Happiness (Procházka)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Happiness |
| Shape: | Opera |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Rudolph von Procházka |
| Libretto : | Theodor Kirchner |
| Premiere: | 1897 |
| Place and time of the action: | Forest loneliness a long time ago |
| people | |
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Happiness is a clay fairy tale in one act by the composer Rudolph von Procházka (op 15); for the libretto drew Theodor Kirchner responsible.
action
The hermit Winfried performs his morning prayer in front of his hut (song “Already the silent forest has awakened”). Suddenly happiness appears to him and asks for protection and help. Winfried thinks he is exposed to a devilish ghost and harshly rejects happiness. Now happiness shows itself in its real form and asserts that it is the saddest and most unhappy thing in this world. Everyone pursues happiness like a wild hunt and does not allow him any rest.
Persecutors are already approaching and Winfried sends happiness to his hut. There it should disguise itself in Winfried's robe and otherwise make it unrecognizable. The pursuers stop in front of the hermit and everyone insists on their claim to luck. When the poet explains that happiness means renunciation, the hermit refers to his hut. The pursuers penetrate, but to their disappointment only find an old man.
When they threaten Winfried, he apologizes and reveals that happiness was hidden in the forest behind his hut. The persecutors resume the persecution (song “We must leave everything”). As soon as these have disappeared, happiness appears from the hut and thanks Winfried for his help. Happiness asks Winfried to be allowed to stay with him and, as a thank you for his approval, lets flowers grow around the hut and all the birds in the forest serenade him (duet “I feel, I have spent a man too”).
In the loneliness of the forest with hermit Winfried, happiness feels happy for the first time. It is only astonishing that he has no wishes; He rejects proposals to make him handsome, young and wise again. When happiness insistently asks for his wishes, he wishes to be free from all the sufferings of life. Luck is shocked by this, but still wants to grant him this wish. Winfried only had to kiss the luck to receive this request.
However, the believing hermit fears that this kiss will kindle the sin of lust in him. He prays to be able to resist this temptation (duet "I flee to you") and wants to retreat to the forest in contemplative calm. Happiness laments its fate that it can no longer bring people happiness. Comforted by the wind, the stream and the other voices of the forest, happiness falls asleep; happy once again for a long time (chorus “Now let's be silent”).
Meanwhile the hermit has returned to his hut. He has not found his inner peace, but when he sees happiness asleep in front of his hut, he wants to kiss it. He starts a song (“The forest all around”) and kisses happiness. A thorn bush wanted to hold him back, but in vain. As luck prophesied for him, the hermit immediately sinks to the ground while kissing. This awakens happiness and realizes what has happened.
Now happiness has to face the onslaught and persecution of the people again. Happiness slowly disappears and roses rain on Winfried's corpse. The curtain falls with the chorus of air spirits “Freed forever from earthly suffering”.
literature
- Leo Melitz: Guide through the operas . Globus-Verlag, Berlin 1914, pp. 108-109.
- Rudolph von Procházka: Happiness. A clay fairy tale in one act . Bote & Bock, Berlin 1904.