The singing war of the heather rabbits
The Singing War of the Heidehasen is a radio play and children's book by the German author and poet James Krüss (1926–1997).
Publications
The piece became famous as a radio play , which the Bavarian Radio in 1952 with u. a. Franz Muxeneder (Lodengrün), Maria Offermanns (Princess), Klaus W. Krause (King Lamprecht VII.), Charles Regnier (Minister), Werner Lieven (Wackelohr, Director), Ernst Rothmund , Alois Maria Giani , Ingeborg Hoffmann and Klaus Havenstein ( Moritatensänger) in the speaking roles and music produced by Rolf Wilhelm . Directed by Hanns Cremer . The duration is 42 minutes (first broadcast on September 7, 1952).
Also in 1952 was a half-hour radio play production at Südwestfunk with Paul Dättel , Kurt Ebbinghaus , Viktor Warsitz , Wolfgang Preiss , Dirk Dautzenberg , Hans Timerding , Jutta Dieber , Sigi Küchle , Ernst Sladeck , Claire Ruegg , Gerd Beermann , Klaus Friedrich , Gudrun Gewecke and Ludwig Thiesen . The music came from Rolf-Hans Müller , directed by Gerd Beermann. The first broadcast took place on September 28, 1952.
For the publication on record by Ariola the radio play script was created in 1958 with partly different speakers, with Klaus W. Krause (Lamprecht VII, King of the Rabbits), Ina Peters (Princess of the Heidehasenreiches), Charles Regnier (Minister for rabbit song), Otto Storr ( Wackelohr, director), Franz Muxeneder (Lodengrün, a young rabbit), Marianne Brandt (Mrs. Lodengrün, his mother), Toni Treutler (neighbor Karline), Harry Hertzsch (husband, her husband), Karl Kreile (Otto Lampe (singer)) , Rolf Castell (Otto Lampe (speaker)), Franz Weiss (Hyazinth Löffelstein, singer), Fritz Rasp (Herald), Selma Urfer ( barrel organ singer ), Klaus Havenstein ( barrel organ singer ), newly recorded. This version has been published several times on record and CD since 1958. The CD release by HörCompany (2005) also contains the new version from 1958, not the one from Bayerischer Rundfunk from 1952. The running time is 33 minutes.
In 1954 the material was filmed together with the Augsburger Puppenkiste . The book was only published in 1972. There has also been a musical version by Christian Bruhn since 1979, and a musical theater version by the RAM Children's Theater for only two actors since 2008 .
content
As every year, the best singer of the Heidehasen is to be chosen in a competition. But this time there is a special prize: the princess, daughter of King Lamprecht the Seventh, belongs to the winner as a wife. A promising candidate is the young rabbit Lodengrün. But Director Wackelohr and the Minister for Hasengesang try to prevent his victory by all means. You adjust Lodengrün's sundial so that it is excluded from the competition due to its delay. Otto Lampe, the neighbour's nephew, overhears the conspiracy conversation and informs Lodengrün. This makes it just in time for the singers' war and triumphs over the plot with his song . Wobelohr and the minister flee the country. Lodengrün wins the Singers' War and has the princess as his wife.
particularities
The title of the piece refers to Richard Wagner's stage work Tannhäuser and the war of singers in the Wartburg that it describes . The plot largely follows another work by Wagner, namely the Mastersingers of Nuremberg ; The name Lodengrün is also an allusion to Lohengrin . It can certainly be seen in the series of numerous parodies of Wagner's works.
expenditure
- James Krüss: The Singing War of the Heath Bunnies . Carlsen (2002). ISBN 978-3-551-35137-1 (paperback)
- James Krüss: The Singing War of the Heath Bunnies . Director: Hanns Cremer. Prod .: BR, 1952. ISBN 978-3-935036-97-9 (radio play version)