''Der Kuhreigen'' (; "The Cow

Round Round or rounds may refer to: Mathematics and science * The contour of a closed curve or surface with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, cant, or sphere * Rounding, the shortening of a number to reduce the number ...

") is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

musical play Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

in three acts by the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

composer

Wilhelm Kienzl Wilhelm Kienzl (17 January 1857 – 3 October 1941) was an Austrian composer. Biography Kienzl was born in the small, picturesque Upper Austrian town of Waizenkirchen. His family moved to the Styrian capital of Graz in 1860, where he studied ...

. The libretto, by Richard Batka, is after Rudolf Hans Bartsch's novel ''Die kleine Blanchefleur''. It was first performed at the Volksoper in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

on 23 November 1911.

Roles

Synopsis

Set in revolutionary France, this is the love story of the Swiss Sergeant Primus Thaller, condemned for singing the banned Swiss 'Kuhreigen' folksong, and Blanchefleur, wife of the Marquis Massimelle, who saves him and then herself becomes a victim of the revolution.

Recordings

March 27, 1952, Conductor: Wilhelm Loibner; Walter Berry, Otto Wiener,

Anny Felbermayer Anny Felbermayer (21 July 1924 – 5 September 2014) was an Austrian soprano in opera and concert. The lyric soprano was a long-term member of the Vienna State Opera. She appeared in many operas by Richard Strauss, including the premiere of his ' ...

, Leo Heppe, Dagmar Hermann, Fritz Sperlbauer, Erich Kaufmann, Josef Knapp, and Ruthilde Boesch. Tonkünstlerchor und Großes Orchester der RAVAG, Wien, 1951. MYTO Historical Line 2CD 00275

Richard Tauber Richard Tauber (16 May 1891 – 8 January 1948) was an Austrian tenor and film actor. Early life Richard Tauber was born in Linz, Austria, to Elisabeth Seifferth (née Denemy), a widow and an actress who played soubrette roles at the local theat ...

, who was a favorite of the composer, recorded the two main tenor arias twice for

Odeon Records Odeon Records is a record label founded in 1903 by Max Straus and Heinrich Zuntz of the International Talking Machine Company in Berlin, Germany. The label's name and logo come from the Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe in Paris. History Straus a ...

, firstly in April 1920 by the acoustic process, and again in September 1931 electrically. Both are now on CD.

Sources

* *''Melitz: Führer durch die Opern” (Berlin 1920), translated by Andreas Praefcke''

External links

Page at Andreas-Praefcke.de, accessed 16 June 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuhreigen, Der Operas by Wilhelm Kienzl 1911 operas Operas set in France German-language operas Operas Operas based on novels Operas set in the French Revolution