Orpheus und Eurydike
Encyclopedia
Orpheus und Eurydike is an opera
by Ernst Krenek
. The German
text is based on a play by Oskar Kokoschka
.
Kokoschka began writing his play during his convalescence (from wounds received on the Ukrainian
front in 1915) and it premiered in 1921, one year before Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus
appeared. In 1923 he let it be known that he was looking for a composer to write incidental music
. Kokoschka's expressionist, psychological treatment of the Orpheus myth, marked by his passion for Alma Mahler
, appealed to Krenek so he approached Kokoschka.
They quickly decided that the work should become an opera
and Krenek received carte blanche to adapt the German
play, condensing it by a third in the process, and setting it to an atonal score. In this new form it premiered as Krenek's opus 21 in Kassel
at the Staatstheater
on 27 November, 1926.
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...
by Ernst Krenek
Ernst Krenek
Ernst Krenek was an Austrian of Czech origin and, from 1945, American composer. He explored atonality and other modern styles and wrote a number of books, including Music Here and Now , a study of Johannes Ockeghem , and Horizons Circled: Reflections on my Music...
. The German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
text is based on a play by Oskar Kokoschka
Oskar Kokoschka
Oskar Kokoschka was an Austrian artist, poet and playwright best known for his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes.-Biography:...
.
Kokoschka began writing his play during his convalescence (from wounds received on the Ukrainian
Ukraine in World War I
Upon the outbreak of World War I, the name Ukraine was used only geographically, as the term did not exist nationally. The territory that made up the modern country of Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire with a notable southwestern region administered by Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the border...
front in 1915) and it premiered in 1921, one year before Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus
Sonnets to Orpheus
The Sonnets to Orpheus are a cycle of sonnets written by German-language poet Rainer Maria Rilke in 1922. He dedicated them as a memorial for Wera Ouckama Knoop , a playmate of Rilke's daughter Ruth.-Form and style:There are 55 sonnets in the sequence, divided into two sections: the first of 26...
appeared. In 1923 he let it be known that he was looking for a composer to write incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
. Kokoschka's expressionist, psychological treatment of the Orpheus myth, marked by his passion for Alma Mahler
Alma Mahler
Alma Maria Mahler Gropius Werfel was a Viennese-born socialite well known in her youth for her beauty and vivacity. She became the wife, successively, of composer Gustav Mahler, architect Walter Gropius, and novelist Franz Werfel, as well as the consort of several other prominent men...
, appealed to Krenek so he approached Kokoschka.
They quickly decided that the work should become an opera
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...
and Krenek received carte blanche to adapt the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
play, condensing it by a third in the process, and setting it to an atonal score. In this new form it premiered as Krenek's opus 21 in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
at the Staatstheater
Staatstheater Kassel
The Staatstheater Kassel is a state-owned and -operated theater in Kassel, Germany.- History :A permanent theatre house already existed in Kassel during the first decade of the 17th century. It stood immediately next to the Ottoneum near the State Theatre which is now used as a Natural History...
on 27 November, 1926.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 27 November 1926 (Conductor: Ernst Zulauf) |
|---|---|---|
| Orpheus | 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... |
|
| Eurydike | 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... |
|
| Psyche | soprano | |
| Drunk | bass | |
| Soldier | 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... |
|
| Sailor | tenor | |
| Fool | baritone | |