| Die ersten Menschen | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Rudi Stephan | |
 Rudi Stephan | |
| Librettist | Otto Borngräber |
| Language | German |
| Premiere | 1 July 1920 |
Die ersten Menschen (The first humans) is an opera in two acts by Rudi Stephan. For the libretto the composer chose a drama of the same name by Otto Borngräber. The opera was premiered at the Oper Frankfurt on 1 July 1920.
History
The poet Otto Borngräber wrote Die ersten Menschen, subtitled "Erotisches Mysterium" (Erotic mystery) in 1908. [1] The play is based on the characters from the biblical Genesis creation narrative. [2] When it was premiered in Munich in 1912, it caused a scandal and was banned in the Kingdom of Bavaria. [1] [3]
Rudi Stephan set the text to music as an opera in two acts. [3] He began in 1909 and completed it in 1914, shortly before World War I. The premiere was planned at the Oper Frankfurt for the winter 1915; [4] however, by then the composer had died at the Eastern Front. [1]
The opera was finally premiered on 1 July 1920, conducted by Ludwig Rottenberg. [1] [5] [6] The critics received the performance positively, but the audience less so, leading to few performances. [1]
Karl Holl (1892–1972) made a shortened version, cutting objectionable passages. [1] It was played at the Theater Münster on 17 November 1924. [7] [8] The opera was neglected from the 1950s, and revived in the late 1980s. [1] The original score was played almost unchanged in a concert performance at the Konzerthaus Berlin, by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacher. It was recorded with soloists Siegmund Nimsgern as Adahm, Gabriele Maria Ronge as Chawa, Florian Cerny as Kajin, and Hans Aschenbach as Chabel. [1]
Another performance of the original version was performed on 24 November 2009 at the Freiburg Konzerthaus, with Fabrice Bollon conducting the Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg. [6] On 3 June 2021, François-Xavier Roth conducted the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a stage production of Stopera in Amsterdam, directed by Calixto Bieito. [9] [10] [11] [2] On 2 July 2023, a new stage production of the opera with Sebastian Weigle conducting the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester premiered at Oper Frankfurt. [12]
Plot
The opera takes place after the expulsion from paradise according to the Genesis creation narrative. [13] The scene is a landscape in spring. [6]
The libretto can be described as psychological poetry. The opera deals with the matrimonial conflict between Adahm ( Adam) and Chawa ( Eve) and the sexual intrigues between the sons Kajin ( Cain) and Chabel ( Abel), who both desire the only woman available, their mother. [14] [15] [16]
Roles
| Role [6] | Voice type | Premiere cast,
[16] 1 July 1920 Conductor: Ludwig Rottenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Chawa | soprano | Beatrice Lauer-Kottlar |
| Adahm | bass | Walter Schneider |
| Kajin | baritone | Richard Breitenfeld |
| Chabel | tenor | Otto Fanger |
Recordings
- Gabriele Maria Ronge, Siegmund Nimsgern, Florian Cerny, Hans Aschenbach, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacher, cpo 1998 [1] OCLC 314635291
- Nancy Gustafson, Franz Hawlata, Wolfgang Millgramm, Donnie Ray Albert, Orchestre National de France conducted by Mikko Franck, Naïve [17] OCLC 752069633 (abridged version by Karl Holl)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Die ersten Menschen". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 10 May 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Die ersten Menschen". Euroarts. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ a b Pritchard, Jim (21 August 2021). "Die ersten Menschen is Rudi Stephan's musical legacy because his life was tragically short – Seen and Heard International". Seen and Heard International. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ "Der Merker. jahrg.6:t.1 (1915)". HathiTrust: 13 v. 6 December 2018. hdl: 2027/umn.31951001237839f. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Historie". Oper Frankfurt (in German). 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Die ersten Menschen". Schott Music. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ Keegel, Olivier (10 June 2021). "Die ersten Menschen. Bieito arrives in Amsterdam". Opera Gazet (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ "Die ersten Menschen (Neufassung)". Schott Music. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ Dutch National Opera: Die ersten Menschen
- ^ Peter, Wolf-Dieter (16 August 2021). "Amsterdams Nederlandse Opera wagt Rudi Stephans "Die ersten Menschen" – neue musikzeitung". nmz (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ Friedrich, Uwe (30 June 2021). "Plüschtier und Stöckelschuhe". OPER! (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2021. (subscription required)
- ^ "Spielplan". Oper Frankfurt (in German). 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ Gier, Albert (2011). Göttliche, menschliche und teuflische Komödien europäische Welttheater-Entwürfe im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert (in German). Bamberg: Univ. of Bamberg Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-3-86309-012-8. OCLC 745493858.
- ^ Riches, J. (2015). The New Cambridge History of the Bible: From 1750 to the present. Cambridge histories online. Cambridge University Press. p. 685. ISBN 978-0-521-85823-6. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ Leichtentritt, Hugo (1924). Sonneck, Oscar George Theodore (ed.). "German Music of the Last Decade". The Musical Quarterly. 10. HathiTrust. hdl: 2027/mdp.39015008095179. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ a b Göttig, Willy Werner (1920). "Zeitschrift für Musik : ZFM. v.087 pt.2 yr.1920". ZFM: 24 v. hdl: 2027/uc1.l0066646316. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ Ashman, Mike. "Review: Stephan (Die) Ersten Menschen". Gramophone. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
External links
- SWR2 Oper, Rudi Stephan: Die ersten Menschen
- "In meinem Kopf ist noch so viel Schönes – Ausgabe: 9/15 – neue musikzeitung". nmz (in German). 29 September 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- Einführung zu "Die ersten Menschen" von Rudi Stephan | Oper Frankfurt on YouTube
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Die ersten Menschen | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Rudi Stephan | |
|
Rudi Stephan | |
| Librettist | Otto Borngräber |
| Language | German |
| Premiere | 1 July 1920 |
Die ersten Menschen (The first humans) is an opera in two acts by Rudi Stephan. For the libretto the composer chose a drama of the same name by Otto Borngräber. The opera was premiered at the Oper Frankfurt on 1 July 1920.
