Peter und Ännchen
Encyclopedia
Peter und Ännchen is an opera (singspiel
) in one act composed by Ludwig Abeille to a German libretto
by Franz Carl Hiemer (1768 – 1822). The libretto was based on Charles Simon Favart
and Marie Favart
's text for Annette et Lubin, a comédie mêlée d'ariettes
with music by Adolphe Benoît Blaise, which was in turn based on Jean-François Marmontel
's morality tale of the same name. In Marmontel's story two orphaned cousins, Annette and Lubin, are raised together and later fall in love. When Annette becomes pregnant, the village priest and the magistrate forbid them to marry on the grounds of incest, but the local lord eventually persuades the Pope to allow the marriage.
Peter und Ännchen premiered on September 29, 1809 in the theatre of the Ludwigsburg Palace
near Stuttgart
. The opera was popular in Germany in its day and a version of the score for voice and piano was published by Breitkopf & Härtel
. It was also performed in Paris in 1810 as Pierre et Annette. Franz Carl Hiemer had written the libretto for Abeille's first opera, Amor und Psyche
(1800) as well as the libretti for Carl Maria von Weber
's operas Silvana
and Abu Hassan
.
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
) in one act composed by Ludwig Abeille to a 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 Franz Carl Hiemer (1768 – 1822). The libretto was based on Charles Simon Favart
Charles Simon Favart
Charles Simon Favart was a French dramatist.Born in Paris, the son of a pastry-cook, he was educated at the college of Louis-le-Grand, and after his father's death he carried on the business for a time...
and Marie Favart
Marie Favart
Marie-Justine-Benoîte Favart was an opera singer, actress, and dancer, the wife of the dramatist, Charles Simon Favart....
's text for Annette et Lubin, a comédie mêlée d'ariettes
Comédie mêlée d'ariettes
Comédie mêlée d'ariettes is a form of French opéra comique that developed in the mid 18th century following the Querelle des Bouffons dispute over the respective merits of the French and Italian styles, between serious drama and comedy in opera.The best-known ones are Christoph Willibald Gluck's...
with music by Adolphe Benoît Blaise, which was in turn based on Jean-François Marmontel
Jean-François Marmontel
Jean-François Marmontel was a French historian and writer, a member of the Encyclopediste movement.-Biography:He was born of poor parents at Bort, Limousin...
's morality tale of the same name. In Marmontel's story two orphaned cousins, Annette and Lubin, are raised together and later fall in love. When Annette becomes pregnant, the village priest and the magistrate forbid them to marry on the grounds of incest, but the local lord eventually persuades the Pope to allow the marriage.
Peter und Ännchen premiered on September 29, 1809 in the theatre of the Ludwigsburg Palace
Ludwigsburg Palace
Ludwigsburg Palace is a historical building in the city of Ludwigsburg , Germany. It is one of the country's largest Baroque palaces and features an enormous garden in that style....
near Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. The opera was popular in Germany in its day and a version of the score for voice and piano was published by Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf . The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried...
. It was also performed in Paris in 1810 as Pierre et Annette. Franz Carl Hiemer had written the libretto for Abeille's first opera, Amor und Psyche
Amor und Psyche
Amor und Psyche is an opera in four acts composed by Ludwig Abeille to a German libretto by Franz Carl Hiemer . Based on the story of Cupid and Psyche, the opera premiered on January 18, 1800 at the Hoftheater in Stuttgart...
(1800) as well as the libretti for Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
's operas Silvana
Silvana (opera)
Silvana is an opera by Carl Maria von Weber, first performed in Frankfurt am Main on 16 September 1810. The libretto, by Franz Carl Hiemer, is a reworking of an earlier, unsuccessful opera by Weber, Das Waldmädchen...
and Abu Hassan
Abu Hassan
Abu Hassan is a comic opera in one act by Carl Maria von Weber to a German libretto by Franz Hiemer, based on a story in One Thousand and One Nights...
.
Sources
- Allgemeine musikalische ZeitungAllgemeine musikalische ZeitungThe Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung was a German-language periodical published in the 19th century. Comini has called it "the foremost German-language musical periodical of its time"...
(December 26, 1810). "Recension: Peter und Ännchen", No. 65, p. 1050 - Grove, George ed. (1900). "Abeille, Joh. Chr. Ludwig", Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Vol. 1, p. 4. MacMillan & Co. Ltd.
- Hardin, Richard F. (2000). Love in a Green Shade: Idyllic Romances Ancient to Modern. University of Nebraska Press, p. 75. ISBN 0803223943
- Iacuzzi, Alfred (1978). The European Vogue of Favart: The Diffusion of the Opéra-comique. AMS Press, p. 363. ISBN 0404601650