Rosamunde

The "Rosamunde" incidental music Op. 26 (D. 797) was composed by Franz Schubert for an 1823 play by Helmina von Chézy. The full name of that play was "Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern" ("Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus"). Schubert's music is scored for soprano, chorus, and orchestra. The play, it seems, was a failure and has been permanently lost, but the music remains (rescued in 1867 by George Grove and Arthur Sullivan), and some of its excerpts remain among Schubert's most famous pieces.

Excerpts from the "Rosamunde" music are frequently played, but the complete score, lasting a full hour, is seldom heard. It has been recorded several times, notably by Kurt Masur and Claudio Abbado.

The incidental music

The music consists of an overture and ten numbers. Actually, there are two overtures associated with Rosamunde. That actually played in the production was originally written for Schubert's opera "Alfonso und Estrella." The overture usually associated with Rosamunde (though it apparently had nothing to do with it), is that to "Die Zauberharfe" (The Magic Harp).

The other numbers are:

# Entr'acte no. 1, a stirring movement in B minor ("allegro molto moderato"), which some believe may have been originally intended as the finale to Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony.
#Ballet music no. 1, really two pieces in one. The first is a march in B minor ("allegro moderato") beginning with a modified version of the opening theme of the first entr'acte. Like the entr'acte, this ends in B major. A bridge passage leads to a lyrical piece in G major bearing the rather puzzling tempo marking of "andante un poco assai".
# Entr'acte no. 2 in D major ("andante"), the outer sections of which have the same thematic material as those of no. 5, the "Chorus of Spirits." The central sections of both, though different, are in a similarly ominous mood.
#Romanze, "Der Vollmond Strahlt auf Bergeshöh'n" (The Full Moon Shines on the Mountain Height) ("andante con moto") in Eb minor and major for Soprano and orchestra.
#Geisterchor (Chorus of Spirits), "In der Tiefe wohnt das Licht" (In the Deep Dwells the Light) in D major ("adagio"), accompanying the brewing of the poisoned ink(!).
#Entr'acte no. 3 in Bb major ("andantino"), one of the two best-known pieces in the score. The main theme was used again in the second movement of the String Quartet in A minor, D 804 and, in a modified form, in the Impromptu in Bb, Opus 142 (D 935) no. 3.
#Hirtenmelodien (Shepherds' Melodies) ("andante"), a sextet for clarinets, bassoons and horns.
#Hirtenchor (Shepherds' Chorus), "Hier auf den Fluren" (Here on the Fields) ("allegretto").
#Jägerchor (Hunters' Chorus), "Wie lebt sich's so fröhlich im Grünen" (How Merry Life is in the Country) ("allegro moderato").
#Ballet no. 2, the other favorite, an "andantino" in G major.

Other "Rosamunde" music by Schubert

A melody of the "Rosamunde" incidental music was re-used by Schubert in chamber music, notably in the "Rosamunde" string quartet and in the Impromptu Op. 142 No. 3, in B flat major, where it is the theme for a set of 6 piano variations.

In popular culture

The Overture was used for a ballet sequence in the 1952 Samuel Goldwyn film "Hans Christian Andersen", starring Danny Kaye. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044685/soundtrack] The ballet sequence was danced by Zizi Jeanmaire. Another one of its excerpts was incorporated into the Christmas carol "Mille cherubim in coro", a song made popular by Luciano Pavarotti on his 1980 Christmas special. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303849/soundtrack]

Audio file

ee also

*Entr'acte
*Modern completions of Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony"

External links

* [http://www.carolinaclassical.com/articles/schubertrosamunde.m3u Audio of Rosamund Overture] in MP3 format
*IMSLP2|id=Rosamunde%2C_D.797_%28Schubert%2C_Franz%29|cname=Rosamunde