The grand opera Die Hugenotten was one of the greatest operatic successes of the 19th century, and its creator was hailed as the foremost composer of his time. Yet today, he is largely forgotten by the opera-going public and his works lie gathering dust in opera house repertories around the world.
Die Hugenotten was performed at the opening of the new Covent Garden Opera in London in 1858. However, it was a performance at the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1890 which went into the history books. In the German translations by Ignatz Franz Castelli (1837 Vienna) and Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer (1838 Munich), the conflict betweenRead more Catholics and Protestants was heavily disguised; a new version was created by Gustaf Gründgens and Julius Kapp in Berlin in 1932.
John Dew’s modern production, conducted by Stefan Soltesz, caused somewhat of a sensation when it was first performed in 1987 at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin. Giving the period and content of the work new reference points, his staging becomes almost oppressively contemporary: he sets the opera in divided Berlin, where the wall is a symbol of the separation of the two German states. Angela Denning, Lucy Peacock, Richard Leech and Martin Blasius fascinate with their wonderful voices and impressive acting.
Giacomo Meyerbeer DIE HUGENOTTEN (Les Huguenots) German version by Ignatz Franz Castelli (Sung in German)
Margarethe von Valois – Angela Denning Valentine – Lucy Peacock Raoul von Nangis – Richard Leech Graf von Saint-Bris – Hartmut Welker Urban – Camille Capasso Marcel – Martin Blasius
Deutsche Oper Berlin Chorus and Orchestra (chorus master: Georg Metz) Stefan Soltesz, conductor
John Dew, stage director Gottfried Pilz, set and costume designer
Recorded live from the Deutsche Oper Berlin, 1991
Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM Stereo Region code: 0 (worldwide) Subtitles: English, French, Spanish Running time: 156 mins No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)
Les Huguenotsby Giacomo Meyerbeer Performer:
Martin Blasius (Bass),
Angela Denning (Soprano),
Lucy Peacock (Soprano),
Richard Leech (Tenor),
Camille Capasso (Mezzo Soprano),
Hartmut Welker (Baritone)
Conductor:
Stefan Soltesz
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus,
Berlin Deutsche Oper Orchestra
Period: Romantic Written: 1836; France
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