Annemie Augustijns

Schreker

In the beginning of the 20th century, Austrian composer Franz Schreker was one of the only opera composers in the German-speaking world whose success could compete with Richard Strauss. But as of 1933, Schreker’s works were banned in Germany and began to disappear from the international repertoire. Only very slowly did Franz Schreker’s operas come back to the stages, and despite this revival, Der singende Teufel (The Singing Devil) has remained in the shadows to this day. After the streams of Der ferne Klang and Der Schmied von Gent on OperaVision, Theater Bonn’s production is another opportunity to rediscover Schreker’s post-romantic music.

Thilo Beu

Performance

Theater Bonn

The Singing Devil

A rare opera by one of the greatest Late-Romantic composers.

Thilo Beu

Behind the scenes

Theater Bonn

Behind the Scenes of The Singing Devil

An interview with director Julia Burbach, sets and costumes designer Dirk Hofacker and choreographer Cameron McMillan, who discuss the link between the story and Schreker's biography, providing insights into the creative process of this production.

Monika Rittershaus

Extract

Der ferne Klang

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Du willst wirklich fort, Fritz

Act I. Fritz (Daniel Johansson), a young, ambitious composer, lives in a small German town. He abandons his true love, Grete Graumann (Agneta Eichenholz), who is from a family of simple means, to devote himself to his music. He sets off in search of a distant sound that he hears within, one he finds hard to put down on paper. Unfettered and free, he hopes to find the mysterious sound that still eludes him. Since he still loves Grete, he promises to return to her as soon as he has established himself as a composer. Conducted by Stefan Blunier and directed by Christof Loy.

Royal Swedish Opera

Extract

Der ferne Klang

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In einem Lande ein bleicher König

Act II. Grete challenges her suitors to a contest, where the prize is a night with her for free. Whoever touches her heart with the most imaginative piece of music, story or song will be the winner. In a gloomy ballad, the count (Ola Eliasson) laments his unquenchable desire for her. Conducted by Stefan Blunier and directed by Christof Loy.

Feature

Love, fate and obsession

Love, fate and obsession all play their part in Franz Schreker’s Der ferne Klang. Christof Loy explains why he finds the opera so fascinating and what he learnt while directing this new production at the Royal Swedish Opera.

Feature

The kaleidoscopic world of Der Schmied von Gent

After his initial breakthrough with Der Ferne Klang in 1909, Franz Schreker’s successful opera career was about to crumble before his eyes. Rightwing hecklers marred the premiere of Der Schmied von Gent on 29 October 1932 in Berlin. Within a couple of years, the Austrian Jewish composer fell from being lauded as the future of German opera to having his ‘degenerate’ work banned and losing his prestigious teaching positions.

Annemie Augustijns

Extract

Der Schmied von Gent

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Gibts denn Trommeln, Tambourine, Pfeifen

Act I. It is the late sixteenth century, in Ghent. In Smee’s smithy (Leigh Melrose), his assistants are hard at work making armour and ploughshares. It is the time of the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the Netherlands. A page arrives with the malnourished horse of Sancho d’Avila, the Spanish general who sacked and burned Antwerp in 1576. Conducted by Alejo Pérez and directed by Ersan Mondtag.

Annemie Augustijns

Behind the scenes

Opera Ballet Vlaanderen

Behind the scenes of Der Schmied von Gent

Discover how the amazing sets and wigs of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen's production of Der Schmied von Gent were made.