A Florentine tragedy

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Work data
Title: A Florentine tragedy
Original language: German
Music: Alexander von Zemlinsky
Libretto : Oscar Wilde in the translation by Max Meyerfeld
Literary source: A Florentine Tragedy
Premiere: January 30, 1917
Place of premiere: Stuttgart
Playing time: about an hour
Place and time of the action: Florence (Italy) in the 16th century
people
  • Guido Bardi, Prince of Florence ( tenor )
  • Simone, a businessman ( baritone )
  • Bianca, his wife ( soprano )

A Florentine Tragedy is a one- act opera by Alexander von Zemlinsky ( music ). The text is based on the poem of the same name (original title: A Florentine Tragedy ) by Oscar Wilde in the German translation by Max Meyerfeld. The work was premiered on January 30, 1917 at the Württemberg Court Theater in Stuttgart . Max von Schillings was at the desk .

action

The opera is set in the house of the merchant Simone in the Italian city of Florence during the Renaissance .

The cloth merchant Simone returns prematurely from a business trip. He has to watch as his wife Bianca cheats on him with Guido Bardi, the Prince of Florence. Simone pretends that this leaves him completely cold and that his wife's lover is only here because he wants to buy something from him. He served him wine and presented him with various fine fabrics. When asked which of his offers he was particularly interested in, the prince answered bluntly that this was his wife Bianca. This leads to an argument between the two men. At first they only fight with words. But when the prince irritates Simone to the point of white heat, the latter challenges him to a duel with swords. During the skirmish, Bianca incites the prince to kill her hated husband. At first it seems that Simone is losing out. But then he tells his wife to turn off all the lights. Bianca complies with the request. In the dark, Simone gains the upper hand and strangles his rival. By doing this, he regains his wife's respect. After a rollercoaster of emotions, she sinks into her husband's arms.

Rediscovery, music

Soon after Zemlinsky's death, his works were largely forgotten. It would take around 30 years before they found their way back to the public. The renaissance began in Kiel in 1977, where the Florentine tragedy was re-performed with Zemlinsky's other one-act play The Dwarf . The great success did not materialize until 1981 when it was performed by the Hamburg State Opera in a production by Adolf Dresen .

Zemlinsky's music oscillates between late romanticism , verism and modernity, but never leaves the ground of tonality .

literature

Rolf Fath: Reclam's opera guide , Verlag Philipp Reclam jun. Stuttgart, 37th edition (2002), ISBN 3-15-010511-0

Web links