the sold bride

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Work data
Title: the sold bride
Original title: Prodaná nevěsta
Title page of a score from 1919

Title page of a score from 1919

Shape: Comic opera in three acts
Original language: Czech
Music: Bedrich Smetana
Libretto : Karel Sabina
Premiere: May 30, 1866
Place of premiere: Prague, Prozatímní divadlo (interim theater)
Playing time: approx. 2 ½ hours
Place and time of the action: In a bohemian village in the middle of the 19th century
people
  • Kruschina / Krušina, a farmer, father of Marie ( baritone )
  • Kathinka / Ludmila, his wife, mother of Marie ( old )
  • Marie / Mařenka, ( soprano )
  • Micha / Mícha, a rich farmer ( bass )
  • Agnes / Háta, his wife ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Wenzel / Vašek, son of Micha and Agnes ( tenor )
  • Hans / Jeník, Micha's son from his first marriage (tenor)
  • Kezal / Kecal, a matchmaker (Bass-Buffo)
  • Springer / Principál, ringmaster (tenor)
  • Esmeralda / Esmeralda, dancer (soprano)
  • Muff / Indián, comedian (tenor)
  • Country People ( Choir )
Ema Destinová as Marie (1917)
Jarmila Novotna as Marie (1932)

The Bartered Bride (Czech Prodaná nevěsta ) is an opera in three acts by Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884). The plot, based on a libretto by Karel Sabina , takes place in a village in Bohemia in the 19th century. The technically highly demanding overture quickly introduces the plot of the game. She can often be heard together with the Furiant in symphony concerts .

plot

A parish fair is celebrated in a bohemian village . The young Marie, however, is sad. She is supposed to marry the stupid but rich Wenzel, although her heart belongs to Hans. She swears eternal loyalty to her Hans. He tells her that he was driven out of the house by a wicked stepmother; However, he does not reveal that he and Wenzel are half-brothers.

Marie's father and the matchmaker come up with the prenuptial agreement. Marie steadfastly refuses to give her consent. Her mother Kathinka supports her daughter.

Meanwhile, Wenzel, who has a speech impediment, is sitting in the tavern. He has never seen Marie and so it is easy for her to get into a conversation with him and describe his future bride to him in the blackest colors. It comes to the point that Wenzel no longer wants “one of those”. The matchmaker has meanwhile signed a contract with Hans, which is supposed to take him out of the running.

For 300 guilders, Hans renounces Marie, but on the condition that Marie may only marry one of Micha's son - Micha is the father of Hans and Wenzel, which of course nobody knows. Everyone who hears about the contract is outraged about the "sale of the bride".

A little later a circus comes to the village. Wenzel, who has lost the desire to get married, has his eye on the dancer Esmeralda. For her sake, he can be put into a dancing bear costume and becomes a mockery of the bystanders.

Marie has meanwhile heard of the "sale of the bride" and is very disappointed with Hans. She would now even consent to a marriage with Wenzel.

Then Wenzel's father appears and recognizes in Hans his long-lost son from his first marriage. Overjoyed, Marie can now fulfill the contract to marry a son of Micha.

Well-known arias

Well-known arias, ensembles and dances:

  • "Everything is as good as right"
  • Aria of Marie "I would like to trust you"
  • Duet Marie - Hans "With the mother sank to the grave"
  • Duet Marie - Wenzel "I know you love a darling"
  • Duet Kezal - Hans "Come on, my little son, have a word"
  • "Who burns in love"
  • Hans Aria "It must succeed"
  • Duet Esmeralda - Springer (ringmaster) "Everything goes smoothly"
  • Aria of Marie "How strange and dead everything is around"
  • Duet Hans - Marie "My dear darling, now watch out!"
  • Sextet "Just a little longer, Marie"
  • Furiant

Recordings

The Bartered Bride has appeared many times on phonograms. Operadis names 34 recordings in the period from 1932 to 2008. Therefore, only those recordings that have been particularly distinguished in specialist journals, opera guides or the like or that are understandably worth mentioning for other reasons are listed below.

