''Undine'' 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 librett ...

, with spoken dialogue, in three acts by the German composer and author E. T. A. Hoffmann. 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 ...

, by

Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte, Baron Fouqué (); (12 February 1777 – 23 January 1843) was a German writer of the Romantic style. Biography He was born at Brandenburg an der Havel, of a family of French Huguenot origin, as evidenced in ...

, is based on his own story ''

Undine Undines (; also ondines) are a category of elemental beings associated with water, stemming from the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to live in modern li ...

''. It received its premiere at the Königliches Schauspielhaus in Berlin on 3 August 1816. ''Undine'' was Hoffmann's greatest operatic success and a major influence on the development of German Romantic opera.

Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 17865 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic who was one of the first significant composers of the Romantic era. Best known for his opera ...

's enthusiastic review of the opera admired it as "an art work complete in itself, in which partial contributions of the related and collaborating arts blend together, disappear, and, in disappearing, somehow form a new world". It was revived by the

Wuppertal Opera Opernhaus Wuppertal (Wuppertal Opera House) is a German theatre in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. It houses mostly performances of operas, but also plays, run by the municipal Wuppertaler Bühnen. The house is also the venue for dance perfo ...

in 1970. There is a 1960 recording (including the spoken dialogue) by the Choir and

Symphony Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...

of the Bavarian Radio, conductor: Jan Koetsier, Undine:

Rita Streich Rita Streich (18 December 192020 March 1987) was one of the most admired and recorded lyric coloratura sopranos of the post-war period. Biography Rita Streich was born in Barnaul, southern Siberia, in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Repu ...

, Hulbrand von Ringstetten: Raimund Grumbach, Berthalda:

Melitta Muszely Melitta Muszely (13 September 1927 – 18 January 2023) was an Austrian operatic soprano and a voice teacher. She made a career based in Germany, mainly at the Hamburg State Opera with guest contracts to the Komische Oper Berlin and the Vienna ...

, Kuhleborn:

Karl-Christian Kohn Karl-Christian Kohn (21 May 1928 in Losheim am See – 20 January 2006) was a German opera singer ( bass). Life After his education at the Hochschule für Musik Saar from 1949 to 1952 Kohn made his debut at the Stadttheater Saarbrücken (today ...

, Ein alter Fischer:

Max Proebstl Max Proebstl (24 September 1913 – 19 November 1979) was a German opera and oratorio singer ( bass). Life and career Born in Munich, Proebstl studied at the Music Academy in his hometown with the famous bass singer Paul Bender. At the age o ...

, Seine Frau: Sunhild Rauschkolb, Heilmann:

Kieth Engen Kieth Engen (5 April 1925 – 2 September 2004) was an American operatic bass who was a member of Munich's Bavarian State Opera for decades. Although his career was based in Munich, he appeared internationally as a guest singer at major opera h ...

, Herzog: Anton Rosner, Herzogin: Marjorie Heistermann; and a 3 CDs 1993 recording

Koch Schwann Schwann was a German classical music record label based in Düsseldorf and originally connected with the Verlag Schwann publishing house. One of the first records in 1962 was an LP of musical examples to accompany a book on medieval music. The boo ...

, No. 3-1092-3, (leaving out the spoken dialogue) by the

Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (''Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin'') is a German symphony orchestra based in Berlin. In Berlin, the orchestra gives concerts at the Konzerthaus Berlin and at the Berliner Philharmonie. The orchestra has also ...

and the Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, conductor:

Roland Bader Roland Bader (born 24 August 1938) is a German choral conductor and music director. He is the principal guest conductor of the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra and the Opera Krakowska, officially authorized as representative for their guest perfor ...

;

Roland Hermann Roland Hermann (born 17 September 1936; died 17 November 2020) was a German operatic baritone and former professor at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. A member of the Opernhaus Zürich, he performed leading roles internationally, not only i ...

, ,

Elisabeth Glauser Elisabeth Glauser (born 1 June 1943) is a Swiss operatic mezzo-soprano and an academic teacher of voice. She was engaged at opera houses in Germany and has appeared at international festivals including the Bayreuth Festival and the Glyndebourne F ...

Krisztina Laki Krisztina Laki (born 16 September 1944) is a Hungarian coloratura soprano who worked mainly on the opera stage in Germany, with guest appearances in major European opera houses. She has held master classes internationally. Career Born in Érd, ...

, Heikki Orama,

Karl Ridderbusch Karl Ridderbusch (29 May 1932 – 21 June 1997) was a German operatic bass (vocal range), bass, associated in particular with the music of Richard Wagner, Wagner. He was recognised as a notable exponent of the role of Die Meistersinger von Nürnber ...

, Ulrich Ress, Dora Koschak, Mani Mekler.

Roles

Notes

External links

*
''Arien und Gesänge der Zauber-Oper genannt: Undine''
(libretto, Berlin 1816) – via

Bavarian State Library The Bavarian State Library (german: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, abbreviated BSB, called ''Bibliotheca Regia Monacensis'' before 1919) in Munich is the central " Landesbibliothek", i. e. the state library of the Free State of Bavaria, the bigg ...

{{Portal bar, Opera Romantische Opern German-language operas 1816 operas Operas Opera world premieres at the Berlin State Opera Works by E. T. A. Hoffmann Works based on Undine (novella) Operas based on novels