrothed him in marriage to a neighbor’s daughter. Things get complicated when Leonard, the neighbor whose daughter is the other part of this arrangement, comes complaining to Leander’s father that his daughter is in love with someone she met at the masquerade the previous night. In the third act, all is resolved when the various parties slip off to the night’s masquerade, where all is revealed to everyone’s mutual satisfaction.