Miriways

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Work data
Title: Miriways
Original language: German
Music: Georg Philipp Telemann
Libretto : Johann Samuel Müller
Premiere: May 26, 1728
Place of premiere: Hamburg , Opera am Gänsemarkt
Playing time: about 3 hours
Place and time of the action: Persia, 18th century
people
  • Miriways, Prince of Candahar and Protector of Persia ( baritone )
  • Sophi, Persian Prince ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Bemira, Persian lady and illegitimate daughter of Miriways ( soprano )
  • Nisibis, Persian lady (soprano)
  • Murzah, Tatar prince (baritone)
  • Samischa, wife of Miriways (mezzo-soprano)
  • Zemir, Persian prince (mezzo-soprano)
  • An envoy ( tenor )
  • Spirit (baritone)
  • Scandor (baritone)
  • ( Choir ) the Persians (soprano, tenor, bass )

Miriways ( TWV 21:24) is an opera in three acts by Georg Philipp Telemann . The libretto is by Johann Samuel Müller . The first performance took place on May 26th, 1728 in the Hamburg Opera on Gänsemarkt .

Emergence

In 1723, an anonymous account of the life and deeds of the Miriway , protector of Persia, had appeared under the title The Persian Cromwell, or Life and Deeds of the Miri-way . This was historically incorrect, because actually his son Mir Mahmud Hotaki conquered Isfahan in 1722. Johann Samuel Müller formed a story from this report that portrays Miriways as a just and far-sighted ruler.

action

The action takes place in Isfahan , the Persian residence of Miriways. The plot of the opera tells how the Afghan tribal prince Miriways actually installed the Persian prince Sophi, a son of the deposed Shah, as king in the conquered province after a military victory.

Miriways talks to Samischa, his secret wife. From their previous relationship, which had to be ended by Miriways' marriage, which had plunged Samischa into depression, a daughter has emerged, but the mother does not know her whereabouts. This daughter wants to find Miriways in order to marry her for tactical reasons to Sophi, to whom he has granted rule over Persia. Sophi loves Bemira, whom we only know that she grew up in a good home with Nisibis. You and Bemira are fond of sisterly love. Nisibis is a widow and loves Murzah, who hardly dares to confess his love to her. Zemir takes advantage of this to put himself in the right light opposite Nisibis and to displace Murzah.

The very first conversation between Miriways and Samischa exposes the opera theme from which the conflicts develop: the collision of individual inclination and duty, with the concept of sensible love playing a role. Although Miriways once had to leave his beloved woman, he demands a marriage for reasons of state. Sophi defends herself to the point of stubbornness and wants to remain loyal to Bemira. But Bemira implores Sophi to follow Miriways and is ready - albeit in great pain - to renounce her love. Nisibis gets caught up in Zemir's intrigues; he makes her believe that he saved her from the flames of her summer house. The convention would require her to associate with the supposed savior. Because of her love for Murzah, she is reluctant. But his intrigue is unmasked, Nisibis and Murzah find each other, and the other couple also has a happy ending through a happy coincidence. Bemira is none other than the lost daughter of Miriways and Samischa, whom Sophi is supposed to marry for political reasons.

reception

On June 26, 1992 Miriways was performed in concert by the Musica Antiqua Cologne under the direction of Reinhard Goebel at the Magdeburg Telemann Festival . The opera's score was re-published in 2002 as an Urtext edition by Bärenreiter . The opera was staged in spring 2012 at the Magdeburg Telemann Festival after almost 300 years.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Center for Telemann Care and Research Magdeburg , accessed on August 5, 2014.
  2. Miriways TVWV 21:24 (score) , Bärenreiter, Kassel 2002, accessed on August 5, 2014.
  3. ^ New world premiere on March 10, 2012 in Magdeburg , accessed on August 5, 2014.