Die Schneekönigin Explained

Type:Fairy-tale opera
Librettist:Peter Truschner
Language:German
Based On:Andersen's "The Snow Queen"
Premiere Location:Nationaltheater Weimar

German: Die Schneekönigin (The Snow Queen) is a fairy-tale opera by George Alexander Albrecht to a libretto by Peter Truschner based on Andersen's "The Snow Queen". It premiered at the Nationaltheater Weimar in 2015. The vocal parts are scored for professional soloists and children's choir, with choir members acting.

History

On an initiative by Gudrun Schröfel, the conductor of the Mädchenchor Hannover, George Alexander Albrecht composed his only opera as an opera for children, to be performed by soloists and a chorus of children who also have to act. At the time, he was already aged 78, and had worked mostly as an opera conductor. The libretto was written by Peter Truschner, who wrote a rhymed version of Andersen's "The Snow Queen".

The opera premiered at the Nationaltheater Weimar in 2015, conducted by Dominik Beykirch, and directed by Maximilian von Mayenburg with set designs and costumes by Thilo Reuther. The premiere was prepared by a series of lectures at the Musikhochschule Weimar.

Roles

Source:[1] [2]

!Role!Voice type!Premiere cast, 28 November 2015[3]
Conductor: Dominik Beykirch[4]
Schneekönigin (The Snow Queen)dramatic coloratura sopranoLini Gong[5]
Kobold (The Troll)tenorJörn Eichler[6]
Kaymezzo-sopranoEleonora Vacchi
GerdasopranoSteffi Lehmann
Großmutter (The Grandmother)altoRebecca Teem
Ronjamezzo-sopranoSayaka Shigeshima
Rabe (The Crow)bassDaeyoung Kim
Rentier (Bae)baritoneAlik Abdukayumov
Choir

Music

The vocal parts are scored for professional soloists and children's choir, with choir members acting in roles such as flowers (Blumen), ravens (Raben), robbers (Räuber), snow flakes (Schneeflocken), wind and ice crystals. The music around the Snow Queen character is set atonal, contrasting with the human world. The children, Gerda and Kay, are characterised by song-like music, the troll declaims like Mime in Wagner's Siegfried, the Snow Queen sings in extremely high register, and scenes for ravens and robbers resemble operetta. The opera takes around 80 minutes to perform.

The score calls for an orchestra including flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, 2 drums, harp and strings.

Reception

Roland H. Dippel wrote in a review published in Leipziger Volkszeitung, Oper & Tanz and Neue Musikzeitung, that the opera deals with great emotions, proving oneself in dangers, and faith in the good. ("German: Es geht um große Gefühle, Gefahren, Bewährungen und den Glauben an das Gute.") He summarised: "A real opera with a large orchestra that fascinates its young audience for the art form" ("German: Eine echte Oper mit großem Orchester, die ihr junges Publikum für die Kunstform fasziniert").

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: George-Alexander-Albrecht » Die Schneekönigin . George-Alexander-Albrecht . de . 25 December 2021.
  2. Web site: Opera Schedules from The Opera Critic . The Opera Critic . 23 December 2015 . 26 December 2021.
  3. Web site: Kinderoper "Die Schneekönigin" in Weimar . Ries & Erler . 1 November 2015 . de . 26 December 2021.
  4. News: Dominik Beykirch . . 5 June 2021 . de . 26 December 2021.
  5. Web site: Erfahrungen im Bereich Moderne Musik . Lini Gong Sopran . 8 December 2020 . de . 26 December 2021.
  6. Web site: Eichler . Tanja Lea . Oper . Joern Eichler: Repertoire . de . 26 December 2021.