Penthesilea (Schoeck)
Work data | |
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Title: | Penthesilea |
Original language: | German |
Music: | Othmar Schoeck |
Libretto : | Othmar Schoeck after Heinrich von Kleist |
Premiere: | January 8, 1927 |
Place of premiere: | Dresden State Opera |
Playing time: | approx. 75 minutes |
Place and time of the action: | Battlefield at Troy |
people | |
(Main parts in italics) |
Penthesilea is a music theater work in one act based on the tragedy by Heinrich von Kleist , Opus 39 by Othmar Schoeck .
History of origin
Schoeck was enthusiastic about the material for a long time, in 1923 Hans Corrodi was commissioned to create a libretto for his work, which he explicitly did not call an opera . But Schoeck later wrote the libretto himself, which is largely based on the drama of the same name by Heinrich von Kleist , but which has been drastically shortened. The result was a one-act play based on the core scenes between Achilles and Penthesilea. Schoeck finished the work in 1925, it was premiered in 1927 at the State Opera in Dresden, the conductor was Hermann Ludwig Kutzschbach .
action
The army of the Amazons was dispersed by the Greeks. The hero Achilles defeats Penthesilea, her confidante Prothoe advises in vain to flee. She faints. Achilles appears and is interested in Penthesilea. Prothoe advises that he should pretend to be defeated when they wake up, because according to the laws of the Amazons, only those who have been defeated in battle may be taken as spouses. So it happens: Penthesilea wakes up, Prothoe tells her that she only dreamed of her defeat. Achilles and Penthesilea are now allowed to meet, a cautious love scene takes place. But Achilles tells her about his betrayal out of love , but she still protects him. Achilles announces another duel. But she misunderstood his intention, because he wants to come to her unarmed and let himself be defeated. Her love turns into bottomless hatred, she kills and tears Achilles. In the end, she becomes aware of what she did and commits suicide.
music
Schoeck orchestrated the opera for a large late romantic orchestra, but there are special decisions for or against certain instruments that produce a unique tonal effect. He played a total of 10 different clarinets , two pianos, a strong percussion and four solo violins, but the tutti violins are missing, so that the string sound in particular appears rather dull and deep.
Productions
- January 8, 1927 Dresden, world premiere; with Irma Tervani, Eugenie Burkhardt, Maria Rösler-Keuschnigg, Elfriede Haberkorn, Friedrich Plaschke, Paul Schöffler , Ludwig Eybisch, conductor: Hermann Ludwig Kutzschbach
- 1928, 1968 Zurich Opera House
- 1942 Leipzig, New Theater
- 1957 Staatstheater Stuttgart , conductor: Ferdinand Leitner , with Martha Mödl in the title role
- 1979 Bremen, Theater Bremen
- 1982 Salzburg Festival Conductor: Gerd Albrecht
- 1985 Stadttheater Bern , director: Eriprando Visconti , conductor: Peter Maag
- 1986 Düsseldorf Opera House
- 1998 Montpellier, Opéra Berlioz - Le Corum, conductor: Friedemann Layer
- 1999 Hanover
- 1999 Lucerne, Lucerne Festival , conductor: Mario Venzago
- 2001 Florence, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino , directed by Harry Kupfer , conductor: Gerd Albrecht
- 2003 State Theater Cottbus in coproduction with the Kleist-Forum Frankfurt (Oder)
- 2007 Basel, Theater Basel , directed by Hans Neuenfels , conductor: Mario Venzago , this production was chosen as the production of the year 2008 in the critics' survey conducted by Opernwelt magazine .
- 2008 Dresden Semperoper , directed by Günter Krämer , conductor: Gerd Albrecht , Iris Vermillion received the Faust Theater Prize for her portrayal of Penthesilea in Dresden .
- 2009 Theater Lübeck , directed by Alexander Schulin , conductor: Philippe Bach
- 2011 Oper Frankfurt , directed by Hans Neuenfels (takeover of the 2007 production from Basel)
- 2017 Theater Bonn , directed by Peter Konwitschny , conductor: Dirk Kaftan
- 2019 Landestheater Linz , resumption of the production by the Theater Bonn (2017)
Recordings
- 1957 State Opera Stuttgart , conductor: Ferdinand Leitner (with Martha Mödl in the title role)
- 1973 WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne , conductor: Zdeněk Mácal (Lucerne International Music Festival)
- 1982 Salzburg Festival , conductor: Gerd Albrecht
- 1985 Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich , conductor: Gerd Albrecht (with Helga Dernesch in the title role)
- 1999 Basel Symphony Orchestra , conductor: Mario Venzago