Product Details

Description

Like many composers of the 1930s, Werner Egk used the new medium radio: his opera Columbus was composed in 1932 as radio opera for the Bavarian Radio and describes the spectacular rise and fall of Christopher Columbus from his embarkation to the ‘new world’, full of hope, until his death in bitterness, poverty and humiliation. Egk avoids any glorification of the hero. The opera’s subtitle ‘Report and Portrait in Three Parts’ rather points to a dramatic principle which Egk circumscribes with the term ‘documented authenticity’.

Quotes from historical documents and the distant commentarial role of the chorus accentuate both the conflicting nature of the eponymous hero and the questionable result of their efforts: the paradise discovered by Columbus turned into a hell of colonial exploitation within a few years.

Orchestral Cast

3 (3. auch Picc.) · 3 (3. auch Engl. Hr.) · 3 (2. auch Es-Klar., 3. auch Bassklar.) · 2 · Kfg. - 4 · 3 · 3 · 1 - P. S. (2 Glsp. · Bass-Xyl. · 2 Messklingeln · Röhrengl. · Plattengl. · 2 hohe Gongs · Beck. · Tamt. · Rührtr. · kl. Tr. [möglichst mehrere] · gr. Tr.) (6 Spieler) - Hfe. · Cel. · Org. ad lib. - Str. -
Auf der Bühne (ad. lib.): 4 Trp. - kl. Tr. · Rührtr.

Cast

Columbus · Bariton - Ferdinand · Tenor - Isabella · Sopran - 1. Rat · Bariton - 2. und 3. Rat · Bässe - Ein Mönch · Bass - Herold · Bariton - Vorsänger · Tenor - 1. Sprecher, 2. Sprecher, ein Herold, vier Soldaten, drei Auswanderer (vorher Soldaten) · Sprechrollen - Volk, Räte, Geistliche, Soldaten, Schiffsvolk, Auswanderer, Indios · Chor, Ballett

More Information

Title:

Columbus

Bericht und Bildnis in drei Teilen

Text von Werner Egk

Language:

German

Edition:

Performance material

Publisher/Label:

Schott Music

Year of composition:

1932 (1951)

Duration:

90 ′

World Premiere:

April 7, 1934 · München (D)
Tonhalle
Conductor: Werner Egk · Münchner Philharmoniker · Münchner Madrigal- und Oratorienchor; Chorgemeinschaft Schwabing; Chorgemeinschaft München-Ost · Choir director: Alfons Braun

(concert) (concert world première of the version for broadcasting)

January 13, 1942 · Frankfurt/Main (D)
Opernhaus
Conductor: Franz Konwitschny
Original staging: Hans Meißner · Costumes: Charlotte Vocke · Set design: Hellmut Jürgens
(scenic) (world première of the stage version 1941/1942)

May 17, 1951 · Berlin (D)
Städtische Oper
Conductor: Werner Egk · Choir director: Ernst Senff
Original staging: Georg Reinhardt · Costumes: Josef Fenneker · Set design: Josef Fenneker · Choreography: Janine Charrat
(scenic)
World Premiere (Revision) (scenic world première of the revised version 1951)

Series:

Columbus

Technical Details

Product number:

LS 1479-01

Preview/Media Contents

Audio:

Persons

Werner Egk (Composer)

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Werner Egk (Librettist)

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