Die Schweizerfamilie
Encyclopedia
Die Schweizer Familie is an opera
by the Austria
n composer Joseph Weigl
. It takes the form of a Singspiel
in three acts. The libretto
, by Ignaz Franz Castelli
, is based on the vaudeville Pauvre Jacques (1807) by Charles-Augustin de Basson-Pierre und René André Polydore Chazet. The opera was first performed at the Theater am Kärntnertor
in Vienna
on 14 March 1809 and was a great success in German-speaking countries in the early 19th century.
. Their daughter, Emmeline, pines away for love of Jakob, to whom she is secretly engaged. The local count, whose life was saved by Richard Boll, also shows concern for Emmeline's sufferings and with his help Emmeline and Jakob are reunited.
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...
by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n composer Joseph Weigl
Joseph Weigl
Joseph Weigl , was an Austrian composer and conductor.The son of Joseph Franz Weigl , the principal cellist in the orchestra of the Esterházy family, he was born in Eisenstadt and studied music under Johann Georg Albrechtsberger and Antonio Salieri...
. It takes the form of a Singspiel
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
in three acts. The 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...
, by Ignaz Franz Castelli
Ignaz Franz Castelli
Ignaz Franz Castelli was an Austrian dramatist born in Vienna. He studied law at the university, and then entered the government service....
, is based on the vaudeville Pauvre Jacques (1807) by Charles-Augustin de Basson-Pierre und René André Polydore Chazet. The opera was first performed at the Theater am Kärntnertor
Theater am Kärntnertor
Theater am Kärntnertor or Kärntnertortheater was a prestigious theatre in Vienna during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on 14 March 1809 and was a great success in German-speaking countries in the early 19th century.
Roles
| Cast | Voice type | Premiere cast Vienna 1809 |
Cast Vienna 2004 / CD 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gertrude Boll | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Marianna Marconi | Olivia Vermeulen |
| Richard Boll | bass | Carl Weinmüller | Stephan Bootz |
| Emmeline | soprano | Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann Anna Milder-HauptmannShe was mostly called Anna Milder. Before her marriage, she was often referred to on playbills, reviews and correspondence as Mlle Milder, sometimes as Nanny Milder. After her marriage, many documents refer to her as Madame Milder... |
Marília Vargas |
| Jacob Friburg | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Johann Michael Vogl Johann Michael Vogl Johann Michael Vogl , was an Austrian baritone singer and composer. Though famous in his day, he is remembered mainly for his close professional relationship and friendship with composer Franz Schubert.... |
Roman Payer |
| The count | bass | Ignaz Saal | Tobias Müller-Kopp |
| Paul | tenor | Joseph Caché | Robert Maszl |
| Durmann | tenor | Friedrich Demmer | Petri Mikaei Pöyhönen |
Synopsis
The Bolls, the Swiss family of the title, have been banished to an unspecified region in the AlpsAlps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. Their daughter, Emmeline, pines away for love of Jakob, to whom she is secretly engaged. The local count, whose life was saved by Richard Boll, also shows concern for Emmeline's sufferings and with his help Emmeline and Jakob are reunited.
Recording
- Die Schweizer Familie Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra Dreieck, conducted by Uri Rom (Guild, 2006)