''Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond'' (''Martha, or The Market at Richmond'') is a ''romantic comic''

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 libre ...

in four acts by Friedrich von Flotow set to a German libretto by and based on a story by

Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges (7 November 1799 – 23 December 1875) was a French playwright, who was born and died in Paris. He was one of the most prolific librettists of the 19th century, often working in collaboration with others. Sa ...

. Flotow had composed the first act of a ballet, ''Harriette, ou la servante de Greenwiche'', derived from a text by Saint-Georges, for the ballerina

Adèle Dumilâtre Adèle Alphonsine Dumilâtre (30 June 1821 – 4 May 1909 in Paris) was a French dancer, famous in the days of romantic ballet. After her marriage to Francisco Drake del Castillo she became a Countess. Biography The youngest daughter of Comédi ...

. This was first performed by the

Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded ...

at the Salle Le Peletier on 21 February 1844. The time available for the composition was short, so the second and third acts were assigned, respectively, to

Friedrich Burgmüller Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller, generally known as Friedrich Burgmüller (4 December 1806 – 13 February 1874) was a German pianist and composerPhilip J. Bone''The Guitar and Mandolin. Biographies of celebrated players and composers for the ...

and

Édouard Deldevez Édouard Marie Ernest Deldevez (31 May 1817 – 6 November 1897) was a French violinist, conductor at important Parisian musical institutions, composer, and music teacher. Biography Deldevez was born and died in Paris. He won many prizes as a v ...

. The opera ''Martha'' was an adaptation of this ballet.

Critical appreciation

According to Gustav Kobbé, ''Martha'', though written by a native of

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwer ...

and first performed in Vienna, is French in character and elegance. Flotow was French in his musical training, as were the origins of both the plot and the score of this work, effectively in the tradition of Auber. (Flotow studied composition in Paris under

Reicha Anton (Antonín, Antoine) Joseph Reicha (Rejcha) (26 February 1770 – 28 May 1836) was a Czech-born, Bavarian-educated, later naturalized French composer and music theorist. A contemporary and lifelong friend of Beethoven, he is now best reme ...

from 1827 until 1830, and having left on account of the

July revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after the first in 1789. It led to the overthrow of King ...

returned there from 1835 until 1848, and again from 1863 until 1868.)

Performance history

The first performance of ''Martha'' took place at the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna on 25 November 1847. Other early productions followed in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg an ...

(16 February 1848),

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

(1 March 1848),

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

(1 March 1848), and Berlin (7 March 1848). It was performed in Budapest in Hungarian (11 July 1848) and in Prague in German (24 March 1849) and in Czech (17 February 1850). There were several early productions in London, the first in German at Drury Lane (4 June 1849), followed by one in Italian at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

(1 July 1858) and another in English at Drury Lane (11 October 1858). Anna Bishop - CD Fredericks - VB Lawrence 1995 p320

In the United States, it was produced in English at

Niblo's Garden Niblo's Garden was a theater on Broadway and Crosby Street, near Prince Street, in SoHo, Manhattan, New York City. It was established in 1823 as "Columbia Garden" which in 1828 gained the name of the ''Sans Souci'' and was later the property of ...

in New York City on 1 November 1852 with Anna Bishop, in New Orleans on 27 January 1860, in French. It had its first Australian performance in Melbourne on 24 June 1856. The opera was performed at the second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. It was first performed in France in Italian by the Théâtre-Italien at the Salle Ventadour in Paris on 11 February 1858 and in French at several provincial theatres beginning in December 1858 and at the

Théâtre Lyrique The Théâtre Lyrique was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century (the other three being the Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, and the Théâtre-Italien). The company was founded in 1847 as the Opér ...

in Paris on 18 December 1865. According to T. J. Walsh, numerous editions of '' Kobbé's Opera Book'' have incorrectly given the date of the first performance at the Théâtre Lyrique as 16 December 1865. He also challenges Kobbé's statement that the aria "M'appari" (which Flotow composed for his earlier opera ''L'âme en peine'') was first introduced into the opera ''Martha'' at that theatre. He notes that it was sung by

Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the '' Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his c ...

at the Théâtre-Italien in 1858 and is also found (as "Ach! so fromm") in an early (probably 1848) Vienna edition of the score in the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...

and was probably always a part of the opera. The confusion may have arisen from further alterations made by the Théâtre Lyrique's director, Léon Carvalho, which included the insertion in act 4 of Flotow's baritone aria "Depuis le jour j'ai paré ma chaumière" (also from ''L'âme en peine''). In 1877, at the Royal Italian Opera in Covent Garden,

Victor Capoul Joseph Victor Amédée Capoul (27 February 1839 – 18 February 1924) was a French operatic lyric tenor with a graceful singing style. Forbes E., Steane J.B., "Victor Capoul". In: '' The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and ...

