- Lear (opera)
"Lear" is an
opera in two acts with music by the German composerAribert Reimann , and a libretto by Claus H. Henneberg, based onShakespeare 's tragedy "King Lear ". Reimann wrote the title role specifically for thebaritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , who had suggested the subject to the composer as early as 1968. Reimann then received a commission from theBavarian State Opera in 1975. The world premiere, in a production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle with Fischer-Dieskau in the title role, occurred at the Nationaltheater,Munich on9 July 1978 , withGerd Albrecht conducting.cite journal | url=http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/17/1/158?ck=nck | last=Graeme |first=Roland | title="Lear". Aribert Reimann | journal=The Opera Quarterly | volume=17 | issue=1 | pages=158–161 | date=2001 | accessdate=2007-09-06] The production was revived in Munich in 1980. [Marker, Frederick J., "Theatre in Review: "Lear" (Aribert Reimann)" (March 1981). "Theatre Journal", 33 (1): pp. 112-114.] The US premiere, in English translation, was at theSan Francisco Opera in June 1981, withThomas Stewart as Lear, and Gerd Albrecht as conductor. [cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E0D61338F934A25755C0A967948260 | title="Lear" by Aribert Reimann | publisher="New York Times" | author=John Rockwell | date=17 June 1981 | accessdate=2007-09-06] [cite news | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951738-3,00.html | title=Three Premieres, Three Hits | publisher="Time" | author=Michael Walsh | date=29 June 1981 | accessdate=2007-09-13] The Paris premiere was in November 1982, in a French translation by Antoinette Becker. [Lieblein, Leanore, "Theatre Review" ("Périclès, Prince de Tyr" / "Lear") (May 1983). "Theatre Journal", 35 (2): pp. 262-263.] The UK premiere was byEnglish National Opera in 1989.One notable departure from operatic convention was to make the part of Lear's Fool a speaking role, rather than a sung role. In addition, compared to the Shakespeare original, the parts of Kent and Edmund, for example, have been greatly reduced.
Roles
* King Lear (baritone)
* King of France
* Duke of Albany (baritone)
* Duke of Cornwall
* Earl of Kent
* Earl of Gloucester (bass-baritone)
* Edgar (countertenor)
* Edmund
* Goneril (soprano)
* Regan (soprano)
* Cordelia (soprano)
* Lear's Fool (spoken role)
* Servant
* KnightRecording
*
Deutsche Grammophon 463 480-2 (CD reissue):Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau , Karl Helm, Hans Wilbrink, Georg Paskuda, Richard Holm, Hans Günter Nöcker, David Knutson, Werner Gotz, Helga Dernesch, Colette Lorand,Julia Varady , Rolf Boysen, Markus Gortizki, Gerhard Auer; Chorus and Orchestra of theBavarian State Opera ;Gerd Albrecht , conductor [Griffiths, Paul, Review: "Reimann. "Lear" (1980). "The Musical Times", 121 (1644): p. 107.]References
ource
*"Viking Opera Guide" ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
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