Capriccio (opera)
| Richard Strauss |
|---|
 |
|
Operas
|
Capriccio is the final opera by German composer Richard Strauss, subtitled "A Conversation Piece for Music". The opera received its premiere performance at the Nationaltheater München on October 28, 1942. Clemens Krauss and Strauss himself wrote the German libretto. However, the genesis of the libretto came from Stefan Zweig in the 1930s, and Joseph Gregor further developed the idea several years later. Strauss then took on the libretto, but finally recruited Krauss as his collaborator on the opera. Most of the final libretto is by Krauss.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere, October 28, 1942 (Conductor: Clemens Krauss) |
|---|---|---|
| The Countess | soprano | Viorica Ursuleac |
| Clairon, an actress | contralto | Hildegard Ranczak |
| Flamand, a musician | tenor | Horst Taubmann |
| Olivier, a poet | baritone | Hans Hotter |
| The Count, the Countess's brother | baritone | Walter Höfermeyer |
| La Roche, director of a theatre | bass | Georg Hann |
| Monsieur Taupe | tenor | Karl Seydel |
| Italian singer | soprano | Irma Beilke |
| Italian singer | tenor | Franz Klarwein |
| The Major-Domo | bass | Georg Wieter |
| Musicians and servants | ||
[edit] Synopsis
The theme of the opera can be summarized as "Which is the greater art, poetry or music?" This question is dramatized in the story of a Countess torn between two suitors: Olivier, a poet, and Flamand, a composer.
- Place: A chateau near Paris
- Time: 1775[2]
At the Countess Madeleine's château, a rehearsal of Flamand's newly composed sextet is in progress. Olivier and Flamand debate the relative powers of music and words. The theatre director La Roche wakes from a nap, and reminds them both that impresarios are necessary to bring their work to life. Olivier has written a new play for the Countess's birthday the next day, and they proceed to a rehearsal.
The Countess and her brother, the Count, have a discussion about their respective suitors. He teases his sister that her love of music parallels Flamand's attention to her. In turn, she tells her brother that his love of words is in keeping with his attraction to the actress Clairon. The Count is inclined toward brief affairs, but the Countess wants long-lasting love. She cannot decide between Flamand and Olivier. Clairon arrives, and she and the Count read a scene from Olivier's play, which culminates in a love sonnet. They leave for the rehearsal in the theatre.
Olivier tells the Countess that he means the sonnet for her. Flamand then sets the sonnet to music and sings it, which appalls Olivier. Olivier is asked to make cuts to his play. Flamand declares his love for the Countess. She asks him to meet her in the library the next morning at 11, when she will give him her decision. Refreshments are served as dancers and singers entertain the guests. La Roche describes his planned two-part birthday entertainment, the "Birth of Pallas Athene" followed by the "Fall of Carthage". The guests mock him, but La Roche defends his faith in the theatre. After he challenges Flamand and Olivier to create new masterworks, the Countess commissions them to collaborate on an opera. The Count proposes that the opera depict the events of that afternoon.
The Count and Clairon depart for Paris with the theatre company. In the final scene, as moonlight shines, the Countess learns that both Olivier and Flamand will meet her in the library to learn the ending of the opera. Still undecided, she sings of the inseparability of words and music, and consults her image in the mirror for a decision. The major-domo announces that "Dinner is served" and the opera ends.
[edit] Recordings
[edit] References
- ^ Anderson, David E. (March 1992). "Review of '"Fürs Wort brauche ich Hilfe: Die Geburt der Oper Capriccio von Richard Strauss und Clemens Krauss" by Kurt Wilhelm". Notes (Second Series) 48 (3): 876–879. JSTOR 941709.
- ^ Boosey and Hawks website at boosey.com Retrieved 25 April 2011
[edit] External links
- Boosey & Hawkes page on Capriccio Retrieved 25 April 2011
- Synopsis in English from Pacific Opera, Victoria, B.C. Retrieved 25 April 2011
- Libretto in German Retrieved 25 April 2011
