Prinzessin Brambilla (Princess Brambilla), Op. 12b, is an opera in a prologue and five scenes by Walter Braunfels. The German libretto, written by the composer, is based on the novella of the same name by E. T. A. Hoffmann published in 1820.
| Prinzessin Brambilla | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Walter Braunfels | |
.jpg) Walter Braunfels in 1902 | |
| Librettist | Braunfels |
| Language | German |
| Based on | E. T. A. Hoffmann's novella |
| Premiere | 25 March 1909 |
History
editBraunfels began the composition in 1906 and completed the original two-act version in 1908. He revised the opera in 1929/1930. The second version consists of a prologue and five scenes separated by orchestral interludes. The score of this revised version is published by Universal Edition.[1]
The opera was first performed in its original two-act version on 25 March 1909 at the Stuttgart Court Theatre with Max von Schillings conducting.[1]
Roles
edit| Role[1] | Voice type[1] | Premiere cast, 25 March 1909[2] Conductor: Max von Schillings |
|---|---|---|
| Pantalone | baritone | Hermann Wilhelm Weil |
| Prince Bastaniello di Pistoja | baritone | Reinhold Fritz |
| Claudio, an actor | tenor | Alfred Goltz |
| Giazinta, a young seamstress | soprano | Anna Sutter |
| Barbara, Giazinta's old friend | contralto | Johanna Schönberger |
| Gascon, a nobleman, Claudio's friend | tenor | |
| Brutz, Claudio's drinking companion | bass | |
| Buffel, Claudio's drinking companion | tenor | |
| Cuniberto, the landlord | bass | |
| A young girl | soprano |
Recordings
editIn 2005 Marco Polo released a live recording, made during the October 2004 Wexford Festival Opera production run, with Daniele Belardinelli conducting the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra. The cast included Enrico Marabelli as Pantalone, Peter Paul as Prince Bastaniello, Eric Shaw as Claudio, Elena Lo Forte as Giazinta, and a young Ekaterina Gubanova in the minor role of Barbara.[3]
Notes
edit- ^ a b c d "Walter Braunfels – Prinzessin Brambilla – Fantasiestück in 1 Prolog und 5 Bildern, op. 12b, revised version 1929/1930". Universal Edition. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Prinzessin Brambilla, 25 March 1909". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
- ^ David Gutman (March 2006). "Review – Braunfels: Prinzessin Brambilla". Gramophone. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
Further reading
edit- Müller, Ingo (2022). "Die Rezeption E.T.A. Hoffmanns in der klassischen Musik des 19. bis 21. Jahrhunderts". In Benjamin Schlodder; Christina Schmitz; Bettina Wagner; Wolfgang Bunzel (eds.). Unheimlich Fantastisch – E.T.A. Hoffmann 2022 (exhibition book, Berlin State Library in collaboration with Deutsches Romantik-Museum, Frankfurt, and Bamberg State Library) (in German). Leipzig: Spectormag. pp. 315–322. ISBN 9783959055734.
