Die Schweizerfamilie

"Die Schweizerfamilie" ("The Swiss Family") is an opera by the Austrian composer Joseph Weigl. It takes the form of a "Singspiel" in three acts. The libretto, by Ignaz Franz Castelli, is based on "La famille suisse" by Claude Godard Daucourt de Saint-Just. The opera was first performed at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna on 14 March 1809 and was a great success in German-speaking countries in the early 19th century.

Roles

ynopsis

The Bolls, the Swiss family of the title, have been banished to an unspecified region in the Alps. Their daughter, Emmeline, pines away for love of Jakob, to whom she is secretly engaged. The local count, whose life was saved by Richard Boll, also shows concern for Emmeline's sufferings and with his help Emmeline and Jakob are reunited.

Recording

*"Die Schweizer Familie" Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra Dreieck, conducted by Uri Rom (Guild, 2006)

ources

* [http://www.delteatro.it/dizionario_dell_opera/s/schweizerfamilie_die.php Del Teatro (in Italian)]
* [http://www.amadeusonline.net/almanacco.php?Start=0&Giorno=14&Mese=03&Anno=1809&Giornata=&Testo=&Parola=Stringa Amadeus Online]

External link

* [http://www.dieschweizerfamilie.net/ Pages about the opera for performances in 2004 (in German), accessed 9 August 2008]
* [http://www.guildmusic.com/reviews/rev7299z.htm Reviews of the Guild recording of the opera, accessed 9 August 2008]