Das goldene Kreuz

Das goldene Kreuz (The Golden Cross) is a German-language opera by Ignaz Brüll in two acts, with a libretto by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal. It premiered in Berlin in 1875 and was a huge success, later playing on many stages around the world including London and New York City, where it was equally well-received.

Das goldene Kreuz
Opera by Ignaz Brüll
The composer
TranslationThe Golden Cross
LibrettistSalomon Hermann Mosenthal
LanguageGerman
Based onstory by Mélesville
Premiere
22 December 1875 (1875-12-22)
Berlin Court Opera

History

Ignaz Brüll was an Austrian pianist and composer who became associated with the circle around Johannes Brahms in Vienna.[1] He taught at the Horáksche Klavierschulen in Berlin. He composed Das goldene Kreuz as his second opera. The libretto of the comic opera in the singspiel tradition was written in German by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal who had also written the libretto for Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor.[2] Das goldene Kreuz is based on a story by Mélesville which involves an emotional drama of mistaken identities during the Napoleonic Wars.[3]

Das goldene Kreuz premiered in Berlin at the court opera on 22 December 1875[3][4] with huge success.[1] Lilli Lehmann appeared as Christine. Brüll received personal compliments from the emperor, Wilhelm I.[4] More than 180 stages showed the opera, including London (translated into English) in 1878[2] by the Carl Rosa Opera Company,[4] and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where it was presented in 1886.[2] In 19th-century reviews, the opera was ranked along with Bizet's Carmen, Goldmark's Die Königin von Saba, Hermann Goetz's Der Widerspänstigen Zähmung and Nessler's Der Rattenfänger von Hameln.[5] The opera was described in an opera guide of 1907.[6] It was performed often in Germany until it was banned by the Nazi regime due to the composer's Jewish origins.[2] [7]

Roles
Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role[3] Voice type Premiere cast
Gontran de l'Ancre, a young nobleman lyric tenor
Nicolas Pariset, innkeeper baritone
Christine, his sister lyric soprano Lilli Lehmann[8]
Therese, his cousin and fiancée mezzo-soprano Louise Horina
Bombardon, sergeant bass buffo
Soldiers, farmers

References
  1. Parry, Tim (1999). "(The) Romantic Piano Concertos – 20". Gramophone. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  2. Wiesinger, R. (30 November 2015). "Brüll, Ignaz (1846–1907), Pianist und Komponist". Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon ab 1815 (online) (in German). Austrian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  3. "Das goldene Kreuz". Boosey & Hawkes. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  4. Singer, Isidore; Sohn, Joseph. "Ignaz Brüll". The Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  5. Franke, Lars (June 2007). "Hermann Goetz, Der Widerspänstigen Zähmung, Study Score (Munich: Musikproduktion Höflich, 2003). 11+283pp. np". Nineteenth-Century Music Review. 4 (1): 168–175. doi:10.1017/S1479409800000239. S2CID 193182267. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  6. von Strantz, Ferdinand (1917). Opernführer (in German). A. Weichert. p. 85. ISBN 978-9-9250-0584-0. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  7. Wecker, Hartmut (1998). "The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol. 20 – Brüll". Hyperion Records. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  8. Forbes, Elizabeth (2008). Macy, Laura Williams (ed.). The Grove Book of Opera Singers. Oxford University Press. pp. 275–276. ISBN 978-0-19-533765-5.
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