Die heilige Ente: ein Spiel mit Göttern und Menschen (German: The sacred duck: a play with Gods and men) is an opera with a prelude and three acts by the composer Hans Gál (his Op. 15), to a libretto by Karl Michael Leventzow and Leo Feld. Written in 1920–21, it was premiered in Düsseldorf on 29 April 1923 under the baton of Georg Szell.[1]
The opera was a great success, and was immediately taken up by other German-language opera houses during the 1920s and early 1930s, including Breslau, Weimar, Aachen, Chemnitz, Kassel, Königsberg, Prague and Berlin.[2] The Berlin and Breslau performances were undertaken by the director Heinz Tietjen. The critic Hanns Gutmann enthused over the Berlin production: "The score of this opera demonstrates how the orchestra has developed throughout the 19th century and is handled with the same virtuosity as Mahler and Strauss".[3] In 1929 Die heilige Ente became the first contemporary opera to be broadcast by RAVAG (Vienna Radio).[4] However, after 1933 the Nazi regime in Germany banned further performances[5] as Gál was of Jewish descent.[6]
An abbreviated version of the opera for children, using chamber orchestra accompaniment, was produced at Opera Köln in 2007.[7] A revival of the full opera was produced at the Berlin Sophiensaelen in 2012,[8] and then in Theater Heidelberg in 2020.
Chorus: bonzes, Buddhist nuns, carriers, coolies, palace servants, etc.
SynopsisEdit
The satirical plot envisages bored Chinese gods amusing themselves by exchanging the identities of two of the characters. The eponymous duck brings matters to a happy resolution.[10]
The duck-breeder Yang is taking a duck to the palace when he falls for the charms of Li, the wife of the mandarin. The duck is meanwhile stolen, and the mandarin condemns Yang to death. However, the gods transpose their brains; Yang (now the mandarin) commutes the sentence which would now fall on the mandarin (in Yang's body), and also takes the opportunity to pour scorn upon the gods. In anger, the gods reverse the personality switch. The duck now reappears and the (restored) mandarin, considering this a miracle, offers to raise Yang to the nobility. Yang however has had enough of changes, and prefers to seek his fortune in the wide world.[7]
Anon1 (n.d.). "Die heilige Ente", in The Hans Gál website, accessed 17 January 2015.
Anon2 (n.d.). "Hans Gál, Die heilige Ente", in Universal Edition website, (in German), accessed 17 January 2015.
Gál, Hans (1923). Die heilige Ente: ein Spiel mit Göttern und Menschen, (piano score), Vienna and Leipzig, Universal Edition, (in German). Accessed on Internet Archive website, 17 January 2015.
Gál, Hans (2014). Music Behind Barbed Wire: A diary of Summer 1940. London: Toccata Press. ISBN9780907689751
Gruhl, Boris Michael (2012). "An allem ist die Ente Schuld – Hans Gáls vergessene Oper „Die heilige Ente“ wird in den Berliner Sophiensaelen wiederentdeckt" in neue musikzeitung website, (in German), accessed 17 January 2015.
Haas, Michael (2014). "Hans Gál and his Sacred Duck" on Forbidden Music website, accessed 17 January 2015.
October 24, 2023
heilige, ente, spiel, göttern, menschen, german, sacred, duck, play, with, gods, opera, with, prelude, three, acts, composer, hans, gál, libretto, karl, michael, leventzow, feld, written, 1920, premiered, düsseldorf, april, 1923, under, baton, georg, szell, co. Die heilige Ente ein Spiel mit Gottern und Menschen German The sacred duck a play with Gods and men is an opera with a prelude and three acts by the composer Hans Gal his Op 15 to a libretto by Karl Michael Leventzow and Leo Feld Written in 1920 21 it was premiered in Dusseldorf on 29 April 1923 under the baton of Georg Szell 1 Contents 1 Performance history 2 Roles 3 Synopsis 4 Orchestration 5 ReferencesPerformance history EditThe opera was a great success and was immediately taken up by other German language opera houses during the 1920s and early 1930s including Breslau Weimar Aachen Chemnitz Kassel Konigsberg Prague and Berlin 2 The Berlin and Breslau performances were undertaken by the director Heinz Tietjen The critic Hanns Gutmann enthused over the Berlin production The score of this opera demonstrates how the orchestra has developed throughout the 19th century and is handled with the same virtuosity as Mahler and Strauss 3 In 1929 Die heilige Ente became the first contemporary opera to be broadcast by RAVAG Vienna Radio 4 However after 1933 the Nazi regime in Germany banned further performances 5 as Gal was of Jewish descent 6 An abbreviated version of the opera for children using chamber orchestra accompaniment was produced at Opera Koln in 2007 7 A revival of the full opera was produced at the Berlin Sophiensaelen in 2012 8 and then in Theater Heidelberg in 2020 Roles EditRole 9 Voice type 9 Premiere cast 29 April 1923 Conductor Georg Szell A mandarin baritoneLi his wife soprano Elsa Oehme ForsterYang a coolie tenor Josef WittThe strolling player buffo bassThe bonze bassThe major domo buffo tenorA nun contraltoThe God of the Waterbasin tenorThe God of the Doors baritoneThe God above the Throne bassChorus bonzes Buddhist nuns carriers coolies palace servants etc Synopsis EditThe satirical plot envisages bored Chinese gods amusing themselves by exchanging the identities of two of the characters The eponymous duck brings matters to a happy resolution 10 The duck breeder Yang is taking a duck to the palace when he falls for the charms of Li the wife of the mandarin The duck is meanwhile stolen and the mandarin condemns Yang to death However the gods transpose their brains Yang now the mandarin commutes the sentence which would now fall on the mandarin in Yang s body and also takes the opportunity to pour scorn upon the gods In anger the gods reverse the personality switch The duck now reappears and the restored mandarin considering this a miracle offers to raise Yang to the nobility Yang however has had enough of changes and prefers to seek his fortune in the wide world 7 Orchestration EditThe opera is scored for a large orchestra with triple woodwind and brass instruments a range of percussion instruments and an onstage band of trumpets trombones kettledrums gong and bells 9 References EditNotes Gal 2014 15 217 Gruhl 2012 Anon1 n d Gal 2014 15 Haas 2014 Gal 2014 16 Anon1 n d Haas 2014 Gal 2014 13 a b Anon2 n d Gruhl 2012 a b c Gal 1923 ii Haas 2014 Sources Anon1 n d Die heilige Ente in The Hans Gal website accessed 17 January 2015 Anon2 n d Hans Gal Die heilige Ente in Universal Edition website in German accessed 17 January 2015 Gal Hans 1923 Die heilige Ente ein Spiel mit Gottern und Menschen piano score Vienna and Leipzig Universal Edition in German Accessed on Internet Archive website 17 January 2015 Gal Hans 2014 Music Behind Barbed Wire A diary of Summer 1940 London Toccata Press ISBN 9780907689751 Gruhl Boris Michael 2012 An allem ist die Ente Schuld Hans Gals vergessene Oper Die heilige Ente wird in den Berliner Sophiensaelen wiederentdeckt in neue musikzeitung website in German accessed 17 January 2015 Haas Michael 2014 Hans Gal and his Sacred Duck on Forbidden Music website accessed 17 January 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Die heilige Ente amp oldid 1162204193, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
