''Seelewig'' or ''Das geistliche Waldgedicht oder Freudenspiel genant Seelewig'' (''The Sacred Forest Poem or Play of Rejoicing called Seelewig'') 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 libr ...

in a prologue, three acts and an epilogue by the German composer Sigmund Theophil Staden. 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. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...

by Georg Philipp Harsdörffer (1607–1658), first published 1644 in the fourth part of his ''Frauenzimmer Gesprächspiele'', is based on the schoolplay ''Ein gar schön geistliches Waldgetichte genant Die glückseelige Seele'' of 1637, itself translated from ''L'anima felice favola boschareccia'' by the Italian Nicolò Negri (1606). It is the earliest German opera whose music has survived. On the surface, the work seems to be a typical

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

allegory As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory t ...

of the soul's journey through this world and the symbolic action takes place in a

pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depict ...

setting. Nonetheless, recent inquiries which account for the context of the libretto in Harsdörffer's ''Frauenzimmer Gesprächspiele'' have pointed out several problems of a seamless allegoresis. Those readings make it much more likely that ''Seelewig'' is bound to its

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

pretext in a complex, competitive and even polemic way. The opera mixes musical numbers and spoken dialogue in a way which foreshadows the

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 aria In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plur ...

Performance history

It was performed before the court at

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

in 1644.

Duchess Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (20 August 1613 – 12 July 1676) was a German poet, composer and impresario. Life She began studying music at the court of her father, Duke John Albert II of Mecklenburg-Güstro ...

also arranged a performance at

Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest ...

on 21 April 1654 and it was staged again in

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

in 1698. In the 1970s it was revived with productions in Germany, the Netherlands and

Oberlin, Ohio Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, 31 miles southwest of Cleveland. Oberlin is the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students. The town is the birthplace of th ...

Roles

Synopsis

Prologue

Music confesses her disappointment that so much recent entertainment has been secular. Allied with Poetry, she intends to return to her true vocation: the praise of God.

Act 1

The

satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, σειληνός ), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, ex ...

Trügewald wants to seduce the beautiful

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...

Seelewig. Fearing his own ugliness will lead to failure, he enlists the help of the vain young shepherd Künsteling, as well as Ehrelob, Reichimuth and Sinnigunda. Sinnigunda tries to lead Seelewig from the path of virtue but Gwissulda and Herzigild warn the latter to beware of her deceit. The thwarted Trügewald is furious.

Act 2

Künsteling, Ehrelob, Reichimuth and Sinnigunda ply Seelewig with gifts (a telescope, a fishing rod, a bow and arrow and a crown of flowers). Once again Gwissulda and Herzigild save Seelewig from their seductions. Seelewig takes fright during a storm and sings a song asking advice from the forest echo, which warns her to flee the snares of this world.

Act 3

The next morning Trügewald and his friends try a new way to trick Seelewig. Seelewig again asks advice from the echo but this time it is Trügewald who replies, disguising his voice. This echo tells Seelewig to give herself over to the pleasures of this world. As Seelewig plays a game of

blind man's buff Blind man's buff or blind man's bluff is a variant of tag in which the player who is "It" is blindfolded. The traditional name of the game is "blind man's buff", where the word ''buff'' is used in its older sense of a small push. Gameplay Blin ...

with the shepherds, Trügewald leaps out and catches her. But Gwissulda and Herzigild pull the blindfold off Seelewig's eyes to reveal the ugly truth. Trügewald and his companions are chased from the forest. Seelewig is converted and a chorus of angels give thanks for her salvation.

Recordings

*''Seelewig'' Soloists, I Ciarlatani, conducted by Klaus Winkler ( CPO, 2004)''Seelewig'' CPO recording
includes essay by Johan van Veen, musicweb-international.com

References

Sources *Aikin, Judith P (2002), ''A Language for German Opera'' (Wiesbaden) *Caemmerer, Christiane (1987), "Das Geistliche Waldgetichte: Die Glückseelige Seele von 1637 und seine Quelle". 16, pp. 665–678 *Caemmerer, Christiane (1998), ''Siegender Cupido oder Triumphierende Keuschheit. Deutsche Schäferspiele des 17. Jahrhunderts'' (Stuttgart) *Kaminski, Nicola (2010), "Ut pictura poesis? Arbeit am Topos in Georg Philipp Harsdörffers ''Seelewig''" in ''Frühneuzeitliche Stereotype. Zur Produktivität und Restriktivität sozialer Vorstellungsmuster'', pp. 367–397, ed. Miroslawa Czarnecka, Thomas Borgstedt and Thomasz Jablecki (Bern) *Schütze, Robert (2010), "Auf Teufel komm raus. Wie Harsdörffers ''Seelewig'' ihren Prätext zerstört". ''Deutsche Vierteljahrsschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Geistesgeschichte'' 84, pp. 448–477