''Verkündigung'' ("Annunciation") is a 1935 mystery opera (''ein Mysterium'') in a prologue and four acts by Walter Braunfels to the composer's own libretto after the German translation of Paul Claudel's ''L'Annonce faite a Marie''. Claudel's play tells the story of a woman, Violaine, who moved by pity kisses a leper and contracts leprosy herself, but heals the leper she had embraced. Violaine also brings back to life the child born to her sister Mara and Jacques, the man who betrayed her, and then dies herself. The names of Claudel's characters are germanified so the father Andre Vercors becomes Andreas Gradherz, Pierre de Craon becomes Peter von Ulm, and so on. The opera was premiered on 4 April 1948 in Cologne, conducted by

Hellmut Schnackenburg Hellmut Schnackenburg (27 September 190215 August 1974) was a German conductor and director of music. Life Born in Halle (Saale), Schnackenburg grew up in Altona where he studied music. At the Cologne Opera he was répétiteur and Kapellmeis ...

, with

Trude Eipperle Trude Eipperle (27 January 1908 – 18 October 1997) was a Germans, German operatic soprano. Life Born in Stuttgart, Eipperle studied at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, Musikhochschule in her native Stuttgart, and made ...

as Violaine.

Roles

Recordings

*Verkündigung – Andrea Trauboth (Violaine), Chieko Shirasaka-Teratani (Mara),

Siegmund Nimsgern Siegmund Nimsgern (born 14 January 1940) is a German bass-baritone, born in Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany. After leaving school in 1960 he studied singing and musical education at the Hochschule für Musik Saar with Sibylle Fuchs, Jakob St� ...

(Andreas Gradherz), Claudia Rüggeberg (the mother), John Bröcheler (Jacobaeus), Christer Bladin (Peter von Ulm). Köln SO & Chor, Dennis Russell Davies 1992 *Verkündigung – Juliane Banse (Violaine),

Janina Baechle Janina Baechle (born 1969) is a German operatic mezzo-soprano. She was a member of the Vienna State Opera from 2004 to 2011, and has appeared internationally. Life Baechle was born in Hamburg and grew up in Southern Germany. She studied musi ...

(Mara), Robert Holl (the father), Hanna Schwarz (the mother), Adrian Eröd (Jacques), Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Ulf Schirmer 2014

References

{{authority control Operas 1935 operas Operas by Walter Braunfels Operas based on plays Adaptations of works by Paul Claudel