Irrelohe
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| Irrelohe | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Franz Schreker | |
 The composer in 1912 | |
| Librettist | Schreker |
| Language | German |
| Premiere | |
Irrelohe is an opera in three acts by the Austrian composer Franz Schreker, libretto by the composer.
Schreker wrote the libretto in a very short time (just a few days) in 1919.[1] The work takes its name from a train station called Irrenlohe which Schreker passed through during a journey to Nuremberg in March 1919.[1] Composition occupied Schreker from 1920 until 1922. The score was published in 1923 by Universal Edition Vienna.[2]
Performance history
The opera was first performed on 27 March 1924 at the Stadttheater Köln, conducted by Otto Klemperer.[2] Productions in a further seven cities followed (including Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Leipzig),[3] but critical response was mixed and, together with changing audience tastes and the complexity of the score, the work failed to maintain its place in the repertoire.
The first production in modern times was at the Bielefeld Opera in 1985,[3] followed by a concert performance in Vienna in 1989.[1] Further stagings have taken place at the Vienna Volksoper (2004),[4] the Bonn Opera (2010),[5] the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern (2015)[6] and Opéra de Lyon (2022).[7]
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast 27 March 1924 (Conductor: Otto Klemperer) |
|---|---|---|
| Count Heinrich (Graf Heinrich, Herr auf Irrelohe) | tenor | |
| The forester (Der Förster) | bass | |
| Eva | soprano | |
| Old Lola (Die alte Lola) | mezzo-soprano | |
| Peter, Lola's son | baritone | |
| Christobald, an old fiddler | tenor | |
| The parson (Der Pfarrer) | bass-baritone | |
| The miller (Der Müller) | bass | |
| Fünkchen, a musician | tenor | |
| Strahlbusch, a musician | tenor | |
| Ratzekahl, a musician | bass | |
| Anselmus | bass-baritone | |
| A footman (Ein Lakai) | tenor |
Instrumentation
The orchestral score requires:
- 3 flutes (all doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (3rd doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (in A/B-flat, 3rd doubling clarinet in E-flat), bass clarinet in B-flat (doubling basset horn in F), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon;
- 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, bass tuba;
- 2 sets of timpani, 3 high kettle drums, percussion (9 players, including xylophone, glockenspiel and 3 anvils), 2 harps, harpsichord, celesta, guitar, mandolin;
- strings (16 violins I, 14 violins II, 12 violas, 10 violoncellos, 8 double basses).[2]
Additionally, an on-stage orchestra is required consisting of 2 piccolos, 2 clarinets, 6 horns, 3 trumpets, percussion, bells and organ.
