Schwarzwaldmädel
Encyclopedia
Schwarzwaldmädel is a 1917 operetta
in three acts by German composer Leon Jessel
. The libretto
is by August Neidhart, and the operetta premiered on 25 August 1917 at the Alte Komische Oper Berlin (Weidendammer Bridge
) in Berlin. It remains one of the most popular operettas written in Germany.
With the rise of Nazism
in the late 1920s, Jessel, who was Jewish by birth (he had converted to Christianity in 1894), had his music boycotted in Germany as early as 1927. Recordings and distribution of his works were then banned outright within the entire Third Reich by the Reichsmusikkammer
in 1937 through the end of World War II
.
Nevertheless, Schwarzwaldmädel has retained its popularity among Germans, and it remains one of the most popular operettas composed in Germany. According to Andrew Lamb
in 150 Years of Popular Musical Theatre, "Schwarzwaldmädel represented all that was best in continental operetta."
The picturesque opera takes place in a village in the Black Forest
in 1815. It is a complex romantic intrigue centering around two friends from Berlin: Hans and Richard. The girls involved are Hans's current girlfriend Malwine; and Bärbele, the "Black Forest Girl," an orphaned maidservant. Blasius Römer, an aging organ master, is Bärbele's employer, but finds himself secretly attracted to her. After various entanglements and problems, all works out for the best for the young people.
, features singers Dagmar Koller
, Adolf Dallapozza
, Benno Kusche, Brigitte Lindner, and Martin Finke.
A 1953 recording conducted by Franz Marszalek
, and issued on CD in 2006, features Gitta Lind, Gretl Schörg
, Franz Fehringer
, Benno Kusche, and Willy Hofmann. This album is also available via MP3
download of either selected tracks or the whole operetta. A 2000 EMI CD, which is an anthology of archival recordings, contains selections from Schwarzwaldmädel sung by Hermann Prey
, Rudolf Schock
, and Erika Köth
, along with selected operetta arias and duets by Lehár
and Strauss
.
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 three acts by German composer Leon Jessel
Leon Jessel
Leon Jessel, or Léon Jessel was a German composer of operettas and light classical music pieces. Today he is best known internationally as the composer of the popular jaunty march "The Parade of the Tin Soldiers," also known as "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers." Jessel was a prolific composer...
. 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...
is by August Neidhart, and the operetta premiered on 25 August 1917 at the Alte Komische Oper Berlin (Weidendammer Bridge
Weidendammer Bridge
The Weidendammer Bridge is an long bridge where the Friedrichstrasse crosses the Spree river in the central Mitte district of Berlin, Germany...
) in Berlin. It remains one of the most popular operettas written in Germany.
Performance history
Schwarzwaldmädel premiered at the Komische Oper in Berlin in August 1917. The opera's touching libretto, appealing melodies, and elegant instrumentation proved immensely popular. It ran in Berlin for 900 performances, and within the next 10 years was performed approximately 6,000 times in Germany and abroad. The work is by far Leon Jessel's greatest success as an operetta composer, and it catapulted him to the height of the world of European operetta.With the rise of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in the late 1920s, Jessel, who was Jewish by birth (he had converted to Christianity in 1894), had his music boycotted in Germany as early as 1927. Recordings and distribution of his works were then banned outright within the entire Third Reich by the Reichsmusikkammer
Reichsmusikkammer
The Reichsmusikkammer was a Nazi institution. It promoted "good German music" which was composed by Aryans and seen as consistent with Nazi ideals, while suppressing other, "degenerate" music, which included atonal music, jazz, and music by Jewish composers...
in 1937 through the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Nevertheless, Schwarzwaldmädel has retained its popularity among Germans, and it remains one of the most popular operettas composed in Germany. According to Andrew Lamb
Andrew Lamb (writer)
Andrew Martin Lamb is an English writer, musicologist and broadcaster, known for his expertise in light music and musical theatre.-Biography:Lamb was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England, on 23 September 1942, the son of Harry Lamb, a schoolmaster, and his wife Winifred, née Emmott...
in 150 Years of Popular Musical Theatre, "Schwarzwaldmädel represented all that was best in continental operetta."
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 25 August 1917 (Conductor: ) |
|---|---|---|
| Blasius Römer, organ master of the cathedral in the fictional Black Forest Black Forest The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres .... village of St. Christoph |
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... |
Gustav Charlé |
| Hannele, Römer's daughter | soubrette Soubrette A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:... |
|
| Bärbele, Römer's maidservant, an orphan | soubrette | |
| Jürgen, landlord of the 'Blue Ox' inn, in the village of St. Christoph | basso buffo | |
| Lorle, Jürgen's daughter, in love with Theobald | 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... |
|
| Malwine von Hainau, a Berliner visiting the village of St. Christoph for the festival of St. Cecilia | soprano | |
| Hans, a Berliner fleeing from the possessive Malwine | tenor buffo | |
| Richard, Hans's best friend | 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... |
|
| Old Woman Traudel, Bärbele's impoverished aunt, mocked as a "witch" by the village children | non-singing | |
| Schmussheim, a vacationer from Berlin | no set range | |
| Theobald, a village boy | tenor | |
| Musicians and country folk (chorus) | ||
Synopsis
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
in 1815. It is a complex romantic intrigue centering around two friends from Berlin: Hans and Richard. The girls involved are Hans's current girlfriend Malwine; and Bärbele, the "Black Forest Girl," an orphaned maidservant. Blasius Römer, an aging organ master, is Bärbele's employer, but finds himself secretly attracted to her. After various entanglements and problems, all works out for the best for the young people.