  • June 1933 (first known recording; studio recording from Vienna, abridged): Otakar Ostrčil (conductor), orchestra and choir of the Prague National Theater . Julian Konstantinov (Kruschina / Krušina), Marie Pixová (Kathinka / Ludmila), Ada Nordenová (Marie / Mařenka), Zdeněk Otava (Micha / Mícha), Marta Krásová (Agnes / Háta), Jaroslav Gleich (Wenzel / Vašek), Vladimir Toms (Hans / Jeník), Emil Pollert (Kezal / Kecal), Karel Hruška (Springer / Principál), Olta Horáková (Esmeralda), Václav Marek (Muff / Indián). Naxos historical 8.110098-99 (2 CD), Cantus Classics 500252 (2 CD).
  • 1962 ( Opernwelt CD tip: "artistically valuable"; trio in the 3rd act shortened, without recitative before the duet Hans / Kezal, without repetition of the march in the 3rd act, German version by Max Kalbeck ): Rudolf Kempe (conductor) , Bamberg Symphony Orchestra , RIAS Chamber Choir . Marcel Cordes (Kruschina / Krušina), Nada Puttar-Gold (Kathinka / Ludmila), Pilar Lorengar (Marie / Mařenka), Ivan Sardi (Micha / Mícha), Sieglinde Wagner (Agnes / Háta), Karl-Ernst Mercker (Wenzel / Vašek ), Fritz Wunderlich (Hans / Jeník), Gottlob Frick (Kezal / Kecal), Ernst Krukowski (Springer / Principál), Gertrud Friedmann (Esmeralda), Walter Stoll (Muff / Indián). EMI CD: 7 64002 2, EMI LP: 29 1296 3 (3 LP), EMI CLASSICS 3818722 (2 CD).
  • 1980/81 ( Opernwelt CD tip: “artistically valuable”; complete): Zdeněk Košler (conductor), Czech Philharmonic , Czech Philharmonic Choir. Jindřich Jindrák (Kruschina / Krušina), Marie Veselá (Kathinka / Ludmila), Gabriela Beňačková (Marie / Mařenka), Jaroslav Horáček (Micha / Mícha), Marie Mrazová (Agnes / Háta), Miroslav Kopp (Wenzel / Vašek)., Peter Dvorsek (Hans / Jeník), Richard Novák (Kezal / Kecal), Alfred Hampel (Springer / Principál), Jana Jonášová (Esmeralda), Karel Hanuš (Muff / Indián). Supraphon SU 3707-2 632 (2 CD), Supraphon LP: 1116 4321-33, Supraphon CD: 10 3511 2.
  • December 2004 ( Gramophone review: “outstanding new version”; nomination for the 2007 Grammy for “Best Opera Recording”; English version by Kit Hesketh-Harvey): Charles Mackerras (conductor), Philharmonia Orchestra London, Covent Garden Opera Choir, London . Neal Davies (Kruschina / Krušina), Yvonne Howard (Kathinka / Ludmila), Susan Gritton (Marie / Mařenka), Geoffrey Moses (Micha / Mícha), Diana Montague (Agnes / Háta), Timothy Robinson (Wenzel / Vašek), Paul Charles Clarke (Hans / Jeník), Peter Rose (Kezal / Kecal), Robin Leggate (Springer / Principál), Yvette Bonner (Esmeralda), Kit Hesketh-Harvey (Muff / Indián). Chandos CHAN 3128 (2) (2 CD).

Film adaptations

literature

  • Vlasta Reittererová , Hubert Reitterer : Four dozen red stockings ... On the history of the reception of the Bartered Bride by Bedřich Smetana in Vienna at the end of the 19th century (= Theater History of Austria , Volume III, Issue 4), Verlag der Österreichische Akamdemie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2004 , ISBN 978-3-7001-3270-7 (475 pages, 40 plates).

Web links

Commons : The Bartered Bride  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Discography on The Bartered Bride at Operadis.
  2. ↑ a b c d Bedrich Smetana. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.
  3. ↑ a b Harenberg opera guide. 4th edition. Meyers Lexikonverlag, 2003, ISBN 3-411-76107-5 , p. 845.
  4. ↑ Review of the 2004 recording on Gramophone , accessed April 29, 2016.
  5. ↑ The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards Roundup: Classical Field on grammy.org , accessed April 29, 2016.