The twin brothers
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The twin brothers |
| Shape: | Singspiel |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Franz Schubert |
| Libretto : | Georg Ernst von Hofmann |
| Premiere: | June 14, 1820 |
| Place of premiere: | KK Hofoper am Kärntnertor |
| Playing time: | about 45 minutes |
| Place and time of the action: | Village in the Rhineland at the beginning of the 19th century |
| people | |
The Twin Brothers is a comic singspiel in one act by Franz Schubert (music) and Georg Ernst von Hofmann (libretto). The work was created in 1819 as a commissioned work for the Vienna Court Opera and was premiered on June 14, 1820 in the Kärntnertortheater .
action
The work is set in a Rhenish village at the beginning of the 19th century.
Lieschen has long been waiting for her birthday, when she will turn 18, and today the time has finally come. Now nothing should stand in the way of getting engaged to her beloved Anton, if only her father's unspeakable promise wasn't for ...
Shortly after Lieschen's birth, Franz Spieß offered his neighbor Schulze to sponsor the child if he later had the girl as his wife. He would also deposit 1,000 thalers at the town hall, which he would then bring into the marriage as a dowry with interest and compound interest, and Schulze - not exactly blessed with wealth - agreed. Because Franz's twin brother had gone to France to join the Foreign Legion years ago and since then no sign of life had come home from him, he wanted to go to France and look for his brother. If he wasn't back by Lieschen's 18th birthday, the promise would be considered canceled.
No sooner has Lieschen wasted a little thought on her godfather than he suddenly turns up and insists on his rights. Lieschen's father has long since regretted that he once slipped out such a great stupidity. He wants to make up for his mistake and is now trying to change Franz's mind; but all of his persuasion is doomed to failure. Franz immediately makes his way to the town hall to order the line-up and to collect the deposited amount.
It doesn't stop at this one surprise. As if out of the blue, Franz's twin brother Friedrich suddenly stands in front of Lieschen and her father. They believe that Franz has already returned from the registry office or not at all. Maybe he changed his mind in the meantime? So they try again to get his blessing on Lieschen's engagement to Anton and - who would have thought? - he agrees! Lieschen wallows in happiness.
The third surprise is not long in coming either. While Lieschen and her father are talking to the supposed legionnaire, a gentleman from the magistrate comes and hands him 1,200 thalers. But he had to come right away to confirm receipt in the town hall. No sooner has the officer left with Friedrich than Franz appears again and asks Lieschen to marry him. Her father thinks Franz doesn't have all the cups in the cupboard. And anyway: what's the point with the blindfold? Sometimes it covers the right and sometimes the left eye. So no - his daughter shouldn't marry a madman. Under these circumstances, he no longer feels bound by his promise. When Franz then also has a fit of rage, a few courageous villagers rush to help, overwhelm him and lead him away. They think he has to go to court.
Only a few minutes have passed when Lieschen and her father think they see the damned Franz again. They think he has escaped his captors, but wonder how peaceful he comes across. Eventually the confusion dissolves in favor. The twins are happy to have finally found each other again, and Lieschen - but that is no longer a surprise - is allowed to marry her Anton.
The final chorus is the tenth musical number:
The brothers have found each other,
oh look at the happy brothers!
O see, o see the lovers united, lead
them to the altar !
Long live the groom and the bride!
The brothers live high!
Machining
Parts of the farce went into the following work:
- Elfriede Jelinek , Irene Dische : The millennial post or the Germanist. The adaptation of the libretto of the Singspiel The four year old post . Music by Franz Schubert as well as: The twin brothers . World premiere on March 10, 2012 in Heidelberg. Director: Andrea Schwalbach ; Dramaturgy: Heribert Germeshausen . (The main character is a Prof. Dr. Hans Schall, former SS-Hauptsturmführer Schaal, sung by the tenor Winfried Mikus.)
Web links
- The Twin Brothers : Sheet Music and Audio Files in the International Music Score Library Project
- Work data for Die Zwillingsbrüder based on MGG with discography at Operone
- The twin brothers at Zazzerino
- Libretto for Opera Guide , a Stanford University project
- Libretto arrangement by Dische-Jelinek ( Memento from October 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ↑ The millennial post or the Germanist. In: Website of the Theater and Orchestra Heidelberg, March 2012.