performed as Lyonel, with

Francesco Graziani (baritone) Francesco Graziani (April 26, 1828 – June 30, 1901) was an Italian baritone and voice teacher. Graziani has been called the first modern baritone because his vocal attributes were well suited to the high-lying operatic parts composed by Gius ...

as Plunkett and Sofia Scalchi as Nancy. ''Martha'' received a fresh boost in popularity in 1906 when it was staged at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

in New York in a production that featured the famed tenor Enrico Caruso, singing the opera in Italian. Lyonel was one of Caruso's most popular roles, performing it many times during subsequent seasons; he also recorded several extracts from the Italian version of the opera. ''Martha'' fell out of favor by the 1920s and it was rarely performed for decades thereafter. Interest in the opera was rekindled by the 1980s and recent productions in the United Kingdom have included those by Opera South in 1986 and 2009 and Bel Canto Opera in 2002. Those in the U.S have included Michigan Opera Theatre in 1985.Operatic beagles are in demand
October 23, 1985. ''

Lodi News-Sentinel The ''Lodi News-Sentinel'' is a daily newspaper based in Lodi, California, United States, and serving northern San Joaquin and southern Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorp ...

''. Accessed May 10, 2010

Roles

Synopsis

:Time: 1710. :Place: Richmond, England.

Act 1

Lady Harriet Durham, a maid-of-honour to Queen Anne, is so tired of Court life, and so sick of her many insipid admirers, she retires to the country. But she becomes bored so she decides to attend the fair at Richmond where girls hire themselves out as servants. For a laugh, she and her confidante Nancy masquerade as maidservants. Her foppish old cousin, Sir Tristan, another admirer whom she deems a bore, accompanies them. Harriet manages to lose her escort, and then she and Nancy stand in the line of girls waiting to be hired. Two young farmers, Lyonel and Plunkett, are looking for a couple of wenches to do their housework and, being struck by the beauty and charm of the two masqueraders, proceed to hire them. Lady Harriet gives her name as Martha. The girls are soon dismayed to find they are legally bound to their new masters for a year. Sir Tristan is unable to retrieve them from their fate.

Act 2

Quickly, both farmers fall for their new maidservants — Lyonel for Harriet and Plunkett for Nancy. Harriet feels that Lyonel is of higher station than he appears. He is an orphan who was left with Plunkett's parents in early childhood. The new maids are totally inept at their tasks, which infuriates Plunkett. Finally, the new maids are told to go to bed, but escape through the window, with the aid of Sir Tristan. The young farmers are distressed and angry at the loss of their maids, and Lyonel's grief is so great that he falls into a melancholy state.

Act 3

Wandering in the forest, Lyonel meets a royal hunting party and recognises Lady Harriet. He declares his love for her, but she rebuffs him. Lyonel reminds her of her contract to serve him for a year. She tells the party the young man is mad, and Sir Tristan supports her declaration. Orders are given to imprison the young man. Lyonel has a ring his father gave him, saying if he was ever in trouble he was to send the ring to the Queen. He begs his friend to take it to the court.

Act 4

The ring saves Lyonel. The Queen recognises it as that of a banished nobleman, whose innocence has since been proven. Lady Harriet is now willing to accept his courtship as there is no longer a class difference to stand between them. She is filled with remorse for the way she has treated him. She reveals to him her true identity and tells him that his estate will be restored but he is blinded by anger with Harriet for the injustice she did him and refuses to accept her love. To win him back, Harriet and Nancy return to the fair once again dressed as country wenches. When Plunkett brings Lyonel to the fair and points out the two pretty serving-maids, Lyonel realises he does love Harriet. He embraces her, and they agree to marry, as do Plunkett and Nancy.

Noted arias, duets, ensembles

*"Ach! so fromm, ach! so traut (M'apparì tutt'amor)" (Lyonel) *"Blickt sein Aug" (Harriet and Lyonel) *"Lasst mich euch fragen (Porter-Lied)" Drinking Song (Plunkett) *"Letzte Rose (''

The Last Rose of Summer "The Last Rose of Summer" is a poem by the Irish poet Thomas Moore. He wrote it in 1805, while staying at Jenkinstown Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland, where he was said to have been inspired by a specimen of Rosa 'Old Blush'. The poem is ...

'')" (Harriet, later with Lyonel) *"Mag der Himmel Euch vergeben" (Lyonel's Prayer) *"Schlafe wohl! Und mag Dich reuen" (Good Night Quartet) *"Was soll ich dazu sagen?" (Spinning-Wheel Quartet) *"Povero Lionello... Il mio Lionel" (Added by Flotow for baritone

Graziani Graziani is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Ariel Graziani (born 1971), South American footballer *Augusto Graziani (1933–2014), Italian economist * Ercole Graziani the Younger (1688–1765), Italian painter * Franc ...

