Der Kuhreigen
Der Kuhreigen (German: [deːɐ̯ ˈkuːˌʁaɪɡn̩]; "The Cow Round") is an opera or musical play in three acts by the Austrian composer Wilhelm Kienzl. The libretto, by Richard Batka, is after Rudolf Hans Bartsch's novel Die kleine Blanchefleur. It was first performed at the Volksoper in Vienna on 23 November 1911.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 23 November 1911 Conductor: Robert Heger |
|---|---|---|
| Blanchefleur | soprano | Maria Jeritza |
| Primus Thaller | tenor | Rudolf Ritter |
| Brayole | tenor | Manwald |
| Cleo | mezzo-soprano | Martinowska |
| Dursel | bass | Nicolaus Zeč |
| Kanzler | bass | Resti |
| The King | bass | Günther |
| Marquis de Chézy | bass | Walden |
| Marquis Massimelle | bass | Markowsky |
Synopsis
Set in revolutionary France, this is the love story of the Swiss Sergeant Primus Thaller, condemned for singing the banned Swiss 'Kuhreigen' folksong, and Blanchefleur, wife of the Marquis Massimelle, who saves him and then herself becomes a victim of the revolution.
Recordings
March 27, 1952, Conductor: Wilhelm Loibner; Walter Berry, Otto Wiener, Anny Felbermayer, Leo Heppe, Dagmar Hermann, Fritz Sperlbauer, Erich Kaufmann, Josef Knapp, and Ruthilde Boesch. Tonkünstlerchor und Großes Orchester der RAVAG, Wien, 1951. MYTO Historical Line 2CD 00275
Richard Tauber, who was a favorite of the composer, recorded the two main tenor arias twice for Odeon Records, firstly in April 1920 by the acoustic process, and again in September 1931 electrically. Both are now on CD.
Sources
- Casaglia, Gherardo (2005)."Der Kuhreigen". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
- Melitz: Führer durch die Opern” (Berlin 1920), translated by Andreas Praefcke