Der Protagonist
Der Protagonist | |
---|---|
Literaturoper by Kurt Weill | |
The composer in 1932 | |
Librettist | Georg Kaiser |
Language | German |
Premiere | 27 March 1926 (1926-03-27) Semperoper, Dresden |
Der Protagonist (The Protagonist) is an opera in one act by Kurt Weill, his Op. 15. The German libretto was written by Georg Kaiser based on his own play of the same name of (1920). Weill's first surviving opera has been described as Literaturoper.[1]
Performance history
It was first performed on 27 March 1926 at the Semperoper in Dresden, when it was directed by Josef Gielen [de] and conducted by Fritz Busch. It was given again at the Städtische Oper Berlin in October 1928 directed by Walter Brügmann and conducted by Robert F. Denzler, this time as a double bill with Der Zar lässt sich photographieren.
Post-war performances have included productions at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf, in April 1958 (the first German post-war performance), directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Andreas and conducted by Friedrich Brenn; Santa Fe Opera from 31 July 1993, directed by Jonathan Eaton and conducted by George Manahan (coupled with Der Zar lässt sich photographieren). An Austrian premiere of the opera took place only on 17 November 2000 in a production of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna at Schönbrunn Palace, directed by Sebastian Müller and conducted by Marino Formenti [de]. It was followed by the Bregenz Festival from 21 July 2004, with the direction of Nicolas Brieger [de] and conducted by Yakov Kreizberg (coupled with Weill's Royal Palace).[2]
Roles
Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 27 March 1926[3] Conductor: Fritz Busch |
---|---|---|
The protagonist | tenor | Curt Taucher |
His sister | soprano | Elisa Stünzner |
First actor | bass | Robert Büssel |
Second actor | baritone | Rudolf Schmalnauer |
Third actor | contralto | Elfriede Haberkorn |
The majordomo of the duke | tenor | Ludwig Eybisch |
Young lord | baritone | Paul Schöffler |
Innkeeper | bass | Adolf Schoepflin |
Eight musicians |
Recordings
Weill: Der Protagonist – Berlin German Symphony Orchestra
- Conductor: John Mauceri
- Principal singers: Corby Welch, Matthias Koch, Alexander Marco-Buhrmester, Robert Worle, Jan Buchwald, Matteo de Monti, Johannes von Duisburg, Amanda Halgrimson
- Recording date: 1 May 2002
- Label: Capriccio – 60 086 (CD)
References
- ^ "The Protagonist, Op. 14 (1925)", analysis by Bryan Gilliam (1996), American Symphony Orchestra
- ^ "Der Protagonist / Royal Palace", performance details, Bregenz Festival, Summer 2004 (in German)
- ^ *Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Der Protagonist, 27 March 1926". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
Further reading
- Hinton, Stephen (1992), "Der Protagonist", The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
External links
- Work details, Kurt Weill Foundation
- v
- t
- e
the stage
- Der Protagonist (1926)
- Royal Palace (1927)
- Mahagonny-Songspiel (1927)
- Der Zar lässt sich photographieren (1928)
- The Threepenny Opera (1928)
- Happy End (1929)
- Der Lindberghflug/The Flight Across the Ocean (1929)
- Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (1930)
- Der Jasager (1930)
- Die Bürgschaft (1932)
- Der Silbersee (1933)
- The Seven Deadly Sins (1933)
- Der Kuhhandel (1935)
- Johnny Johnson (1936)
- The Eternal Road (1937)
- Knickerbocker Holiday (1938)
- Lady in the Dark (1940)
- We Will Never Die (1943)
- One Touch of Venus (1943)
- The Firebrand of Florence (1945)
- A Flag Is Born (1945)
- Street Scene (1946)
- Down in the Valley (1948)
- Love Life (1948)
- Lost in the Stars (1949)
- "Alabama Song"
- "J'attends un navire"
- "Mack the Knife"
- "My Ship"
- "Pirate Jenny"
- "The Saga of Jenny"
- "September Song"
- "Speak Low"
- "Tschaikowsky (and Other Russians)"
- "What Keeps Mankind Alive?"
- The Threepenny Opera (1931)
- You and Me (1938)
- Where Do We Go from Here? (1945)
- One Touch of Venus (1948)
- André Previn and J. J. Johnson (1962)
- John Bunch Plays Kurt Weill (1975)
- Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill (1985)
- The Young Gods Play Kurt Weill (1991)
- Let No One Deceive You (1992)
- September Songs – The Music of Kurt Weill (1994)
- This Is New (2002)
- The Berlin Requiem (1928)