History
The poet Otto Borngräber wrote Die ersten Menschen, subtitled "Erotisches Mysterium" (Erotic mystery) in 1908. [1] The play is based on the characters from the biblical Genesis creation narrative. [2] When it was premiered in Munich in 1912, it caused a scandal and was banned in the Kingdom of Bavaria. [1] [3]
Rudi Stephan set the text to music as an opera in two acts. [3] He began in 1909 and completed it in 1914, shortly before World War I. The premiere was planned at the Oper Frankfurt for the winter 1915; [4] however, by then the composer had died at the Eastern Front. [1]
The opera was finally premiered on 1 July 1920, conducted by Ludwig Rottenberg. [1] [5] [6] The critics received the performance positively, but the audience less so, leading to few performances. [1]
Karl Holl (1892–1972) made a shortened version, cutting objectionable passages. [1] It was played at the Theater Münster on 17 November 1924. [7] [8] The opera was neglected from the 1950s, and revived in the late 1980s. [1] The original score was played almost unchanged in a concert performance at the Konzerthaus Berlin, by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacher. It was recorded with soloists Siegmund Nimsgern as Adahm, Gabriele Maria Ronge as Chawa, Florian Cerny as Kajin, and Hans Aschenbach as Chabel. [1]
Another performance of the original version was performed on 24 November 2009 at the Freiburg Konzerthaus, with Fabrice Bollon conducting the Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg. [6] On 3 June 2021, François-Xavier Roth conducted the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a stage production of Stopera in Amsterdam, directed by Calixto Bieito. [9] [10] [11] [2] On 2 July 2023, a new stage production of the opera with Sebastian Weigle conducting the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester premiered at Oper Frankfurt. [12]
Plot
The opera takes place after the expulsion from paradise according to the Genesis creation narrative. [13] The scene is a landscape in spring. [6]
The libretto can be described as psychological poetry. The opera deals with the matrimonial conflict between Adahm ( Adam) and Chawa ( Eve) and the sexual intrigues between the sons Kajin ( Cain) and Chabel ( Abel), who both desire the only woman available, their mother. [14] [15] [16]
Roles
| Role [6] | Voice type | Premiere cast,
[16] 1 July 1920 Conductor: Ludwig Rottenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Chawa | soprano | Beatrice Lauer-Kottlar |
| Adahm | bass | Walter Schneider |
| Kajin | baritone | Richard Breitenfeld |
| Chabel | tenor | Otto Fanger |
Recordings
- Gabriele Maria Ronge, Siegmund Nimsgern, Florian Cerny, Hans Aschenbach, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacher, cpo 1998 [1] OCLC 314635291
- Nancy Gustafson, Franz Hawlata, Wolfgang Millgramm, Donnie Ray Albert, Orchestre National de France conducted by Mikko Franck, Naïve [17] OCLC 752069633 (abridged version by Karl Holl)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Die ersten Menschen". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 10 May 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Die ersten Menschen". Euroarts. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ a b Pritchard, Jim (21 August 2021). "Die ersten Menschen is Rudi Stephan's musical legacy because his life was tragically short – Seen and Heard International". Seen and Heard International. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ "Der Merker. jahrg.6:t.1 (1915)". HathiTrust: 13 v. 6 December 2018. hdl: 2027/umn.31951001237839f. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Historie". Oper Frankfurt (in German). 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Die ersten Menschen". Schott Music. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ Keegel, Olivier (10 June 2021). "Die ersten Menschen. Bieito arrives in Amsterdam". Opera Gazet (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ "Die ersten Menschen (Neufassung)". Schott Music. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ Dutch National Opera: Die ersten Menschen
- ^ Peter, Wolf-Dieter (16 August 2021). "Amsterdams Nederlandse Opera wagt Rudi Stephans "Die ersten Menschen" – neue musikzeitung". nmz (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ Friedrich, Uwe (30 June 2021). "Plüschtier und Stöckelschuhe". OPER! (in German). Retrieved 28 December 2021. (subscription required)
- ^ "Spielplan". Oper Frankfurt (in German). 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ Gier, Albert (2011). Göttliche, menschliche und teuflische Komödien europäische Welttheater-Entwürfe im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert (in German). Bamberg: Univ. of Bamberg Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-3-86309-012-8. OCLC 745493858.
- ^ Riches, J. (2015). The New Cambridge History of the Bible: From 1750 to the present. Cambridge histories online. Cambridge University Press. p. 685. ISBN 978-0-521-85823-6. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ Leichtentritt, Hugo (1924). Sonneck, Oscar George Theodore (ed.). "German Music of the Last Decade". The Musical Quarterly. 10. HathiTrust. hdl: 2027/mdp.39015008095179. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ a b Göttig, Willy Werner (1920). "Zeitschrift für Musik : ZFM. v.087 pt.2 yr.1920". ZFM: 24 v. hdl: 2027/uc1.l0066646316. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ Ashman, Mike. "Review: Stephan (Die) Ersten Menschen". Gramophone. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
External links
- SWR2 Oper, Rudi Stephan: Die ersten Menschen
- "In meinem Kopf ist noch so viel Schönes – Ausgabe: 9/15 – neue musikzeitung". nmz (in German). 29 September 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- Einführung zu "Die ersten Menschen" von Rudi Stephan | Oper Frankfurt on YouTube
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |