Fierrabras (opera)
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Fierrabras is a three-act opera by the composer Franz Schubert, to a libretto by Josef Kupelwieser, the general manager of the Kärntnertor Theatre (Vienna's Court Opera Theatre). Along with the earlier Alfonso und Estrella, composed in 1822, it marks Schubert's attempt to compose grand Romantic opera in German, departing from the Singspiel tradition.
The opera is about the adventures of the knight Fierrabras and his conversion to Christianity. The opera was commissioned by the Kärntnertor Theatre in 1822.[1] Schubert completed the score, to Kupelwieser's finished libretto, in October 1823.[2] The commission came during "unstable" times at the Kärntnertor Theatre.[3] The theatre suffered from financial difficulties and a dearth of German-language repertory works.[4] The Italian theater director Domenico Barbaja had taken over the theatre in 1821, and looked to expand the number of German repertory works at the theatre's disposal by commissioning operas from Carl Maria von Weber (Euryanthe) and Schubert (Fierrabras).[5] Simultaneously, however, Barbaja brought Rossini to Vienna to oversee production of several of his operas at the Kärntnertor Theatre, Italian singers replaced many of the German and Austrian singers at the theatre, and a craze for Rossini's works hit Vienna.[6] Kupelwieser resigned from the theater complaining of Barbaja's "arrogance."[7] After the unsuccessful premiere of Weber's Euryanthe in October 1823, "[p]lans to put Fierrabras into production were eventually abandoned: the unhappy internal state of the theatre, the audiences' preference for Rossini, the failure of Euryanthe and Kupelwiser's departure from the theatre contributed to its doom."[8] In 1823, the Kärntnertor theatre turned down the opera. Schubert never saw the opera produced in his lifetime. On 7 May 1835, at the Josefstadt Theatre, Vienna, a concert-version of some numbers was given. The general consensus is that the work most suffers from the extreme weakness of the libretto.[9] It's first full performance was not until 1897, despite "much magnificent music in Schubert’s score."[10]
In the 20th century, the opera received a radio broadcast from Brussels on 14 January 1926. A London concert of 6 November 1938 featured excerpts from the work.[11] An abridged version of the opera was given in a 1959 radio broadcast from Bern, and later issued on record.[12] The first UK performance was a Radio 3 broadcast on 10 April 1971.[9] In 1988, Claudio Abbado directed performances of the opera at the Theater an der Wien, which formed the basis of the first complete recording of the work.[13]
Contents |
[edit] Roles
| 9. Febr. 1897 Hoftheater Karlsruhe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Karl, King of the Franks | bass | ||
| Emma, his daughter | soprano | ||
| Eginhard, one of Karl's knights | tenor | ||
| Roland, one of Karl's knights | baritone | ||
| Ogier, one of Karl's knights | tenor | ||
| Boland, Moorish leader | baritone | ||
| Fierrabras, Boland's son | tenor | ||
| Florinda, Boland's daughter | mezzo-soprano | ||
| Maragond | mezzo-soprano | ||
| Brutamonte | bass | ||
| Ladies, knights, soldiers | |||
[edit] Synopsis
Charlemagne, known here as King Karl, has been at war with the Saracens. He sends a group of ambassadors, including Roland and Eginhard, to negotiate a peace settlement. Karl gives amnesty to his prisoners, which include the knight Fierrabras, son of the Moorish leader. Unknown to Karl, his daughter Emma and Eginhard are in love. Fierrabras is also in love with Emma, and he is falsely accused of attempting to kidnap her, resulting in his imprisonment.
Eginhard and the other ambassadors are imprisoned by the Moorish leader. Florinda, Fierrabras' sister who is secretly in love with Roland, tries to help them escape, but only Eginhard is able to get out. Karl learns of Fierrabras' innocence and releases him. Eginhard and Fierrabras rescues the prisoners, and Fierrabras converts to Christianity and swears loyalty to Karl.
[edit] Recordings
- Myto MCD 89001: Otto von Rohr, Sieglinde Kahmann, Raymond Wolansky, Hans Ulrich Mielsch, Fritz Wunderlich, Rudo Timper, Hetty Plümacher, Melanie Geissler, Manfred Röhrl; Südfunk Chorus; Radio Bern Chamber Chorus; Bern State Orchestra; Hans Müller-Kray, conductor (highly abridged, from 1959 radio broadcast)[12]
- Deutsche Grammophon 427 341-2: Robert Holl, Karita Mattila, Thomas Hampson, Robert Gambill, Josef Protschka, László Polgár, Cheryl Studer, Brigitte Balleys, Hartmut Welker; Arnold Schönberg Chorus; Chamber Orchestra of Europe; Claudio Abbado, conductor (first essentially complete recording)[13]
[edit] References
- ^ Elizabeth Norman McKay: "Schubert's Fierrabras: An Introduction", Liner Notes to Deutsche Grammophon's 1990 Recording of Fierrabras (1990)
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ Id.
- ^ a b Dean, Winton, "Radio" (review of broadcast performance of Fierrabras) (1971). The Musical Times 112 (1540): p. 588.
- ^ Elizabeth Norman McKay: "Fierrabras" Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2 November 2007), <http://www.grovemusic.com>.
- ^ Brown, Maurice J.E., "Schubert's Fierrabras" (April 1971). The Musical Times, 112 (1538): pp. 338-339.
- ^ a b Lee, M. Owen (1991). "Fierrabras. Franz Schubert". The Opera Quarterly 8 (2): 179–181. doi:.
- ^ a b Jellinek, George (1991). "Fierrabras. Franz Schubert". The Opera Quarterly 8 (4): 137–138. doi:.
[edit] Sources
- Amanda Holden, editor. The Penguin Opera Guide, Penguin, 1995. ISBN 0-14-025131-6
