Melusina (Kreutzer)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Melusina |
| Shape: | Singspiel |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Conradin Kreutzer |
| Libretto : | Franz Grillparzer |
| Premiere: | February 27, 1833 |
| Place of premiere: | Berlin, Royal City Theater |
| Playing time: | approx. 2 hours, 45 minutes |
| people | |
Melusina is a three-act "romantic magic opera" with spoken dialogues by Conradin Kreutzer . Franz Grillparzer originally wrote the libretto for Ludwig van Beethoven in 1823 .
Origin and premiere
At the beginning of the 1820s there were renewed efforts to encourage Beethoven to compose further works for the stage. At first, one thought of the subject of Schiller's guarantee , from which Ferdinand von Biedenfeld created a libretto especially for Beethoven, of which he was to set at least the heroic first and third acts, while the second idyllic act was to be entrusted to another composer. Another project for Beethoven came from Grillparzer's pen. Beethoven allegedly had started planning a setting and is said to have already noted down individual sketches. Franz Schubert's circle of friends later considered whether he could possibly obtain the rights to set music - Moritz von Schwind dealt with this subject again and again and still made sketches for a cycle of pictures in the last years of his life - but the bookseller Johann Baptist already had it Wallishausser acquired the rights to it, but did not publish its print until late 1833.
How Kreutzer obtained the rights to set music is unknown. But as early as the summer of 1832, he wrote in his correspondence that he was working on the work and that he expected a lot from its effect. The crisis situation that had persisted for many years at the Vienna Court Opera , where Kreutzer was actually active until he moved to Josephstadt , meant that he negotiated with other theaters, and for the first time successfully with the rival stage of the Berlin Royal Theaters . The premiere took place - with the Viennese mezzo-soprano Amalie Hähnel , who was fascinating the young Mendelssohn , in the title role - in the production and under the direction of the composer on February 27, 1833 in the Königsstädtisches Theater in Berlin, further productions took place in Brno (1833) and Vienna (Josephstadt , 1835).
Idea and action
The subject of Melusina is closely related to that of the Undine fabric by Friedrich de la Motte-Fouqué and Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann as well as the Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák : it addresses the difficult love affair between a person and a mythical creature (a mermaid ).
The Singspiel, with which Grillparzer founded the modern style of the Viennese folk tale , is about the problematic relationships between idea and reality. Melusina embodies the world of ideas, while Troll, Raimund's servant, denies the existence of ideas and only recognizes reality. Raimund occupies the middle position between idea and reality. By marrying Melusine, he tries to become one with the idea, but only finally succeeds through his death. With this Singspiel, Grillparzer also addresses a basic problem of his poet personality, namely that it is hardly possible for someone who has once committed himself to the idea to gain a foothold in the reality of life.
effect
A few days after the premiere of Melusina, Kreutzer wrote to the Leipzig publishers Kistner and Probst on March 4, 1833 with a performance report:
“You will probably have already heard from the public that my latest opera, Melusina - text by Grillparzer - was last on the 27th. M: for the 1st time - and with great and unanimous approval. Today was supposed to be the 1st repetition, but the 2nd singer got sick, and now it was postponed until the day after tomorrow - but all boxes and seats were sold this morning! - Except for some disturbances in the arrangement - grouping and decoration, one could call the performance, musically speaking, excellent. - The overture was demanded by storm da Capo, and I myself was called at the end of the 1st and 3rd act. - All local papers and journals give very beneficial reviews - only here and there the poet takes something with him - however, what is charged to him after this 1st performance - is more on the account of the director - and at the 2nd performance these will be All grievances have to be lifted - and one will also have to do more justice to the poet! I am firmly convinced that this opera will be performed on all German theaters, just so that it should be preserved in the repertoire - I can write it down myself - without praise - this composition is very successful, and it is genuine romantic color - it has lovely cavatins - 2 large, imposing arias - or rather scenes - a very excellently successful canon and quartet - and 3 extremely imposing and karackteristic grand finals! - - what more could you want! "
literature
- Franz Grillparzer. Melusina […] (= Franz Grillparzer. Complete Works. Historical-Critical Complete Edition […], edited by August Sauer .) First Department, Vol. 4, Vienna 1925. The commentary volume was published by Franz Grillparzer. Complete Works. Apparatus for Melusina […]. First Department, Vol. 19, Vienna 1939.
- Richard Batka: Grillparzer and the fight against the German opera in Vienna, in: Yearbook of the Grillparzer Society 4 (1894), pp. 119–144.
- Ders .: On the history of the "Melusine", in: Yearbook of the Grillparzer Society 8 (1898), p. 260 ff.
- Viktor Suchy : Franz Grillparzer's “Melusina” (attempt to interpret the history of material and motifs from the perspective of depth psychology), in: Yearbook of the Grillparzer Society, 3rd episode, vol. 7 (1969) pp. 61-136.
- Till Gerrit Waidelich: “Spiritual Realm and Unleashed Fantasy” Conradin Kreutzer's “Melusina” (1833) based on Grillparzer's opera libretto for Beethoven. In: I. Dürhammer / P. Janke (Ed.): Raimund, Nestroy, Grillparzer. Joke and fear of life . Vienna 2001, pp. 181–204, ISBN 3-7069-0113-7 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Yearbook of the Grillparzer Society 10 (1900), p. 288 ff.