Die stumme Serenade

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Die stumme Serenade
Musical comedy by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
TranslationThe silent serenade
LibrettistVictor Clement
LanguageGerman
Premiere
1954 (1954)
Theater Dortmund

Die stumme Serenade, Op. 36, (The silent serenade), is a German-language musical comedy by Erich Wolfgang Korngold to a libretto by Victor Clement. The style of the work is a mix of operetta and 1920s-style revue songs. The roles are written for eight singers and eight actors and the work is scored for a small chamber orchestra: two pianos, the first doubling on celesta, two violins, cello, flute, clarinet or saxophone, trumpet, and percussion. The plot is set in 1820s Naples. Korngold worked on the piece from 1946 to 1951, with a version (shortened from 180 to 100 minutes) being premiered by Radio Vienna in 1951. The full version was first staged in 1954 by Theater Dortmund to negative critical response. [1]

In musical composition, the opus number is the "work number" that is assigned to a composition, or to a set of compositions, to indicate the chronological order of the composer's production. Opus numbers are used to distinguish among compositions with similar titles; the word is abbreviated as "Op." for a single work, or "Opp." when referring to more than one work.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold American composer of Austro-Hungarian birth

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was an Austrian-born composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in the history of Hollywood. He was a noted pianist and composer of classical music, along with music for Hollywood films, and the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores.

Libretto text used for an extended musical work

A libretto 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 liturgical works, such as the Mass, requiem and sacred cantata, or the story line of a ballet.

Recordings

The recording of the shortened version by Radio Vienna in 1951 featured sopranos Hilde Ceska (Silvia), Rosl Schwaiger  [ de ] (Luise), Liane Synek, mezzo-soprano Tonja Sontis, contralto Hansi Schenk (Probierdamen), baritone Kurt Preger  [ de ] (Caretto), the actors Fred Liewehr (Andrea Cocle), Egon von Jordan (Benedetto), Franz Böheim (Borzalino), Susi Witt (Geschäftsführerin), Felix Dombrowsky (Carlo Marcellini), Herbert Hauk (Pater); conducted by the composer. Issued 2011 by Line Music (cantus classics, CACD 5.01371).

A soprano[soˈpraːno] is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) =880 Hz in choral music, or to "soprano C" (C6, two octaves above middle C) =1046 Hz or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which often encompasses the melody. The soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, soubrette, lyric, spinto, and dramatic soprano.

Liane Synek was an Austrian operatic soprano. She made a career based in Germany, at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, the Staatsoper Berlin and the Cologne Opera, and appeared at international major opera houses and festivals, such as the Bayreuth Festival. She appeared mostly in dramatic roles such as Beethoven's Fidelio, and Wagner's Sieglinde, Brünnhilde and Isolde. She also performed in contemporary operas, creating the role of Countess de la Roche in Zimmermann's Die Soldaten in Cologne in 1965, conducted by Michael Gielen.

A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (, ; Italian: [ˈmɛddzo soˈpraːno] meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A3–A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4; 220–880 Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F3, 175 Hz) and as high as "high C" (C6, 1047 Hz). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic mezzo-soprano.

The first full-length recording was made in 2009 with Sarah Wegener, Birger Radde, Frank Buchwald, Werner Klockow, Young Opera Company, Holst-Sinfonietta, Klaus Simon recorded 2009, released by CPO 2011.

Klaus Simon is a German classical pianist and conductor.

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References

  1. ↑ Amaury Du Closel: Erstickte Stimmen: "Entartete Musik" im Dritten Reich, p. 377 (2010): "Im Jahr 1946 begann Korngold mit der Arbeit an seinem letzten musikdramatischen Werk, Die stumme Serenade, op. 36, einer musikalischen Komödie, die sich durch eine äußerst ungewöhnliche Orchestrierung auszeichnet (zwei Klaviere, Celesta, zwei ... Das Werk kam zunächst 1951 in einer konzertanten Fassung bei Radio Wien zur Aufführung, bevor die eigentliche szenische Uraufführung 1954 in Dortmund stattfand."
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