''Benzin'' (German for "petrol") is a 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 librett ...

in 2 acts by Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, with a

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 ...

based on Homer's ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...

'' and material from Calderón de la Barca's play ''El mayor encanto, amor'' (1635), composed in 1929 but not performed until 2010 at the

Theater Chemnitz Theater Chemnitz is the municipal theatre organization in Chemnitz, Germany. Performances of opera, ballet, plays, symphonic concerts, and puppet theatre take place in its three main venues: the Opernhaus Chemnitz (for opera, ballet and musical t ...

, Germany. The plot concerns a

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

captain, Ulysses Eisenhardt, who lands on an island seeking its fuel reserves, but whose crew are ensnared by the enchanting Gladys Thunderbolt. The 2010 premiere featuring Kouta Räsänen, Johanna Stojkovic, Guibee Yang, Susanne Thielemann, Matthias Winter, Opera Chemnitz Chorus, Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie, conducted by

Frank Beermann Frank Beermann (born 13 March 1965) is a German conductor. He was Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) at the Chemnitz Opera for several years, and has worked freelance at international opera houses from 2012. He has conducted premieres and recordings of ...

and directed by Martin Duncan, was recorded and released on CD in 2017 by

CPO CPO may refer to: Occupations * Certified Professional Organizer * Certified Protection Officer, a professional certification for security officers from the International Foundation for Protection Officers * Chief people officer, a corporate of ...

."Ein Zeppelin aus heißer Luft – Emil Nikolaus von Rezniceks ''Benzin'' in Chemnitz uraufgeführt"
by Jörn Florian Fuchs,

Deutschlandfunk Deutschlandfunk (DLF, ''Broadcast Germany'') is a public-broadcasting radio station in Germany, concentrating on news and current affairs. It is one of the four national radio channels produced by Deutschlandradio. History Broadcasting in the ...

, 28 November 2010 Quote: "Banale Geschichte, eintönige Musik, schwache handwerkliche Regie-Umsetzung: Das Stück ''Benzin'' von Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek ist ein überflüssiges Musiktheater, das in Chemnitz nun zu später Ehre kommt." anal story, monotonous music, weak direction: ... is superfluous music theatre which is honoured late in Chemnitz./ref>

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Opera Operas Operas by Emil von Reznicek 1929 operas German-language operas Operas based on the Odyssey Operas based on works by Pedro Calderón de la Barca Modern adaptations of the Odyssey