''Philemon und Baucis, oder Jupiters Reise auf die Erde'' (''Philemon and Baucis, or Jupiter's Journey to Earth''),

Hob. The Hoboken catalogue is a catalogue of the musical compositions by Joseph Haydn compiled by Anthony van Hoboken. It is intended to cover the composer's entire oeuvre and includes over 750 entries. Its full title in the original German is ''Joseph ...

XXIXb:2, is an opera in one act by Austrian composer

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

to a German

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 ...

, possibly by Prince Esterházy's librarian, Phillip Georg Bader. The text is based upon a play by G. K. Pfeffel, itself a retelling of the

Baucis and Philemon In Ovid's moralizing fables collected as ''Metamorphoses'' is his telling of the story of Baucis and Philemon, which stands on the periphery of Greek mythology and Roman mythology. Baucis and Philemon were an old married couple in the region ...

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...

from Ovid's '' Metamorphoses''. The work is in the form of a ''

Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk-like ...

''.

Composition history

Premiering in 1773 for a visit from Empress

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

, ''Philemon und Baucis'' is Haydn's first puppet-opera, and the first known to be written for the Eszterháza ''Marionettentheater'' (''puppet theater''). Its premiere was complemented by a '' Vorspiel'', ''Der Götterrat'' (''The Council of the Gods''), and possibly Haydn's Symphony No. 50,

I:50. ''Philemon und Baucis'' was revised to be a traditional opera in 1776. In 1950, an original manuscript was uncovered at the Paris Conservatoire by musicologist and Haydn scholar Jens Peter Larsen. Until this discovery, all that remained of the work was its

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 overt ...

and a single aria. Apart from the

score Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian m ...

for the main story, the manuscript included the entrance of

Diana Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) ...

and additional music by Haydn (including an aria from ''

Il mondo della luna ' (''The World on the Moon''), Hoboken-Verzeichnis, Hob. XXVIII:7, is an opera buffa by Joseph Haydn with a libretto written by Carlo Goldoni in 1750, first performed at Eszterháza, Hungary, on 3 August 1777. Goldoni's libretto had previously be ...

''), Carlo d'Ordoñez, and Gluck. The rest of the puppet-opera, including the arrival of Jupiter, the pageant, and the epilogue, which glorified the

Empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

and the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

, remain lost, likely destroyed in the Eszterháza fire of 1779.

Roles

The opera is scored for 2 oboes,

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

, 2 horns, 2 '' clarini'' (natural trumpets), timpani, 2 violins, viola, and continuo.

Synopsis

Restout - Philémon et Baucis donnant l'hospitalité à Jupiter et Mercure

Part I

:Setting: ''A village in ancient

Phrygia In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; grc, Φρυγία, ''Phrygía'' ) was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River. After its conquest, it became a region of the great empires ...

''
Philemon and Baucis, husband and wife, assist their son Aret and his fiancé Narcissa in preparing for their wedding. As narrator, Mercury furtively watches the family and the other peasants of the village as their behavior grows more and more raucous and depraved. The other gods entreat Jupiter to stop the madness. At the top of Mount Olympus, the gods agree to send a storm upon

as punishment. The oncoming storm surprises the peasants, and Aret and Narcissa are killed by a bolt of lightning. At first, Philemon and Baucis beg the gods for mercy, but eventually resolve to accept the divine judgment. The storm dissipates.

Part II

After being rejected from all other homes in the village, Jupiter and Mercury arrive at the doorstep of Philemon and Baucis, dressed incognito as vagabonds. The old couple invites the gods inside their hut, still lamenting the passing of Aret and Narcissa, whose ashes are preserved in urns. Touched by the couple's hospitality and grief, Jupiter and Mercury reveal their true identities and reanimate the bodies of Aret and Narcissa from the ashes. Filled with gratitude, Philemon and Baucis plead with Jupiter to turn their hut into a temple so that they may serve his honor as priest and priestess. Jupiter agrees, and everyone sings his praises. The gods rebuke the earlier unwelcoming peasants before ascending to heaven.

Recordings

* 1953:

Meinhard von Zallinger Meinhard von Zallinger-Thurn (25 February 1897 – 24 September 1990) was an Austrian conductor. Life Born in Vienna, von Zallinger came from an old South Tyrol family. He was the son of the legal historian Otto von Zallinger, professor of Germ ...

(cond.); Vienna Symphony Orchestra; Erich Majkut (Philemon), Susana Naidic (Baucis), Waldemar Kmentt (Aret), Elisabeth Roon (Narcissa); choir of the Vienna State Opera. LP, Vox PL 7660 * 2009 (rec. 2002): (cond.); ; Manuel Warwitz (Philemon), Nathalie Vinzent (Baucis), Bernhard Berchtold (Aret), (Narcissa); Kammerchor Salzburg. CD, Profil PH 09038 * 2009 (rec. 2008): (cond.); ;

Christoph Genz Christoph Genz (born 1 March 1971 in Erfurt) is a German tenor in opera and concert. Career Christoph Genz was a member of the Thomanerchor. He studied music at King's College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the King's College Choir. He s ...

(Philemon), Maren Engelhardt (Baucis), (Aret), (Narcissa); Vocalforum Graz. BIS-SACD-1813

References

External links

*Kiss Tividar (Aret) and Gabi Gál (Narcissa): {{Authority control Operas German-language operas Singspiele 1773 operas Operas by Joseph Haydn Operas based on plays Operas based on Metamorphoses Operas set in Greece