Der Rattenfänger von Hameln

Der Rattenfänger von Hameln (The Rat-Catcher of Hamelin or The Piper of Hamelin) is a grand opera (Große Oper) in five acts by Viktor Nessler. The German libretto by Friedrich Hofmann is based on a 1875 romantic poem by Julius Wolff about the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Performance history

The opera was first performed at the Neues Stadttheater in Leipzig, on 19 March 1879, conducted by Arthur Nikisch.[1] The first performance in the U.S. was at the Thalia Theatre, New York City, on 28 April 1886 conducted by John Lund.[2]

The premiere in Vienna was given in 1897, which the critic Eduard Hanslick attended. He regarded the opera as overly long and old fashioned.

Roles
Roles, voice types
Role Voice type
Hunold Singuf, the rat-catcher baritone
Bertholdus de Sunneborne, the bailiff bass
Heribert de Sunneborne, son of Bertholdus, in love with Regina tenor
Ethelerus, a clerk, also in love with Regina tenor
Gertrud, a fisher-girl soprano
Wulf, a smith, in love with Gertrude baritone
Isfried Rhynperg, canon bass
Wichard Gruwelhot, the mayor bass
Regina, the mayor's daughter soprano
Dorothea, Regina's cousin contralto

Synopsis

The 13th-century tale is about Hunold Singuf, a name given by Wolff in his poem to the "pied piper", who rids the town of Hamelin of its rats. Hunold is not suitably rewarded by the townspeople, and they pay a terrible price when he lures all the children away and they disappear.

References
  1. Casaglia, Gherardo (2005)."Der Rattenfänger von Hameln, 19 March 1879". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  2. "Amusements – Thalia Theatre", The New York Times, 29 April 1886, p. 4

Further reading
  • Franklin, Peter (1992), "Rattenfänger von Hameln, Der" in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
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