Die schwarze Maske explained

German: Die schwarze Maske
Composer:Krzysztof Penderecki
Image Upright:0.6
Translated Name:The Black Mask
Librettist:
Language:German
Based On:play by Gerhart Hauptmann

German: Die schwarze Maske (The Black Mask) is an opera by composer Krzysztof Penderecki using a German libretto by the composer and Harry Kupfer which is based on a 1928 play by Gerhart Hauptmann. The opera premiered at the Salzburg Festival on 15 August 1986, after which there were productions mounted at the Vienna State Opera and the Great Theatre, Warsaw during the following opera season. The work had its United States premiere on 30 July 1988 at the Santa Fe Opera with a cast that included Mark Lundberg.

Roles

RoleVoice typePremiere Cast[1]
Silvanus Schuller tenor
BenignasopranoJosephine Barstow
ArabellasopranoLona Culmer-Schellbach
Rosa Sacchimezzo-sopranoMarjana Lipovšek
Jedidja PottertenorMartin Finke
François Tortebat bassHans Franzen
DagasopranoJolanta Radek
Löwel Perl baritoneGünter Reich
Robert DedobaritoneHuub Claessens
Plebanus WendtbassMalcolm Smith
Hadank tenorHeinz Zednik
Graf Ebbo HüttenwächterbassRainer Scholze
Gräfin Laura Hüttenwächter contraltoGertrude Jahn
Schedel tenorRobert Werner
Doktor KnoblochzerbassWolfgang Equiluz
Johnson speaking roleCharleston Marquis
A contralto voicecontraltoIngrid Mayr

Notes and References

  1. http://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/archivdetail/programid/157/id/0/j/1986 Die schwarze Maske, roles and role creators at www.salzburgerfestspiele.at