Don Quixote (opera)

Don Quixote, Op. 50 is an opera in three acts by Wilhelm Kienzl. The libretto, written by the composer, is based on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes.[1]

Composition history

Kienzl composed the opera in 1896, completing the full score on 9 October 1897, the 350th birthday of Cervantes (according to the composer's note in the score Cervantes was born on 9 October 1547). He dedicated the opera to "den Manen des grossen Cervantes" ("the Manes of the great Cervantes").[2][3] The score was published by Musikverlages Bote & G. Bock Berlin GmbH, now part of Boosey & Hawkes.[4]

Performance history

The opera was first performed at the Neues Königliches Opernhaus (Königliche Hofoper) in Berlin on 18 November 1898 with Carl Muck conducting.[4] It was not favourably received by the audience, nor by the Berlin press, and only four more performances followed. The fifth performance was (and still remains) the last fully staged one of the complete unabbreviated work, which takes over three hours (without intermission). Kienzl abbreviated the work for a performance the same year at the Neues Deutsches Theater in Prague; again the reception was divided. Although a production run in Graz in 1905 met with greater success, the opera was not staged again for almost thirty years. A new abbreviated version was premiered in Graz on 1 May 1934, and then at the Vienna State Opera on 22 November 1936.[3]

The only production in a non-German speaking country was in Moscow in 1911.[3]

The opera was revived in a concert performance conducted by Gustav Kuhn at the Konzerthaus Berlin on 22 March 1998. (see also section Recordings)

Roles

Role[2] Voice type[2] Premiere Cast[3]
18 November 1898
(Conductor: Carl Muck)
Alonzo Quixano, an elderly squire, named "Don Quixote de la Mancha"character baritoneHermann Bachmann
Mercedes, his niecemezzo-soprano
Sancho Pansa, a peasantbuffo tenorJulius Lieban
The dukelyric tenorRobert Philipp
The duchesshigh sopranoTherese Rothauser
Don Clavijo, the duke's chamberlainbassRudolf Krasa
Carrasco, barberlyric baritonePaul Bulß
Tirante, innkeeperbuffo bassEmil Stammer
Maritornes, his daughter, a waitresssopranoEmilie Herzog
Aldonza, a waitresscontralto
A messengerbass
Kitchen boysoprano
Frasquita, Rosita, Marieta, Juanita, the duchess's maidssoprano & contraltoMarie Dietrich, Thessa Gradl

Instrumentation

The orchestral score requires:

Recordings

In 2002 CPO released a recording made during rehearsals and concert performance (19–22 March 1998) of the revival in Berlin with Gustav Kuhn conducting the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. The principal roles were sung by Thomas Mohr (Don Quixote), Michelle Breedt (Mercedes) and James Wagner (Sancho Pansa).[5][6]

Notes

  1. Kienzl, Wilhelm (1897). Don Quixote. Berlin: E. Bote & G. Bock.
  2. "Don Quixote, Op.50 (Kienzl, Wilhelm)". IMSLP / Bote & G. Bock Berlin. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  3. Peter P. Pachl (2002). Don Quixote (CD liner). Wilhelm Kienzl. Germany: CPO. 999873-2.
  4. "Wilhelm Kienzl - Don Quixote - Opera". United Kingdom: Boosey & Hawkes. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  5. "Kienzl - Don Quixote - review". BBC Music Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  6. Robert Levine. "Kienzl - Don Quixote - review". Classics Today. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.