''Das Schloß'' (''The Castle'', literally: The palace) is a 1992 German-language opera by

Aribert Reimann Aribert Reimann (, 4 March 1936 – 13 March 2024) was a German composer, pianist, and accompanist, known especially for his literary operas. His version of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'', the opera '' Lear'', was written at the suggestion of Dietr ...

. He wrote his own

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) 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 th ...

based on Kafka's novel and its dramatization by Max Brod. It premiered on 2 September 1992 at the

Deutsche Oper Berlin The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house (after Munich's) and also home to the Berlin State Ballet. Since 2004, the ...

, staged by

Willy Decker Willy Decker (born 1950) is a German theatre director and opera producer. He staged the world premières of Hans Werner Henze's ''Pollicino'' in Montepulciano in 1980, of Antonio Bibalo's ''Macbeth'' for the Norwegian Opera in Oslo in 1990 and ...

and conducted by

Michael Boder Michael Boder (9 November 1958 – 7 April 2024) was a German conductor of opera and concert who worked internationally. He was music director of the Basel Opera from 1989 to 1993, of the Liceu in Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, and principal cond ...

History

composed several literary operas, '' Ein Traumspiel'' after

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...

, ''

Melusine Mélusine () or Melusine or Melusina is a figure of European folklore, a nixie (folklore), female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. She is usually depicted as a woman who is a Serpent symbolism, serpent or Fish in culture, fish fr ...

'' after Ivan Goll, ''

Lear Lear or Leir may refer to: Acronyms * Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios, a Mexican association of revolutionary artists and writers * Low Energy Ion Ring, an ion pre-accelerator of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN ** Low Energy Antipr ...

'' after Shakespeare, ''

Die Gespenstersonate ''Die Gespenstersonate'' is a 1984 German-language opera by Aribert Reimann to a libretto by the composer and Uwe Schendel after August Strindberg's play '' The Ghost Sonata''. Strindberg's play also inspired another opera, '' Die Gespenstersonate ...

'' again after Strindberg, and '' Troades'' after Euripides. For his sixth opera, Reimann turned to Kafka's novel. As in the earlier works, he wrote his own

, this time based on both the novel and its dramatization by Kafka's friend

Max Brod Max Brod (; 27 May 1884 – 20 December 1968) was a Bohemian-born Israeli author, composer, and journalist. He is notable for promoting the work of writer Franz Kafka and composer Leoš Janáček. Although he was a prolific writer in his ow ...

. Asked in interview why he turned to the literature of a past time, he said that the topic is timeless: a stranger arrives in a community that rejects him, and an apparatus observes him. Asked about the technical difficulties of his vocal writing, he responded that the lines are written to express emotions and character, as Mozart's Queen of the Night sings virtuoso

coloratura Coloratura ( , , ; , from ''colorata'', the past participle of the verb ''colorare'', 'to color') is a passage of music holding elaboration to a melody. The elaboration usually takes the form of runs, trills, wide leaps or other virtuoso ma ...

for expression, not for superficial glamour. The opera premiered on 2 September 1992 at the

, staged by

and conducted by

Roles

Music

A reviewer of the premiere for ''

Die Zeit (, ) is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles. History The first edition of was ...

'' describes the lines of divided strings as a labyrinth, as a formal reflection of the protagonist's ways in the village that he enters as a stranger with a job mission. The same lines, with rhythmic variations, is repeated in the end, as a frame for the work, and as an image for an endless sound, transcending K.'s death. The leading role of K. is sung by a baritone in the opera. Reimann wrote the opera, as his earlier ones, for voices. He grew up in a singing family and worked often as an accompanist for singers, and as an academic teacher for singers, which prepared him to consider their requirements in an opera.

Recording

The opera was recorded in 1996, with Richard Salter as K., conducted by

, by the label Wergo.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schloss, Das 1992 operas Operas by Aribert Reimann German-language operas Operas Operas based on novels Operas based on works by Franz Kafka