The Two Widows
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| Operas by Bedřich Smetana |
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Brandenburgers in Bohemia (1863) |
The Two Widows (Czech: Dvĕ vdovy) is a two-act Czech opera by Bedřich Smetana based on the libretto of Emanuel Züngel. The libretto is based on Jean Pierre Felicien Mallefille's one-act play "Les deux veuves." The opera was composed between June 1873 and January 1874, with its first première on March 27th, 1874 at the Prague Czech Theatre under the direction of Smetana. However, this premiere was not successful and the opera was rewritten in 1874. The dialogues were replaced by recitative and some of the music and characters were reworked. The second premiere on October 20th, 1874 was very successful. Kurt Honolka provided a German version in 1958.
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[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, March 27, 1874 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Caroline, a young widow | soprano | |
| Agnes, her sister, also a young widow | soprano | |
| Ladislaus, a landowner | tenor | |
| Mumlal | bass | |
| Tomík, a gardener | tenor | |
| Lidka, his fiancée, a chamber girl | soprano | |
| Peasants, choir | ||
[edit] Synopsis
- Place: A castle in Bohemia (Czech Republic).
[edit] Act I
At the castle, the people are celebrating. The 2 widows, Caroline and Agnes, which live there are very different. The landlady, Caroline, is happy about her liberty and independence, while Agnes cannot make friends since she is still in mourning. Caroline is pressed by her suitor, Ladislaus. However, she does not want to marry him. So Caroline conspires to have Agnes fall in love with Ladislaus. Caroline invites Ladislaus to the castles, where he is arrested by Mumlal. Ladislaus is condemned to 1 day house arrest in the castle. Ladislaus accepts the punishment. However, Agnes cannot be made interested in him. At the end of the act, Lidka and Tomík with the choir sing about love.
[edit] Act II
While in prison, Ladislaus sings a love song, which awakens in Agnes the feeling of love. However, Agnes cannot confess to her feelings. Even Caroline's scheme and Ladislaus's confession does not change her feelings. Only as Caroline begins to flirt with Ladislav, that Agnes admits her feelings to Ladislaus. The envious Mumlal cannot divert Lidka and Tomík from making love to each other. At the ball, both of them get married.
[edit] Discography
- 1956, Jaroslav Krombholc (conductor), Prague National Theatre Orchestra and Chorus; Drahomíra Tikalová, Ivo Žídek, Maria Tauberová, Miloslava Fidlerová, Antonín Zlesák, Eduard Haken
- 1974, Jaroslav Krombholc (conductor), Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Prague Radio; Jana Jonášova, Marcela Machotková, Miroslav Švejda, Dalibor Jedlička, Alfred Hampel, Daniela Šounová-Brouková [1]
- 1975, František Jílek (conductor), Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra; Naďa Šormová, Marcela Machotková, Jiří Zahradníček, Jaroslav Horáček, Zdeněk Švehla, Daniela Šounová
[edit] References
- ^ Roseberry, Eric, Review of The Two Widows (June 1993). The Musical Times, 134 (1804): p. 348.
[edit] Sources
- Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
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