The poinsettia (Huber)

The poinsettia is an incidental music by Hans Huber for the nativity play of the same name, The Poinsettia, by the Swiss poet Meinrad Lienert . A first version was premiered in Zurich in 1912 , the first performance of the final version took place in Thun in 1916 . It is Huber's third incidental music after the two Basler Festspiele.

The stage music is set for orchestra (2 flutes, 1 oboe / cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon, 2 horns, harp, harmonium, timpani, percussion, strings), four-part female choir (choir of angels) and four vocal soloists: 3 sopranos ( Archangel Gabriel, 1st and 2nd angel), 1 boy soprano (Seppli) and baritone (the shepherd) and is divided into the following numbers according to Lienert's text, which is composed in seven pictures:

No. 1 - Prelude (orchestra)
No. 2 - I. Image: Gabriels Gruss (Gabriel, Choir of Angels, Orchestra)
No. 3 - III. Image: Christmas carol (Gabriel, choir of angels, orchestra)
No. 4 - III. Image: Lullaby (1st angel, orchestra)
No. 5 - III. Image: End (I) (Gabriel, harmonium)
No. 6 - III. Image: End (II) (1st angel, choir of angels, orchestra)
No. 7 - IV. Image: Alpine blessing (shepherd, orchestra)
No. 8 - IV. Image: Gabriel's wake-up call (I) (choir of angels, harmonium)
No. 9 - IV. Image: Gabriel (II) wake-up call (Gabriel, orchestra)
No. 10 - V. image: Introduction (orchestra)
No. 11 - V. image: Night watchman's call (I) (orchestra)
No. 12 - V. image: dance music (orchestra)
No. 13 - V. image: March of the Three Kings (orchestra)
No. 14 - V. image: withdrawal of the three kings (orchestra)
No. 15 - V. image: Night watchman's call (II) (orchestra)
No. 16 - VI. Image: rows of stripes (1st and 2nd angels, choir of angels, orchestra)
No. 17 - VII. Image: Choir of Invisible Angels (Seppli, Choir of Angels, Orchestra)
No. 18a - VII. Image: Closing music (orchestra), leading to:
No. 18b - VII. Image: final choir (choir of angels, orchestra)

Web links

Manuscript in the University Library of Basel (digitized version)