Lear (opera)
Lear is an opera in two acts with music by the German composer Aribert Reimann, and a libretto by Claus H. Henneberg, based on Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear.
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[edit] Background and performance history
Reimann wrote the title role specifically for the baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who had suggested the subject to the composer as early as 1968. Reimann then received a commission from the Bavarian State Opera in 1975. The world premiere, in a production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle with Fischer-Dieskau in the title role, occurred at the Nationaltheater, Munich on 9 July 1978, with Gerd Albrecht conducting.[1] The production was revived in Munich in 1980.[2] The US premiere, in English translation, was at the San Francisco Opera in June 1981, with Thomas Stewart as Lear, and Gerd Albrecht as conductor.[3][4] The Paris premiere was in November 1982, in a French translation by Antoinette Becker.[5] The UK premiere was by English National Opera in 1989.[1]
[edit] Roles
One notable departure from operatic convention was to make the part of Lear's Fool a speaking role, rather than a sung role. In addition, compared to the Shakespeare original, the parts of Kent and Edmund, for example, have been greatly reduced.[1]
| Role[6] | Voice type[6] | Premiere cast[7] 9 July 1978 (Conductor: Gerd Albrecht) |
|---|---|---|
| Lear | baritone | Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau |
| King of France | bass-baritone | Karl Helm |
| Duke of Albany | baritone | Hans Wilbrink |
| Duke of Cornwall | tenor | Georg Paskuda |
| Earl of Kent | tenor | Richard Holm |
| Duke of Gloucester | bass-baritone | Hans Günter Nöcke |
| Edgar, son of Gloucester | tenor/countertenor | David Knutson |
| Edmund, illegitimate son of Gloucester | tenor | Werner Götz |
| Goneril, daughter of Lear | dramatic soprano | Helga Dernesch |
| Regan, daughter of Lear | soprano | Colette Lorand |
| Cordelia, daughter of Lear | soprano | Julia Varady |
| Fool | spoken role | Rolf Boysen |
| Servant | tenor | Marcus Goritki |
| Knight | spoken role | Gerhard Auer |
| Chorus: servants, guards, soldiers, Lear's and Gloucester's retinue | ||
[edit] Instrumentation
The orchestral score requires:
- 3 flutes (all doubling piccolo), alto flute, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contra-bassoon;
- 6 horns , 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba;
- percussion6, 2 harps;
- strings: 24 violins, 10 violas, 8 violoncellos, 6 double basses.
[edit] Recordings
- 1978: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Karl Helm, Hans Wilbrink, Georg Paskuda, Richard Holm, Hans Günter Nöcker, David Knutson, Werner Gotz, Helga Dernesch, Colette Lorand, Julia Varady, Rolf Boysen, Markus Gortizki, Gerhard Auer; Bavarian State Orchestra, Chorus of the Bavarian State Opera; Gerd Albrecht, conductor. Deutsche Grammophon 463 480-2 (CD reissue)[8][9]
- 2008: Wolfgang Koch, Magnus Baldvinsson, Dietrich Volle, Michael McCown, Hans-Jürgen Lazar, Johannes Martin Kränzle, Martin Wölfel, Frank van Aken, Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Caroline Whisnant, Britta Stallmeister; Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, Chorus of the Frankfurt Opera, Sebastian Weigle, conductor. Oehms classics OC 921[10]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Graeme, Roland (2001). "Lear. Aribert Reimann". The Opera Quarterly 17 (1): 158–161. doi:10.1093/oq/17.1.158. http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/17/1/158?ck=nck. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ Marker, Frederick J., "Theatre in Review: Lear (Aribert Reimann)" (March 1981). Theatre Journal, 33 (1): pp. 112-114.
- ^ John Rockwell (17 June 1981). "Lear by Aribert Reimann". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E0D61338F934A25755C0A967948260. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ Michael Walsh (29 June 1981). "Three Premieres, Three Hits". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951738-3,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
- ^ Lieblein, Leanore, "Theatre Review" (Périclès, Prince de Tyr / Lear) (May 1983). Theatre Journal, 35 (2): pp. 262-263.
- ^ a b c "Aribert Reimann - Lear". Schott Music. http://www.schott-music.co.uk/shop/1/show,37200.html. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
- ^ "Almanacco 9 July 1978" (in Italian). AmadeusOnline. http://amadeusonline.net/almanacco.php?Start=0&Giorno=9&Mese=07&Anno=1978&Giornata=&Testo=&Parola=Stringa. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
- ^ Griffiths, Paul, Review: "Reimann. Lear" (1980). The Musical Times, 121 (1644): p. 107.
- ^ "On-line catalogue entry Reimann - Lear - Albrecht". Deutsche Grammophon. http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/cat/single?PRODUCT_NR=4634802. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
- ^ "On-line catalogue entry Aribert Reimann - Lear". Oehms Classics. http://www.oehmsclassics.de/cd.php?formatid=381. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
[edit] Source
- Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
