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1894 opera by Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Guntram
(
Op.
25) is an
opera
in three acts by
Richard Strauss
with a German
libretto
written by the composer. The second act of the opera was composed in
Ramacca
, Sicily.
[1]
It was Strauss' first opera and shows a strong
Wagnerian
influence. The music of Guntram is quoted in Strauss's
tone poem
Ein Heldenleben
. The composer revised the score in 1940.
Performance history
[
edit
]
The opera was not very successful, and was only staged a few times during Strauss' lifetime:
The first performance took place on 10 May
1894
at the
Grossherzogliches Hoftheater
in Weimar. The soprano role of Freihild was sung by
Pauline de Ahna
, Strauss's future wife. Later performances conducted by Strauss included those in Munich on 16 November 1895 and in Prague on 9 October 1901. A performance in Frankfurt was given on 9 March 1910 conducted by
Ludwig Rottenberg
.
The revised version was first given in Weimar on 29 October 1940, conducted by
Paul Sixt
[
de
]
, and later in 1942 in Berlin conducted by
Robert Heger
.
In Hamburg, on 4 February 1895,
Gustav Mahler
included the prelude to act 1 in his 6th Philharmonic Concert. He included the preludes to acts 1 and 2 in a concert in Vienna on 19 February 1899, and in New York City on 30 March 1910 with the
New York Philharmonic
.
Roles
[
edit
]
Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role
|
Voice type
|
Premiere cast, 10 May 1894
Conductor
: Richard Strauss
|
The old Duke
|
bass
|
Karl Bucha
[
de
]
|
Freihild,
his daughter
|
soprano
|
Pauline de Ahna
,
then Strauss's fiancee
|
Duke Robert,
her husband
|
baritone
|
Franz Schwarz
[
de
]
|
Guntram,
singer
|
tenor
|
Heinrich Zeller
[
de
]
|
Friedhold,
singer
|
bass
|
Ferdinand Wiedey
|
The Duke's jester
|
tenor
|
Hans Gießen
|
An old woman
|
contralto
|
Luise Tibelti
|
An old man
|
tenor
|
Hr. Lutz
|
Two younger men
|
basses
|
Hr. Barth, Hermann Buche
|
Three vassals
|
basses
|
Hr. Fischer, Hr. Schustherr, Hr. Henning
|
A messenger
|
baritone
|
Hermann Buche
|
Four
Minnesingers
|
tenors, basses
|
Hr. v. Szpinger, Hr. Knofler, Hr. Glitsch, Hr. Weyrauch
|
Vassals, Minnesingers, monks, servants, vagrants
|
Synopsis
[
edit
]
Set in medieval Germany, the triangular Wagnerian-style story of love and redemption is about the minstrel Guntram, the evil Duke Robert and his saintly wife Freihild. (The story is not connected with the
Merovingian
king
Guntram
of Burgundy.)
Recordings
[
edit
]
Year
|
Cast: Guntram,
Freihild,
The Old Duke,
Duke Robert,
Friedhold
|
Conductor,
Opera house and orchestra
|
Label
[2]
|
1981
|
William Lewis,
Carole Farley,
Patrick Wheatley,
Terence Sharpe,
John Tomlinson
|
John Pritchard
BBC Symphony Orchestra
and BBC Singers
|
CD: Gala
Cat: GL 100787
|
1984
|
Reiner Goldberg,
Ilona Tokody,
Sandor Solyom-Nagy,
Istvan Gati,
Janos Bandi
|
Eve Queler
Hungarian State Orchestra
|
CD: Sony Music
Cat: 88697448162
|
2005
|
Gian Luca Zampieri,
Elena Comotti,
Andrea Martin,
Raphael Sigling,
Thomas Gazheli
|
Gustav Kuhn
Tirol Festival,
Erl
Orchestra and male chorus
(Live recording)
|
DVD: Col Legno
80004
|
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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Operas
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Ballets
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Orchestral
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Tone poems
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Chamber music
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Lieder
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Choral
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Film adaptations
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Family and peers
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Related articles
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International
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National
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