Seelewig
Encyclopedia
Seelewig or Das geistliche Waldgedicht oder Freudenspiel genant Seelewig (The Sacred Forest Poem or Play of Rejoicing called Seelewig) is an opera
in a prologue, three acts and an epilogue by the German
composer Sigmund Theophil Staden
.
The libretto
by Georg Philipp Harsdörffer (1607—1658), first published 1644 in the fourth part of his Frauenzimmer Gesprächspiele, is based on the schoolplay Ein gar schön geistliches Waldgetichte genant Die glückseelige Seele of 1637, itself translated from L'anima felice favola boschareccia by the Italian
Nicolò Negri (1606).
It is the earliest German opera
whose music has survived. On the surface, the work seems to be a typical Christian
allegory
of the soul's journey through this world and the symbolic action takes place in a pastoral
setting. Nonetheless, recent inquiries which account for the context of the libretto in Harsdörffer's Frauenzimmer Gesprächspiele have pointed out several problems of a seamless allegoresis. Those readings make it much more likely that Seelewig is bound to its Jesuit
pretext in a complex, competitive and even polemic way.
The opera mixes musical numbers and spoken dialogue in a way which foreshadows the Singspiel
.
in 1644. Sophie Elisabeth, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel also arranged a performance at Wolfenbüttel
on 21 April 1654 and it was staged again in Augsburg
in 1698.
In the 1970s it was revived with productions in Germany, the Netherlands
and Oberlin, Ohio
.
Trügewald wants to seduce the beautiful nymph
Seelewig. Fearing his own ugliness will lead to failure, he enlists the help of the vain young shepherd Künsteling, as well as Ehrelob, Reichimuth and Sinnigunda. Sinnigunda tries to lead Seelewig from the path of virtue but Gwissulda and Herzigild warn the latter to beware of her deceit. The thwarted Trügewald is furious.
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...
in a prologue, three acts and an epilogue by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer Sigmund Theophil Staden
Sigmund Theophil Staden
Sigmund Theophil Staden was an important early German composer.Staden was born in Kulmbach, son of Johann Staden, the founder of the so-called Nuremberg school...
.
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 Georg Philipp Harsdörffer (1607—1658), first published 1644 in the fourth part of his Frauenzimmer Gesprächspiele, is based on the schoolplay Ein gar schön geistliches Waldgetichte genant Die glückseelige Seele of 1637, itself translated from L'anima felice favola boschareccia by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Nicolò Negri (1606).
It is the earliest German opera
German opera
Opera in German is the opera of the German-speaking countries, most notably Germany and Austria...
whose music has survived. On the surface, the work seems to be a typical Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of the soul's journey through this world and the symbolic action takes place in a pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
setting. Nonetheless, recent inquiries which account for the context of the libretto in Harsdörffer's Frauenzimmer Gesprächspiele have pointed out several problems of a seamless allegoresis. Those readings make it much more likely that Seelewig is bound to its Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
pretext in a complex, competitive and even polemic way.
The opera mixes musical numbers and spoken dialogue in a way which foreshadows the Singspiel
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
.
Performance history
It was performed before the court at NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
in 1644. Sophie Elisabeth, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel also arranged a performance at Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
on 21 April 1654 and it was staged again in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
in 1698.
In the 1970s it was revived with productions in Germany, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast |
|---|---|---|
| Seelewig (Eternal Soul) | 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... |
|
| Trügewald a satyr | ||
| Sinnigunda (Sensuousness) | ||
| Gwissulda (Conscience) | soprano | |
| Herzigild (Wisdom) | soprano | |
| Reichimuth (Wealth) | ||
| Ehrelob (Power) | ||
| Künsteling | 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... |
|
Prologue
Music confesses her disappointment that so much recent entertainment has been secular. Allied with Poetry, she intends to return to her true vocation: the praise of God.Act One
The satyrSatyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
Trügewald wants to seduce the beautiful nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
Seelewig. Fearing his own ugliness will lead to failure, he enlists the help of the vain young shepherd Künsteling, as well as Ehrelob, Reichimuth and Sinnigunda. Sinnigunda tries to lead Seelewig from the path of virtue but Gwissulda and Herzigild warn the latter to beware of her deceit. The thwarted Trügewald is furious.
Act Two
Künsteling, Ehrelob, Reichimuth and Sinnigunda ply Seelewig with gifts (a telescope, a fishing rod, a bow and arrow and a crown of flowers). Once again Gwissulda and Herzigild save Seelewig from their seductions. Seelewig takes fright during a storm and sings a song asking advice from the forest echo, which warns her to flee the snares of this world.Act Three
The next morning Trügewald and his friends try a new way to trick Seelewig. Seelewig again asks advice from the echo but this time it is Trügewald who replies, disguising his voice. This echo tells Seelewig to give herself over to the pleasures of this world. As Seelewig plays a game of blindman's buff with the shepherds, Trügewald leaps out and catches her. But Gwissulda and Herzigild pull the blindfold off Seelewig's eyes to reveal the ugly truth. Trügewald and his companions are chased from the forest. Seelewig is converted and a chorus of angels give thanks for her salvation.Sources
- Aikin, Judith P (2002), A Language for German Opera (Wiesbaden)
- Amadeus Almanac, accessed 12 June 2008
- Caemmerer, Christiane (1987), 'Das Geistliche Waldgetichte: Die Glückseelige Seele von 1637 und seine Quelle'. Daphnis 16, pp. 665-678
- Caemmerer, Christiane (1998), Siegender Cupido oder Triumphierende Keuschheit. Deutsche Schäferspiele des 17. Jahrhunderts (Stuttgart)
- Kaminski, Nicola (2010), 'Ut pictura poesis? Arbeit am Topos in Georg Philipp Harsdörffers Seelewig in Frühneuzeitliche Stereotype. Zur Produktivität und Restriktivität sozialer Vorstellungsmuster, pp. 367-397, ed. Miroslawa Czarnecka, Thomas Borgstedt and Thomasz Jablecki (Bern)
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
- The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera ed. Parker (OUP, 1994)
- Le magazine de l'opéra baroque
- Schütze, Robert (2010), 'Auf Teufel komm raus. Wie Harsdörffers Seelewig ihren Prätext zerstört'. Deutsche Vierteljahrsschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Geistesgeschichte 84, pp. 448-477
- Wade, Mara R (1992), 'Seelewig' in The New Grove Dictionary of OperaNew Grove Dictionary of OperaThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7