Die Kathrin, Op. 28, is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold with a German libretto by Ernst Décsey.
| Die Kathrin | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Erich Wolfgang Korngold | |
 The composer | |
| Librettist | Ernst Décsey |
| Language | German |
| Premiere | 7 October 1939 Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm |
Performance history
editKorngold completed the opera during the summer of 1937. The premiere was set for March 1938 in Vienna, but was cancelled due to Korngold's Jewish ancestry on Nazi instructions after the Nazi invasion of Austria. It finally premiered at the Royal Swedish Opera in neutral Stockholm, Sweden, on 7 October 1939, conducted by Fritz Busch.[1]
A Vienna run of only eight performances in October 1950 met with indifferent reviews, the opera's richly melodic musical language being completely at odds with the austere post-war taste.[2]
Roles
edit| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 7 October 1939[1] Conductor: Fritz Busch |
|---|---|---|
| Kathrin | soprano | Brita Herzberg |
| François | tenor | Einar Beyron |
| Malignac | bass-baritone | Sven d'Ailly |
| Chou-Chou | soprano | Isa Quensel |
| Monique | mezzo-soprano | Gertrud Pålson-Wettergren |
Recordings
edit- In 1998 CPO released the 1997 world premiere recording, with Martyn Brabbins conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra.[3][4] and Melanie Diener, David Rendall, Robert Hayward, Lillian Watson and Della Jones in the principal roles.
References
edit- ^ a b Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Die Kathrin, 7 October 1939". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
- ^ Carroll, Brendan G. (2003). The Background to the Opera. Die Kathrin (CD liner). Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Germany: CPO. 999602-2.
- ^ "Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Die Kathrin". Germany: CPO. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
- ^ R.E.B. (May 2003). "Korngold: Die Kathrin". Classical CD Review. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