's Plunkett, solely in the Italian version)

Musical content

The

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") in music was originally the instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed over ...

is among von Flotow's most appreciated works. It begins with a slow A minor introduction, but changes suddenly to an A major theme (that of ''Lyonel's prayer'' in act 3, "Mag der Himmel Euch vergeben"), presented as an extended French horn solo with orchestral accompaniment that concludes with the theme stated by the full orchestra. It reverts to A minor with a busy, agitated motif for the Allegro, representing Lady Harriet and Nancy bustling about, leading into the slightly slower (''meno moto'') C major ''peasant girls' chorus'' theme from act 1, played by woodwinds accompanied by triangle and snare drum with ''pizzicato'' string punctuation. This concludes with a mini- coda for the full orchestra ''a tempo'' in C; then the agitated theme returns, but modulates several times from C through D minor and E minor to a section pitting the agitated theme in F major against ''Lyonel's prayer'' in the oboes, clarinets, and cellos in the midst of the orchestral texture, adding winds and brass to the theme in a ''crescendo'' until suddenly breaking off and reprising the ''peasant girls' chorus'' in A major. That leads without further modulation back to the ''Lyonel's prayer'' motif for full orchestra as in the beginning, and so the overture ends with a brisk, very short duple-meter coda. The fluctuations of light and shade are reminiscent of Schubertian scoring, or of

Weber Weber (, or ; German: ) is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning " weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'. Notable pe ...

(e.g. ''

Der Freischütz ' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 1 ...

'' overture): but without modulation into remote tonalities, they never really portend a tragic conclusion, but rather the lovers' dilemmas and local color. Though the powerful overture hints at a darker outcome, the opera ends happily. The heroine's levity and Lyonel's sincerity are its themes. The dramatic music, as between Lyonel and Harriet in act 4, is weighty, while the scoring of the comic scenes is also (but differently) effective. In his own idiom, like

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

in ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spani ...

'' or

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

in ''

Un ballo in maschera ''Un ballo in maschera'' ''(A Masked Ball)'' is an 1859 opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The text, by Antonio Somma, was based on Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's 1833 five act opera, '' Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué''. Th ...

'', von Flotow could build convivial music into a tragic dramatic context. The

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...

traditional Irish melody "

", introduced for ''Martha'' in act 2, was a successful inclusion. Popular airs were then often introduced informally to operas as show-pieces by sopranos, for example "

Home! Sweet Home! "Home, Sweet Home" is a song adapted from American actor and dramatist John Howard Payne's 1823 opera ''Clari, or the Maid of Milan'', the song's melody was composed by Englishman Sir Henry Bishop with lyrics by Payne. Bishop had earlier p ...

" in the lesson scene 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 b ...

''. Singers such as

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and a ...

Adelina Patti Adelina Patti (19 February 184327 September 1919) was an Italian 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851, and gave her la ...

made much of them. In ''Martha'' the custom is formally perpetuated, and the melody then appears as a ''

leitmotif A leitmotif or leitmotiv () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is an anglic ...

'' to represent Lyonel's longing.

Recordings

*1944 Erna Berger (Harriet), Else Tegetthoff (Nancy), Peter Anders (Lyonel), Josef Greindl (Plumkett), Eugen Fuchs (Tristan); Chor der Staatsoper Berlin /

Staatskapelle Berlin The Staatskapelle Berlin () is a German orchestra and the resident orchestra of the Berlin State Opera, Unter den Linden. The orchestra is one of the oldest in the world. Until the fall of the German Empire in 1918 the orchestra's name was ''Kö ...

; Johannes Schüler (conductor) – Berlin Classics *1954 Elena Rizzieri (Harriet), Pia Tassinari (Nancy), Ferruccio Tagliavini (Lyonel), Carlo Tagliabue (Plunkett), Bruno Carmassi (Tristan); Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Torino della RAI; Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor) – Fonit Cetra (in Italian) *1955

Wilma Lipp Wilma Lipp (; 26 April 1925 – 26 January 2019) was an Austrian operatic soprano and academic voice teacher. A long-time member of the Vienna State Opera, she was particularly associated with the role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's ''Die Z ...

(Harriet), Hetty Plümacher (Nancy), Waldemar Kmentt (Lyonel), Kurt Böhme (Plumkett), Rudolf Wünzer (Tristan); Chor der Bayerischen Rundfunks / Münchner Rundfunksorchester;

Hans Gierster Hans Gierster (12 January 1925 – 20 September 1995) was a German conductor.Hans Gierster
on AllMusic

(conductor) – Cantus Classics *1956 Teresa Stich-Randall (Harriet),

Hilde Rössel-Majdan Hilde Rössel-Majdan (30 January 1921 – 15 December 2010) was an Austrian contralto in opera and concert. She was a member of the Vienna State Opera and is known for early recordings of Bach's music including his cantatas. She was an influentia ...

