''Das Schloß'' (''The Castle'', literally: The palace) is a 1992 German-language opera by

Aribert Reimann Aribert Reimann (born 4 March 1936) is a German composer, pianist and accompanist, known especially for his literary operas. His version of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'', the opera ''Lear'', was written at the suggestion of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau ...

. He wrote his own libretto based on Kafka's novel and its dramatization by Max Brod. It premiered on 2 September 1992 at the

Deutsche Oper Berlin The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house (after Munich's) and also home to the Berlin State Ballet. Since 2004, the D ...

, staged by Willy Decker and conducted by Michael Boder.

History

composed several literary operas, ''

Ein Traumspiel ''Ein Traumspiel'' is a German-language opera by Aribert Reimann after the 1901 play '' A Dream Play'' (Swedish: ''Ett drömspel'') by August Strindberg. Carla Henius arranged the translation to German by Peter Weiss for a libretto. Reimann com ...

'' after

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty ...

, ''

Melusine Mélusine () or Melusina is a figure of European folklore, a female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down (much like a lamia or a mermaid). She is als ...

'' after Ivan Goll, '' Lear'' after Shakespeare, '' Die Gespenstersonate'' again after Strindberg, and '' Troades'' after Euripides. For his sixth opera, Reimann turned to Kafka's novel. As in the earlier works, he wrote his own libretto, this time based on both the novel and its dramatization by Kafka's friend

Max Brod Max Brod ( he, מקס ברוד; 27 May 1884 – 20 December 1968) was a German-speaking Bohemian, later Israeli, author, composer, and journalist. Although he was a prolific writer in his own right, he is best remembered as the friend and bio ...

. Asked in interview why he turned to the literature of a past time, he said that the topic is timeless: a stranger arrives in a community that rejects him, and an apparatus observes him. Asked about the technical difficulties of his vocal writing, he responded that the lines are written to express emotions and character, as Mozart's Queen of the Night sings virtuoso

coloratura Coloratura is an elaborate melody with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuoso-like material,''Oxford American Dictionaries''.Apel (1969), p. 184. or a passage of such music. Operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part, a ...

for expression, not for superficial glamour. The opera premiered on 2 September 1992 at the

, staged by Willy Decker and conducted by Michael Boder.

Roles

Music

A reviewer of the premiere for ''

Die Zeit ''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles. History Th ...

'' describes the lines of divided strings as a labyrinth, as a formal reflection of the protagonist's ways in the village that he enters as a stranger with a job mission. The same lines, with rhythmic variations, is repeated in the end, as a frame for the work, and as an image for an endless sound, transcending K.'s death. The leading role of K. is sung by a baritone in the opera. Reimann wrote the opera, as his earlier ones, for voices. He grew up in a singing family and worked often as an accompanist for singers, and as an academic teacher for singers, which prepared him to consider their requirements in an opera.

Recording

The opera was recorded in 1996, with Richard Salter as K., conducted by Michael Boder, by the label

Wergo WERGO is a German record label focusing on contemporary classical music. It was founded in 1962 by German art historian and music publisher (1903–1975) and the musicologist Helmut Kirchmeyer. Their first release, filed under "WER 60001", was ...

Notes

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schloss 1992 operas Operas by Aribert Reimann German-language operas Operas Operas based on novels Adaptations of works by Franz Kafka