Elverhøj

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Opera dates
Title: "Elven Hill"
Original title: Elverhøj
Elverhøj was performed in the open-air theater in Oslo in 1911

Performance of Elverhøj in the open-air theater in Oslo 1911

Original language: Danish
Music: Friedrich Kuhlau
Libretto : Johan Ludvig Heiberg
Premiere: November 6, 1828
Place and time of the action: Stevns

Elverhøj ( Danish for elf hill ) is a comedy by the Danish playwright Johan Ludvig Heiberg with music by Friedrich Kuhlau . It is considered the Danish national drama.

history

Origin and plot

Elverhøj was commissioned by King Frederick VI. written. The occasion was the wedding of his youngest daughter Wilhelmine Marie and Prince Friedrich Karl Christian (later Frederik VII ) on November 1st, 1828. The premiere of Elverhøj took place five days later, on November 6th.

Heiberg suggested that the plot be based on the saga of the Cliff and Elf King of Stevns and a story about mixed up children. King Christian IV acts as a kind of detective who reveals the real context of the case.

Elverhøj is a typical example of national romanticism .

music

The piece contains texts and melodies from two traditional ballads about the Elf King, namely Elverhøj (No. 46B in Danmarks gamle Folkeviser - DgF) beginning with Jeg lagde with hoved til Elverhøj (I bedded my head on the Elven Hill ) and Elveskud (DgF 47B) starting with Mr. Oluf han rider saa vide (Mr. Oluf rode so far). These ballads had appeared in Werner Abrahamson's collection of medieval Danish wise men ( Udvalgte Danske Viser fra Middelalderen ) in 1812 .

Notes from "Jeg gik mig i Lunden"
Jeg gik mig i lunden (I went into the grove), Erik Damskier (piano without libretto)
Dybt i havet (Deep in the Sea), Erik Damskier (piano without libretto)

Part of the work is also the title " Kong Christian stod ved højen mast ", which became the royal anthem of the Danish royal family.

reception

The play was a great success. Heiberg was rewarded with 665 Reichstaler and a permanent position at the Royal Theater . Kuhlau received 400 Reichstaler fee and the title of professor.

The play has now been performed over 1,000 times in the Royal Theater and has been filmed repeatedly. The first time in 1910 (as a silent film), as a sound film in 1917 and again in 1939. Elverhøj still attracts audiences in Denmark today. In Copenhagen it is traditionally the first performance that children see in the Royal Theater.

Trivia

In the film The Olsen Gang sees red , the gang breaks into the Royal Theater during a performance of Elverhøj. While the orchestra is playing the overture upstairs , the Olsen Gang work their way through the walls in the backstage area in time with the opulent music with tools, jackhammer and dynamite.

literature

  • Niels Martin Jensen: “Niels W. Gade og den nationale tone. Dansk nationalromantik i musikalsk belysning ”in Dansk Identitetshistorie , Vol. 3. (“ Folkets Danmark 1848–1940 ”). Copenhagen 1992, p. 327 ff.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Dan Shore: " Emergence of Danish National Opera ", 1779-1846, dissertation, New York 2008.
  2. ^ Kristian Langdal Møller: HC Andersen i Helsingør . (snippet) In: Anderseniana . 2. rk. II: September 4, pp. 342-51. , P. 344n “the opførtes 1st course 5 Dage efter Brylluppet”; Reprinted in: Strejflys over hans Liv og hans Digtning (1968), p. 20
  3. ↑ Chapter XXXIV: Elveskud, p. 234; XXXV, p. 237 . In: Werner Hans Frederik Abrahamson (ed.): Udvalgte danske viser fra middelalderen , Volume 1. FF Schultz, 1812.
  4. ↑ Sven Grundtvig: Chapter 46. Elvehøj, p. 105; 47. Elveskud, p. 109 . In: Danmarks gamle folkeviser , Volume 2. Samfundet til den danske literaturs fremme, 1856.
  5. ^ Dan Shore: " Emergence of Danish National Opera ", 1779–1846, Dissertation, New York 2008, pp. 156–157.
  6. ^ Dan Shore: " Emergence of Danish National Opera ", 1779–1846, Dissertation, New York 2008, pp. 156–157.
  7. ^ Niels Birger Wamberg: HC Andersen og heiberg (snippet), Politiken, 1971, p. 275.