Fennimore and Gerda
Encyclopedia
Fennimore und Gerda is a German-language opera in 11 "pictures," with four interludes, by the English composer Frederick Delius
. It is usually performed and recorded in English, as "Fennimore and Gerda," in a translation by Philip Heseltine. The German libretto
, by the composer himself, is based on the novel Niels Lyhne by the Danish writer Jens Peter Jacobsen
. In neither German nor English is the libretto highly regarded; rather, the work is considered an "orchestral opera," limited in its dramatic appeal but voluptuous and engaging in its instrumental texture. Delius began writing Fennimore und Gerda in 1908; he finished in 1910, but the premiere, intended for Cologne
, was delayed by the First World War and did not take place until 21 October 1919, and then at the Opernhaus in Frankfurt
. It was the composer's last opera.
Frederick Delius
Frederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce...
. It is usually performed and recorded in English, as "Fennimore and Gerda," in a translation by Philip Heseltine. The German 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 the composer himself, is based on the novel Niels Lyhne by the Danish writer Jens Peter Jacobsen
Jens Peter Jacobsen
Jens Peter Jacobsen was a Danish novelist, poet, and scientist, in Denmark often just written as "J. P. Jacobsen" and pronounced "I. P. Jacobsen"...
. In neither German nor English is the libretto highly regarded; rather, the work is considered an "orchestral opera," limited in its dramatic appeal but voluptuous and engaging in its instrumental texture. Delius began writing Fennimore und Gerda in 1908; he finished in 1910, but the premiere, intended for Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, was delayed by the First World War and did not take place until 21 October 1919, and then at the Opernhaus in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. It was the composer's last opera.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 21 October 1919 (Conductor: Gustav Brecher) |
|---|---|---|
| Niels Lyhne | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Robert von Scheidt |
| Erik | 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... |
Erik Wirl |
| Fennimore | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Emma Holt |
| Gerda | 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... |
Elisabeth Kandt |
| Consul | bass | Walter Schneider Walter Schneider (bass) -Professional career:Born in Bretzenheim, his initial musical ambition was to become a conductor, but in the end he decided on a singing career. His first engagement was at the Cologne Opera in 1903. During the 1904-1905 season he was engaged at the Stadttheater in Aachen... |
Synopsis
Two friends, the writer Niels Lyhne and the painter Erik Refstrup, are in love with Niels's cousin Fennimore. She chooses Erik but the marriage begins to break down as a result of the artist's drinking and Fennimore embarks on an affair with Niels. Erik is killed in an accident and, overwhelmed with guilt, Fennimore breaks off the affair. The rejected Niels spends years travelling before he settles down and marries his neighbour's daughter, Gerda.Recordings
- Fennimore and Gerda Elisabeth SöderströmElisabeth SöderströmElisabeth Anna Söderström CBE was a Swedish soprano, who performed both opera and song. She was particularly well known for her recordings of the lead soprano roles in the three Janáček operas Jenůfa, Káťa Kabanová, and The Makropoulos Affair, all of which received Gramophone Awards...
, Brian Rayner Cook, Robert Tear, Birger Brandt, Danish National Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Meredith Davies (HMV, 1976; reissued on EMI CD, 1997) - Fennimore and Gerda Randi Stene, Judith Howarth, Mark Tucker, Peter Coleman-Wright, Danish National Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard HickoxRichard HickoxRichard Sidney Hickox CBE was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music.-Early life:Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family...
(Chandos, 1999)
Sources
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (1993)
- Amadeus Online