- König Hirsch
"König Hirsch" (in English, "The Stag King") is an
opera in three acts byHans Werner Henze to an Germanlibretto byHeinz von Cramer after afable byCarlo Gozzi .Performance history
It was first performed at the
Städtische Oper ,Berlin on23 September 1956 in an abbreviated form. It was rewritten as "Il re cervo, oder Die Irrfahrten der Wahrheit" and performed at the Staatstheater,Kassel on10 March 1963 . This version was also produced at theSanta Fe Opera on4 August 1965 . The complete work was given for the first time on5 May 1985 at the Staatsoper inStuttgart .Roles
*The King
tenor
*The governorbass-baritone
*Checco, tenor
*Coltellino, tenor
*Woman in blackcontralto
*The maidensoprano
*Scollatella, sopranoynopsis
The king, who has been cast into the forest as a child by the governor, returns to his kingdom. However he is tricked by the governor and forced to go back to the forest where he turns into a stag. Eventually he goes back once again, the governor is killed, and he is transformed again into human form.
Instrumentation * woodwinds: 3
flute s (3rd doubling onpiccolo ), 2oboe s,English horn , 2clarinet s,bass clarinet , 2bassoon s,contrabassoon
* Brass: 4 horns, 3trumpet s (3rd doubling onpiccolo trumpet in C ["ad lib.] ), 2trombone s,tuba
* percussion (7 players): triangle,tubular bells , suspended cymbals, pair ofcymbal s, tamtam, 3 tom-toms,tambourine ,snare drum , military drum,bass drum (with or withoutcymbal s),claves ,maraca s, "legno", "Gegenschlagstöcke",rumba bell s,glockenspiel ,xylophone
* Other:harp ,piano ,celesta , organ ("ad lib."),harpsichord ,accordion ,guitar ,mandolin
* On-stage Band:flute ,clarinet , 4 horns, 3trumpet s, percussion: triangle, small bells,tubular bells , suspended cymbals, pair ofcymbal s,tambourine , 2snare drum s, military drum,bass drum ,glockenspiel ,vibraphone ,mandolin ,celesta , organ,violin References
*Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), "The Oxford Dictionary of Opera", 782 pages, ISBN 0-19-869164-5
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