Der junge Lord (The Young Lord) is an opera in two acts by Hans Werner Henze to a German libretto by Ingeborg Bachmann, after Wilhelm Hauff's 1827 fairy tale "Der Affe als Mensch" (The Ape as Man) from Der Scheik von Alessandria und seine Sklaven (The Sheik of Alexandria and his Slaves).
| Der junge Lord | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Hans Werner Henze | |
 The composer in 1960 | |
| Librettist | Ingeborg Bachmann |
| Language | German |
| Based on | "Der Affe als Mensch" by Wilhelm Hauff |
| Premiere | 7 April 1965 |
The style and plot owe much to Italian opera buffa, with the influence of Vincenzo Bellini and Gioachino Rossini noted.[1] Andrew Porter has noted four distinct musical styles in the opera, corresponding to four different levels of characters:[2]
- "neo-classical" style, for the townspeople;
- "neo-Straussian arioso", for Sir Edgar's entrance;
- a "wilder, more erratic" style, for the traveling circus;
- lyrical style, for Luise's love music.
Robert Henderson has commented on the Brechtian nature of Bachmann and Henze's treatment of the story.[3]
Performance history
editThe opera was commissioned by the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and was first performed there on 7 April 1965. The production was by Rudolf Sellner, and the conductor was Christoph von Dohnányi.
Roles
edit_playbill.jpg)
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 7 April 1965[4] Conductor: Christoph von Dohnányi[5] |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Barrat | tenor | Loren Driscoll |
| Luise | soprano | Edith Mathis |
| Baroness Grünwiesel | mezzo-soprano | Patricia Johnson |
| Secretary to Sir Edgar | baritone | Barry McDaniel |
| Armintore | tenor | Günter Treptow |
| Begonia | mezzo-soprano | Vera Little |
| Town mayor | bass-baritone | Manfred Röhrl |
| Hasentreffer | baritone | Ivan Sardi and Emil Graf |
| Frau Hasentreffer | soprano | Lisa Otto |
| Frau von Hufnagel | mezzo-soprano | Ruth Hesse |
| Ida | soprano | Bella Jasper |
| Scharf | baritone | Ernst Krukowski |
| Von Mucker | tenor | Helmut Krebs |
| Wilhelm | tenor | Donald Grobe |
| Sir Edgar | silent role | Otto Graf |
Synopsis
editThe opera is in two acts of three scenes each, linked by interludes.
Sir Edgar, an English gentleman and scientist, visits a small German town with a vast entourage, including black slaves and a large collection of animals. The townspeople are curious about the new personage in their town, but Sir Edgar is initially aloof to the townsfolk. Through his secretary, Sir Edgar declines all invitations to social events, and the townspeople become angry at this attitude. In scene 2 of act 1, the Baroness Grünwiesel hosts a tea and expects Sir Edgar to attend, but he does not, via a note from his Moor servant. The Baroness promises revenge on Sir Edgar for this slight. In scene 3, a traveling circus sets up their show in front of Sir Edgar's residence. Sir Edgar leaves his house for the first time since his arrival, and enjoys the circus performance. However, when city officials try to talk with Sir Edgar, he again refuses. The city officials then shut the circus down, but Sir Edgar invites the circus troupe into his mansion.
At the start of act 2, several months have elapsed. A lamplighter hears screams and groans from Sir Edgar's mansion. He reports this to the town mayor, who demands an explanation from Sir Edgar. Sir Edgar's secretary explains that the noises are from Lord Barrat, Sir Edgar's nephew (the 'young lord' of the title), who has arrived recently in Germany and is learning German, but is making mistakes and is punished with lashings. However, the prospect of a pending social event at Sir Edgar's mansion becomes evident. This is fulfilled in scene 2 of act 2, where Lord Barrat is presented to the townspeople at a social event at Sir Edgar's mansion. Lord Barrat behaves eccentrically, but the townsfolk are charmed and begin to imitate his actions. Luise, the ward of the local baroness, had previously been in love with Wilhelm, a student, but now has become enamoured of the 'young lord'. Finally, in the climactic dance, Lord Barrat's attire falls from him, and he is revealed as a trained ape.
Recording
edit- Deutsche Grammophon 445 248-2 (CD reissue); Edith Mathis, Bella Jasper, Vera Little, Donald Grobe, Barry McDaniel, Patricia Johnson, Loren Driscoll, Manfred Röhrl, Günther Treptow; Schöneberger Sängerknaben; chorus and orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor
- Unitel Classics DVD; Edith Mathis, Donald Grobe, Barry McDaniel, Loren Driscoll, Vera Little, Lisa Otto, Ernst Krukowski, Ivan Sardi, Helmut Krebs, Manfred Röhrl, Bella Jasper, Margarete Ast, Otto Graf, Charles Williams, Günther Altenburg, Leopold Klam; Schöneberger Sängerknaben; chorus and orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor. Gustav Rudolf Sellner (stage director), Ernst Wild (film director), recorded in Deutsche Oper Berlin, 1968.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ Helm, Everett (January 1966). "Current Chronicle". The Musical Quarterly. LII (1): 101–106. doi:10.1093/mq/LII.1.101.
Jamie James (17 November 1996). "A Master Awaiting Acclaim". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2008. - ^ Porter, Andrew (June 1965). "Reports from Abroad: Berlin – Henze's New Opera". The Musical Times. 106 (1468): 453–455. doi:10.2307/951068. JSTOR 951068.
- ^ Henderson, Robert (December 1969). "Music in London: Opera – Der junge Lord". The Musical Times. 110 (1522): 1266.
- ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Der junge Lord, 7 April 1965". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
- ^ Porter, Andrew (October 1969). "Henze's Young Lord". The Musical Times. 110 (1520): 1028–1030. doi:10.2307/953415. JSTOR 953415.
- ^ "Hans Werner Henze: Der junge Lord". www.euroarts.com. 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ "HENZE Junge Lord Medici Arts 2072398 [AOz]: Classical DVD Reviews - February 2009 MusicWeb-International". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
