Die Opernprobe
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''Die Opernprobe'' (The opera rehearsal), also titled ''Die vornehmen Dilettanten'' (The distinguished dilettantes), is a comic opera (''
Spieloper In the 19th century, Spieloper ('opera play') was understood to mean a light opera genre, developed from Singspiel. Works typical of the genre include those by Albert Lortzing, such as ''Zar und Zimmermann'', and Otto Nicolai's '' The Merry Wives ...
'') in one act by Albert Lortzing, to a
libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
which he adapted from a play by
Philippe Poisson Philippe Poisson (born November 1, 1984), better known as Phil Fish, is a French Canadian former indie game designer best known for his work on the 2012 platform game ''Fez''. He was born and raised in Quebec, where his experiences with Ninte ...
which had been translated by . The premiere was on 20 January 1851 at the Oper Frankfurt.


History

Lortzing was a successful composer of ''
Spieloper In the 19th century, Spieloper ('opera play') was understood to mean a light opera genre, developed from Singspiel. Works typical of the genre include those by Albert Lortzing, such as ''Zar und Zimmermann'', and Otto Nicolai's '' The Merry Wives ...
n'', comic operas with spoken dialogue, from '' Zar und Zimmermann'' in 1837 to ''
Der Waffenschmied ''Der Waffenschmied'' (The Blacksmith, Armourer) is an opera (Singspiel) in three acts by Albert Lortzing. The German-language libretto was by the composer after Friedrich Wilheim von Ziegler's ''Liebhaber und Nebenbuhler in einer Person'' (Lover ...
'' in 1846. He composed ''Die Opernprobe'' in 1850 when he was director of the in Berlin, which rarely played operas. For the
libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
, he freely adapted a 1733 French play by Philippe Poisson, ''L'Impromptu de campagne'', which Johann Friedrich Jünger had translated to German in 1794, as ''Die Komödie aus dem Stegreif'' (The improvised comedy). Lortzing had appeared as a character in the play in Cologne in 1825. ''Die Opernprobe'' premiered on 20 January 1851 at the Oper Frankfurt in a double-bill with
Friedrich Kaiser Friedrich Kaiser (3 April 1814, Biberach - 6 November 1874, Vienna) was an Austrian playwright. During his youth he was one of the most popular people in Vienna. Some of his plays were "Hans Hasenkopf" (1835); "Wer wird Amtmann __NOTOC__ The ...
's comedy ''Junker und Knecht''. The evening was a benefit performance for Samuel Friedrich Hassel who sang the role of The Count. Lortzing, who had been suffering from ill-health and was under considerable stress in his position as the conductor at the newly opened Friedrich-Wilhelmstädtisches Theater in Berlin, was not involved in the preparations for the Frankfurt premiere, nor did he attend the opening night. On the evening of 20 January he had planned to attend a performance of ''
The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...
'' at the
Königliches Opernhaus The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...
in Berlin with his friend . Instead, he returned home and went to bed early. He suffered a stroke during the night and died the next morning. Unbeknownst to Lortzing, his last opera had a very successful premiere in Frankfurt and remained in the repertoire in Germany until after World War II. It was published by
Bartholf Senff Bartholf Senff (2 September 1815 25 June 1900) was an eminent German music publisher from Friedrichshall, Coburg. In 1850, he founded the publishing house which bears his name in Leipzig. His catalog contains original editions of Mendelssohn, B ...
in Leipzig in 1899.


Roles


Synopsis

The action is an opera rehearsal in a hall of a count's palace with a view towards the garden, in 1794. The amateur performers include the servants. Hannchen, a servant, is the conductor. The story includes a strange nobleman who had escaped an arranged marriage to a woman he did not know. He falls in love with Louise and in the end, after complications, finds out that she was the bride his uncle had planned for him.


Recordings

''Die Opernprobe'' was recorded in 1951, the 100th anniversary of the premiere, with singers including Helmut Krebs,
Lisa Otto Lisa Otto (14 November 1919 – 18 September 2013) was a German operatic soprano, particularly associated with soubrette and light coloratura soprano roles. Born in Dresden, she studied there at the Musikhochschule with Susanne Steinmetz-Prée ...
and the
RIAS Kammerchor The RIAS Kammerchor (RIAS Chamber Choir) is a German choir based in Berlin, Germany. It receives support from the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre GmbH Berlin ("Berlin Radio Orchestra and Choirs"), a limited-liability company owned by the public bro ...
. A 1974 recording, with the choir and orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera conducted by Otmar Suitner, features Regina Marheineke,
Nicolai Gedda Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, known professionally as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017), was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made h ...
,
Klaus Hirte Klaus Hirte (28 December 1937 – 15 August 2002) was a German operatic baritone. Life Training Born in Berlin, Hirte grew up in Calw, learned the profession of tool and die maker and occasionally sang entertainment songs among his friends. ...
and Walter Berry, among others.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Opernprobe, Die 1851 operas German-language operas Operas by Albert Lortzing Operas based on plays Operas