Abu Hassan

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Work data
Title: Abu Hassan
Shape: Singspiel
Original language: German
Music: Carl Maria von Weber
Libretto : Franz Carl Hiemer after Antoine Galland's Le dormeur éveillé
Premiere: June 4, 1811
Place of premiere: Residenztheater Munich
Playing time: about 60 minutes
people
  • Abu Hassan, favorite of the caliph ( tenor )
  • Fatime, his wife ( soprano )
  • Omar, a money changer ( bass )
  • Mesrur, confidante of the caliph (speaking role)
  • Zemrud, Zobeides maid (speaking role)
  • Caliph Harun al Raschid (speaking role)
  • Zobeide, his wife (speaking role)
  • furthermore the entourage of the caliph and the believers of Abu Hassan

Abu Hassan , Jähn's catalog raisonné J. 106, is a one-act Singspiel by Carl Maria von Weber . The libretto comes from Franz Carl Hiemer based on a story from “A Thousand and One Nights ”. Weber began the composition in August 1810 with the choir of believers , which does not seem coincidental in view of his private, financial situation. With the completion of the overture, the Singspiel was finished on January 12, 1811. However, Weber later added two numbers (in 1813 and 1822). Abu Hassan is known today in this expanded form . Under Weber's musical direction, the work was successfully premiered on June 4, 1811 in the Munich Residenztheater (today's Cuvilliés Theater ). The first Abu Hassan was Friedrich Samuel Gerstäcker .

"Turkish operas" were very popular at the time: Abbé Vogler's Kaufmann von Smyrna (1771) and Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1782), and later, in 1814, Rossini's Il turco in Italia, document this preference of the opera audience, along with numerous other works of this kind .

As many biographers have emphasized, Weber need not fear comparison with Mozart , especially because of the melodious grace and musical brilliance of this work in Abu Hassan's work .

action

The opera in Baghdad is currently 1001 nights. Abu Hassan is deep in debt. The crowd of his creditors invade his apartment, above all the money changer Omar, who has the greatest claim against him. Omar desires Hassan's pretty wife Fatime. He wants to take advantage of Hassan's plight to persuade Fatime to do charitable services. She only appears to respond to his solicitation and in this way achieves a deferral of payment. But the debts remain. Hassan then devises a ludicrous plan: Because it is customary for the caliph couple to give the bereaved a larger sum to cover the burial costs in the event of a death, he suggests that Fatime send a message to Harun al Raschid and his wife Zobeide let their demise arrive. Fatime thinks the plan is great.

Scene from the production at the Royal Stockholm Opera in 1901
Guest performance of the Dresdens-Niedersedlitz Workers' Theater on June 7, 1960 at the FDGB Workers Festival in Aue ( Peter Schreier as Abu Hassan and Erich Siebenschuh as Caliph)

At first everything seems to be going as planned. However, in view of the contradicting news, Harun al Raschid and Zobeide cannot agree on who has actually died now, Abu Hassan or Fatime, and who should receive the money for the funeral. So they go to Hassan's house to find out for themselves personally.

When the caliphs entered the apartment, Hassan and Fatime pretend to be dead. Harun al Raschid wants to know which of the two died first and offers a thousand gold ducats for the correct answer. Overjoyed, Hassan jumps up and asks for the sum; because death overtook him first. Suddenly the spirits of life reawaken in Fatime too. Harun al Raschid and Zobeide forgive the swindlers and send them the money.

Discography (selection)

Sheet music / piano reduction

  • Abu Hassan , WeV C. 6a, New Weber Complete Edition. Series VIII piano reductions, 190 pages. Editor: Joachim Veit . Editor: Frank Ziegler. ISMN: M-00113229-9; Schott Music International, Mainz.

Web links

Commons : Abu Hassan  - Collection of images, videos and audio files