- Guntram (opera)
"Guntram" (Op. 25) is an
opera in three acts byRichard Strauss with a German libretto written by the composer.It was Strauss' first opera and shows a strong Wagnerian influence. The music of Guntram is quoted in Strauss's tone-poem "
Ein Heldenleben ". The composer revised the score in1940 .Performance history
The opera was not very successful, and was only staged a few times during Strauss' lifetime:
The first performance took place on 10 May
1894 at the Grossherzogliches Hoftheater inWeimar . The soprano role of Freihild was sung by Pauline De Anha, Strauss's future wife. Later performances conducted by Strauss included those inMunich on 16 November 1895 and inPrague on 9 October 1901. A performance inFrankfurt was given on 9 March 1910 conducted by Ludwig Rottenberg.The "revised version" was first given in Weimar on 29 October 1940, conducted by Paul Sixt, and later in 1942 in
Berlin conducted byRobert Heger .In
Hamburg , on 4 February 1895,Gustav Mahler included the "Prelude" to Act 1 in his 6th Philharmonic Concert. He included the "Preludes" to Acts 1 and 2 in a concert inVienna on 19 February 1899, and in New York on 30 March 1910 with theNew York Philharmonic .Roles
ynopsis
Set in medieval Germany, the triangular Wagnerian-style story of love and redemption is about the minstrel Guntram, the evil Duke Robert and his saintly wife Freihild. (The story is not connected with the
Merovingian kingGuntram of Burgundy .)References
*Murray, David, " "Guntram" in "The
New Grove Dictionary of Opera ", ed. Stanley Sadie, London, 1992 ISBN 0-333-73432-7External links
* [http://www.operone.de/komponist/strauss.html Operone.de]
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