Belmont und Constanze
Encyclopedia
Belmont und Constanze, oder Die Entführung aus dem Serail (English: Belmonte and Konstanze, The Abduction from the Seraglio) by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner
is a libretto
, published in 1781, telling the story of the hero Belmonte, assisted by his servant Pedrillo, attempting to rescue his beloved Konstanze from the seraglio
of the Pasha Selim. First set to music by Johann André
and performed as a singspiel
in Berlin in 1781, it became famous as the story on which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
based his opera
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
(Abduction from the Seraglio).
Christoph Friedrich Bretzner
Christoph Friedrich Bretzner was a Leipzig merchant famous for writing the libretto to a singspiel Belmont und Constanze, oder Die Entführung aus dem Serail, produced in Berlin and adapted in 1782 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Gottlieb Stephanie as Die Entführung aus dem Serail...
is a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, published in 1781, telling the story of the hero Belmonte, assisted by his servant Pedrillo, attempting to rescue his beloved Konstanze from the seraglio
Seraglio
A seraglio or serail is the sequestered living quarters used by wives and concubines in a Turkish household. The word comes from an Italian variant of Turkish saray, from Persian sarai , meaning palace, or the enclosed courts for the wives and concubines of the harem of a house or palace...
of the Pasha Selim. First set to music by Johann André
Johann André
Johann André was a German musician, composer and music publisher.In 1774, as the patriarch of a Huguenot family, André founded one of the first music publishing houses to be independent of a bookshop, in Offenbach am Main...
and performed as a singspiel
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
in Berlin in 1781, it became famous as the story on which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
based his opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie...
(Abduction from the Seraglio).