Die Brautwahl
| Operas by Ferruccio Busoni |
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Die Brautwahl (The Bridal Choice) is a "comic-fantastic" opera in three acts and an epilogue by Ferruccio Busoni. The German libretto, by Busoni himself, is based on a short story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Busoni began work on this, his first completed opera, in 1905.
Die Brautwahl was first performed at the Stadttheater, Hamburg on April 12, 1912. It was not a success with audiences but its failure did not discourage the composer's ambition to write for the operatic stage.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 12 April 1912 Conductor: Gustav Brecher |
|---|---|---|
| Albertine | soprano | Elisabeth Schumann |
| Edmund Lehsen | tenor | Otto Marak |
| Dionysius Thusman | tenor | Willi Birrenkoven |
| Bensch | tenor | Eduard Lichtenstein |
| Voswindel | baritone | Hermann Wiedemann |
| Leonhard | baritone | Robert von Scheldt |
| Manasse | bass | Max Lohfing |
| Servant | tenor | Fritz Windgassen |
Synopsis
The artist Edmund is in love with Albertine but he has many rivals for her hand. These include the "revenant" Manasse, his son Baron Bensch and the bureaucrat Thusman. The "bridal choice" of the title is finally decided by a trial involving three caskets which Edmund wins.
Recordings
- Die Brautwahl Siegfried Vogel, Carola Höhn, Graham Clark, Vinson Cole, Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus, Berlin Staatskapelle, conducted by Daniel Barenboim (Teldec, 1999)
References
- Sources
- Amadeus Online
- Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-14-029312-4