Fredegunda
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| Original title: | Fredegunda |
Title page of the libretto from 1715 |
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| Shape: | Musical show game |
| Original language: | German Italian |
| Music: | Reinhard Keizer |
| Libretto : | Johann Ulrich König |
| Literary source: | Francesco Silvani |
| Premiere: | 1715 |
| Place of premiere: | Hamburg |
| Place and time of the action: | Franconian Empire in the sixth century |
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Fredegunda is a baroque - opera by Reinhard Keizer in three acts to a libretto by Johann Ulrich König . The textbook is based on the German adaptation of an Italian original, the Fredegonda by Francesco Silvani / music by Francesco Gasparini (Venice 1705).
Silvanis / Gasparinis Fredegonda was performed in Braunschweig among others in 1712. This version then became the basis for the Hamburg processing. In accordance with common practice at the Hamburg Opera, some arias were left in the original Italian.
action
The opera is about the intrigues of the mistress, the historically guaranteed figure Fredegunde and the later wife of the Merovingian king Chilperich I.
King Chilperic of France awaits the arrival of his bride, the Spanish Princess Galsuinde. The sorceress Fredegunda, his lover, reproaches him, which the king countered by pointing out that the marriage to Galsuinde served political purposes. Fredegunda is not satisfied with that. When Chilperich and Fredegunda embrace, Galsuinde and her brother Hermenegild appear. Chilperich leaves the room with Fredegunda and thereby commits an affront to the future bride. Sigibert, Chilperich's brother, who has observed the scene, offers Galsuinde to marry him, he will then get rid of Chilperich. Galsuinde indignantly refuses.
Fredegunda and her secret lover Landerich watch Bazina, Chilperich's daughter, with her lover Hermenegild. In order to divide the two, Fredegunda and Landerich describe Chilperich's affront to Galsuinde. Hermenegild then casts Bazina off because she is the daughter of Chilperich. Fredegunda now urges Bazina to give up her love for Hermenegild, as he has just rejected her. Galsuinde is overwhelmed by the situation with her fiancé Chilperich, especially since Sigibert continues to woo her. Bazina tries to give Galsuinde hope to win over Chilperich after all, when Hermenegild appears and explains Galsuinde about the love affair between Fredegunda and Chilperich. Galsuinde explains to her brother that she wants to fight for her rights by means other than brute force.
Fredegunda has a desire to take the throne and take power. With her seduction skills, she casts Chilperich under her spell again. In the intoxication of love, Chilperich thinks to see Galsuinde and Sigibert in a compromising situation. Fredegunda claims that the court is already talking quite openly about the relationship between the two. When Galsuinde appears before the king to obtain justice, the anger of Chilperich discharges over Galsuinde. Hermenegild rushes to her aid, but is overcome and kidnapped by Landerich, who despite his relationship with Fredegunda is loyal to the king. Chilperich proclaims Galsuinde queen, Galsuinde is desperate.
Bazina hopes to get Hermenegild's release at Fredegunda, but only manages to tighten his detention. Chilperich appears with Galsuinde and Sigibert to begin the wedding ceremony. Fredegunda believes she has reached the goal of her wishes. Galsuinde tries to change Chilperich's mind, but he forces her to serve Fredegunda like a maid. With this renewed humiliation of Galsuinde, Sigibert loses control and takes action against Chilperich. Again he is overwhelmed by Landerich. Due to the commotion, Chilperich forgets to sign the marriage contract, Fredegunda is angry. Galsuinde makes it clear to Fredegunda that nothing has been won until the contract is signed. Fredegunda doesn't want to know anything more from Landerich, now that she is about to become queen. Fredegunda's mind is changed by the description of his love torments. She can barely prevent Chilperich, who suddenly appears, from finding out about her relationship with Landerich.
Galsuinde and Bazina are looking for Sigibert and Hermenegild. Bazina tries to get closer to Hermenegild, but he still feels it is dishonorable to love Chilperich's daughter. Galsuinde and Sigibert admit their love for each other, but do not believe in fulfillment under the given circumstances. Fredegunda waits longingly for Landerich. However, it is approaching Chilperich, whom she accidentally calls the Landerich. Chilperich gets a fit of anger. When Landerich finally arrives, she tries to convince him to kill Chilperich. Fredegunda learns that Landerich will put Sigibert on the throne as soon as Chilperich is eliminated. She doubts that she will ever become queen. Hermenegild and Sigibert, who were freed from prison by Landerich, want to overthrow Chilperich. But Bazina and Galsuinde do everything in their power to dissuade the two of them from their plan. Landerich strengthens Sigibert with the argument that only the death of Chilperich can bring security for everyone in the long run. Chilperich has withdrawn. He refuses the escape recommended by Bazina. Sigibert and Hermenegild storm Chilperich, but are stopped by Galsuinde in their murder plans. A second attack is again thwarted by Galsuinde and Bazina, who eventually break Sigibert and Hermenegild's resistance. Galsuinde now takes her rightful place at King Chilperic's side. The peace is sealed.
Fredegundi's hocus-pocus and their magic fail in the end because of the sincere love of Galsuinde. Chilperich realizes that he was deceived by Fredegunda and that he wrongly rejected Galsuinde. Fredegunda stabs herself when the uprising she instigated with her secret lover Landerich has failed.
Performance history
At the Hamburg Gänsemarktoper , the work was one of the most successful and long-lasting. After its premiere in 1715, it stayed in the Hamburg repertoire for six seasons. There were repeated performances in the years 1721, 1723, 1725, 1731, 1733 and 1734.
More recently, after almost 300 years, the opera was performed again on February 8, 2007 at the Bavarian Theater Academy in the Prinzregententheater . Tilman Knabe staged a controversial stage performance with a lot of sex and crime. The musical director of the New Munich Court Orchestra had Christoph Hammer . The cast was:
- Fredegunda: Dora Pavliková , Maria Erlacher (soprano)
- Galsuinde: Bianca Koch , Sonja Leutwyler (soprano)
- Bazina: Katja Stuber , Johanna-Maria Zeitler (soprano)
- Chilperich: Tomi Wendt , Johannes Wimmer (baritone)
- Sigibert: Michael Kranebitter , Christian Eberl (bass)
- Hermenegild: Tomo Matsubara , Julian Prégardien (tenor)
- Landerich: Tobias Haaks , Sebastian Schmid (baritone)
Web links
- Libretto from 1715 , libretto from 1716 and libretto from 1723 as a digitized version in the list of prints published in the German-speaking area of the 18th century .
- Report on the 2007 performance ( memento from June 21, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) in the ZDFtheaterkanal .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Website fredegunda.de , accessed on August 3, 2014.
- ↑ Honegger / Massenkeil: Das große Lexikon der Musik , Herder, Freiburg 1976, fourth volume, p. 315.
- ↑ MGG-1, Bärenreiter-Verlag 1986, Volume 7, p. 794.
- ^ "Fredegunda" as a baroque horror trip - report on the 2007 performance in the Donaukurier , accessed on July 17, 2014.
- ↑ Various reviews ( memento of October 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) on the website of the Neue Hofkapelle Munich.