(Nancy), Waldemar Kmentt (Lyonel), Walter Berry (Plumkett), Hans Braun (Tristan); Chor der Wiener Staatsoper /

Wiener Symphoniker The Vienna Symphony (Vienna Symphony Orchestra, german: Wiener Symphoniker) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna. Its primary concert venue is the Vienna Konzerthaus. In Vienna, the orchestra also performs at the Musikverein and at the The ...

;

Franz Salmhofer Franz Salmhofer (22 January 1900 – 22 September 1975) was an Austrian composer, clarinetist and Conducting, conductor. He studied the clarinet, composition and musicology in Vienna. Salmhofer served successively as Kapellmeister of the Burgt ...

(conductor) – Gala (excerpts) *1960 Sonja Schöner (Harriet), Gisela Litz (Nancy), Donald Grobe (Lyonel), Karl-Christian Kohn (Plumkett), Walter Dicks (Tristan); Chor und Orchester des Hamburger Rundfunks; Walter Martin (conductor) – Cantus Classics *1960

Anneliese Rothenberger Anneliese Rothenberger (19 June 191924 May 2010) was a German operatic soprano who had an active international performance career which spanned from 1942 to 1983. She specialized in the lyric coloratura soprano repertoire, and was particularly ad ...

(Harriet), Hetty Plümacher (Nancy), Fritz Wunderlich (Lyonel), Gottlob Frick (Plumkett), Georg Völker (Tristan); Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin / Berliner Symphoniker;

Berislav Klobučar Berislav Klobučar (28 August 192413 June 2014) was a Croatian opera conductor. He conducted the Vienna State Opera for more than four decades, and guest conductor at the Bayreuth Festival. __TOC__ Biography Born in Zagreb on 28 August 1924, Klob ...

(conductor) – EMI (excerpts) *1961

Victoria de los Ángeles Victoria de los Ángeles López García (1 November 192315 January 2005) was a Catalan Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mi ...

(Harriet), Rosalind Elias (Nancy), Richard Tucker (Lyonel), Giorgio Tozzi (Plunkett),

Lorenzo Alvary Lorenzo Alvary, also Lorenz Alvari (20 February 1909 – 13 December 1996) was a Hungarian-American operatic bass. Life and career Born in Debrecen, Alvary first studied law in Geneva and Budapest, then singing in Milan and Berlin. He made his ...

(Tristan); Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera House; Nino Verchi (conductor) – Celestial Audio (live in English) *1965 Erika Köth (Harriet), Elisabeth Steiner (Nancy), Rudolf Schock (Lyonel),

Walter Kreppel Walter Kreppel (3 June 1923 – 18 October 2003) was a German bass singer, known for his performances in operatic roles in Europe and the US. Starting his career in his native Nuremberg he progressed to membership of major opera companies, including ...

(Plumkett), Manfred Röhrl (Tristan); Der Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin / Berliner Symphoniker; Wilhelm Schüchter (conductor) – Eurodisc (excerpts) *1968

(Harriet), Brigitte Fassbaender (Nancy),

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 ...

(Lyonel), Hermann Prey (Plumkett), Dieter Weller (Tristan); Der Chor der Bayerischer Staatsoper München / Der Orchester der Bayerischer Staatsoper München; Robert Heger (conductor) – EMI *1977 Lucia Popp (Harriet),

Doris Soffel Doris Soffel (born 12 May 1948, Hechingen, Germany) is a German mezzo-soprano. Doris Soffel first played the violin, then switched to singing at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. She was member of the Stuttgart Opera ensemble from ...

(Nancy), Siegfried Jerusalem (Lyonel), Karl Ridderbusch (Plumkett), Siegmund Nimsgern (Tristan); Chorus of the Bavarian Radio / Munich Radio Orchestra; Heinz Wallberg (conductor) –

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westin ...

*2016 Maria Bengtsson (Harriet), Katharina Magiera (Nancy),

AJ Glueckert AJ Glueckert is an American operatic tenor, based in Germany at the Oper Frankfurt. He has performed leading roles there, and also at major opera houses internationally, such as Wagner's Erik at the Metropolitan Opera and Puccini's Pinkerton at t ...

(Lyonel), Björn Bürger (Plumkett), Barnaby Rea (Tristan); Chor der Oper Frankfurt / Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester; Sebastian Weigle (conductor) – Oehms (live)

References

Notes Sources * * * * *

External links

*
Libretto
opera-guide.ch
''Martha''
music.yodelout.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Martha (opera) 1847 operas German-language operas Operas Operas by Friedrich von Flotow Operas set in England