Recordings
Schwarzwaldmädel has been recorded numerous times. A 1976 recording conducted by Willy Mattes, issued on CD in 1997 by EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, features singers Dagmar Koller
Dagmar Koller
Dagmar Koller is an Austrian actress and singer.Born in Klagenfurt, she is recognized as the leading German language musical star of her time. She married Austrian journalist and politician, Helmut Zilk, in 1978, and became the first lady of Vienna while he served as mayor...
, Adolf Dallapozza
Adolf Dallapozza
Adolf Dallapozza is an Austrian tenor in opera, operetta and musical theatre He worked for more than 40 years at the Vienna Volksoper.-Career:Dallapozza was trained as a clerk and started work in a book shop...
, Benno Kusche, Brigitte Lindner, and Martin Finke.
A 1953 recording conducted by Franz Marszalek
Franz Marszalek
Franz Marszalek was a German conductor and composer, who was a leading figure in operetta. He began his studies in Wrocław, and moved to Berlin in 1933. He conducted the Cologne Radio Orchestra from 1949 to 1965, with an emphasis on operetta music...
, and issued on CD in 2006, features Gitta Lind, Gretl Schörg
Gretl Schörg
Gretl Schörg was an Austrian operatic soprano and actress. She was particularly known for her performances in operettas...
, Franz Fehringer
Franz Fehringer
Franz Fehringer was a German operatic tenor, particularly associated with light lyric roles in the German, Italian, and French repertories.Fehringer studied in Karlsruhe with Jan van Gorkom and Dr...
, Benno Kusche, and Willy Hofmann. This album is also available via MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
download of either selected tracks or the whole operetta. A 2000 EMI CD, which is an anthology of archival recordings, contains selections from Schwarzwaldmädel sung by Hermann Prey
Hermann Prey
Hermann Prey was a German lyric baritone. He is most famous for lieder and for light comic baritone roles in opera.-Biography:...
, Rudolf Schock
Rudolf Schock
Rudolf Johann Schock was a German tenor.He sang a wide repertory from operetta to Lohengrin, recording among others opera and lieder, doing television, radio and film work. Slim and handsome, he made many films.His voice fell almost into the heldentenor fach but was smaller and more...
, and Erika Köth
Erika Köth
Erika Köth was a German operatic high coloratura soprano, particularly associated with the roles of Zerbinetta and Zerlina....
, along with selected operetta arias and duets by Lehár
Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
and Strauss
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
.
Films
Schwarzwaldmädel has been filmed at least six times, as follows:- 1920: directed by Arthur WellinArthur WellinArthur Wellin was a German film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. He directed 18 films between 1916 and 1927. He also appeared in 11 films between 1915 and 1933. He was born in Berlin, Germany....
(silent) - 1929: directed by Victor JansonVictor Janson-Selected filmography:* So You Don't Know Korff Yet? * The Leghorn Hat * The Way to Freedom * Rembrandt * Peter Voss, der Millionendieb * The Marriage of Figaro * Professor Nachtfalter...
; with Liane HaidLiane HaidLiane Haid was an Austrian actress who has often been referred to as Austria's first movie star.Born in Vienna, Haid trained both as a dancer and singer and became the epitome of the Süßes Wiener Mädel and a popular pin-up throughout the 1920s and 30s...
, Fred Louis Lerch, and Walter JanssenWalter JanssenWalter Janssen was a German film actor. He appeared in over 160 films between 1917 and 1970.-Selected filmography:* Destiny * The Flute Concert of Sans-Souci * Two Hearts in Waltz Time... - 1933: directed by Georg Zoch; with Walter Janssen
- 1950: directed by Hans DeppeHans Deppe-Selected filmography:Actor* The Victor * A Blonde's Dream * Two Hearts Beat as One * The Star of Valencia * A Door Opens * Our Flags Lead Us Forward * The Ambassador's Wife...
; with Paul HörbigerPaul HörbigerPaul Hörbiger was an Austrian theatre and film actor.-Life and work:Paul Hörbiger was born in Budapest, the son of Hans Hörbiger, an engineer who wrote Welteislehre on glacial cosmology, and elder brother of actor Attila Hörbiger. In 1902 the family returned to Vienna, while Paul attended the...
, Sonja ZiemannSonja ZiemannSonja Ziemann is a German film and television actress.-Selected filmography:* The Heath Is Green * Die Privatsekretärin * Mädchen ohne Grenzen...
, and Rudolf PrackRudolf Prack-Selected filmography:* The Thief of Bagdad * Die Privatsekretärin * Ball at the Savoy * Mariandl * Mariandl's Homecoming * Holiday in St. Tropez * The Standard -External links:... - 1961 (TV): directed by Wilm ten Haaf; with Willy Reichert
- 1973 (TV): directed by Wolfgang LiebeneinerWolfgang LiebeneinerWolfgang Georg Louis Liebeneiner was a German actor, film director and theater director.He was born in Liebau in Prussian Silesia. In 1928, he was taught by Otto Falckenberg, the director of the Munich Kammerspiele, in acting and directing...
; with Wolfgang WindgassenWolfgang WindgassenWolfgang Windgassen was a tenor internationally known for his performances in Wagner operas.-Life and career:...
Reference
External links
- Schwarzwaldmädel (Black Forest Girl) – complete synopsis
- Schwarzwaldmädel (excerpts)
- Schwarzwaldmädel – 1997 CD
- Schwarzwaldmädel via MP3 download
- Schwarzwaldmädel at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...