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Arabella

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Opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to a libretto by Hofmannsthal (1933, Dresden).



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Arabella, an opera, described as a ‘lyrische Komödie’, composed by R. Strauss with a libretto provided by H. von Hofmannsthal. It is based on a Novelle by Hofmannsthal entitled Lucidor, and was first performed on 1 July 1933 at Dresden. Set in Vienna about 1860, it is a comedy of misunderstanding. Graf Waldner, his wife Adelaide, and their two daughters, Arabella and Zdenka, are in desperate financial straits because the count has gambled away the family fortune and continues to pile up debts. They are able to maintain appearances only by dressing Zdenka inexpensively as a boy, who, to the outside world, is known as Zdenko. Arabella is deaf to the pleas of her suitor Matteo, an officer, who, however, receives moving love letters apparently from her, which in reality are written by Zdenka/Zdenko, who is deeply in love with Matteo.

Graf Waldner, in order to escape from his financial embarrassments, proposes to marry Arabella to Mandryka, a rich brother officer of his regimental days, and sends him a portrait of the girl. Instead of the expected old gentleman, a handsome young man of the same name appears and becomes a suitor for Arabella's hand. The original Mandryka has died, and this is his nephew and heir. Young Mandryka and Arabella fall in love, and the finances of the Waldner family appear to be restored. One difficulty remains: the love and jealousy of Matteo. At a ball he receives an assignation, accompanied by a key, apparently from Arabella. He keeps the assignation, which takes place in darkness. Mandryka suspects Arabella's fidelity, and a storm of anger looms over the family. At this moment Zdenka appears as the young girl she really is. It is she who has made and kept the assignation. By her confession she wins Matteo for herself and reconciles Mandryka and Arabella.

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Arabella

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Operas by Richard Strauss
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Guntram (1894)
Feuersnot (1901)
Salome (1905)
Elektra (1909)
Der Rosenkavalier (1911)
Ariadne auf Naxos (1912/16)
Die Frau ohne Schatten (1918)
Intermezzo (1924)
Die ägyptische Helena (1927)
Arabella (1932)
Die schweigsame Frau (1934)
Friedenstag (1938)
Daphne (1938)
Die Liebe der Danae (1940)
Capriccio (1942)

Arabella is a lyric comedy or opera in 3 acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. It was first performed on 1 July 1933, at the Dresden Sächsisches Staatstheater. The opera made its United States debut at the Metropolitan Opera on February 10, 1955 with Eleanor Steber in the title role.

Contents

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere cast, July 1, 1933
(Conductor: Clemens Krauss)
Arabella soprano Viorica Ursuleac
Zdenka, her sister soprano Margit Bokor
Count Waldner, their father, a retired cavalry officer bass Friedrich Plaschke
Adelaide, their mother mezzo-soprano Camilla Kallab
Mandryka, a Croatian landowner baritone Alfred Jerger
Matteo, a young officer tenor Martin Kremer
Count Elemer, one of Arabella's suitors tenor Karl Albrecht Streib
Count Dominik, another baritone Kurt Böhme
Count Lamoral, a third bass Arno Schellenberg
The Fiakermilli, belle of the Coachmen's Ball coloratura soprano Ellice Illiard
A fortune-teller soprano Jessyka Koettrik
Welko, Djura, Jankel, Mandryka's servants spoken Robert Büssel,
Robert Schmalnauer,
Horst Falke
Hotel Porter spoken Ludwig Eybisch
A chaperone, three card players, a doctor, a waiter silent
Coachmen, waiters, ball guests, hotel residents

Synopsis

Time: 1860s
Place: Vienna

Overview

The beautiful but proud Arabella is the daughter of the Waldner family, who face financial ruin unless Arabella marries a rich husband. Arabella hopes to marry for love, not money; but when a loving suitor unexpectedly appears, her happiness is threatened by a web of misunderstanding and deception.

Act 1

In a hotel in Vienna

Countess Adelaide has her fortune told. The fortune teller predicts Arabella will marry a man from far away, but that trouble may be in store. The Waldners have a second daughter, Zdenka, but since they can hardly afford two daughters marrying, they have dressed her as a boy, whom they present as "Zdenko." Zdenka is actually in love with Matteo, a penniless officer who loves Arabella. To prevent him from committing suicide, Zdenka writes him love letters she signs with Arabella's name. Zdenka reproaches Arabella for her unsympathetic treatment of Matteo, but Arabella says that she is hoping for the "Right Man," to whom she can give her heart completely. Meanwhile, Arabella is wooed by three suitors: Elemer, Dominik and Lamoral, and she acknowledges that she may have to accept one of them, but she has fallen in love at first sight with a stranger she has barely passed in the street.

Count Waldner, in dire straits, has written all his friends for financial help, to no avail. Waldner was hopeful for an answer from an old and immensely wealthy Croatian friend of his named Mandryka; he had even sent him a portrait of Arabella, in hopes of a marriage. A visitor arrives and Count Waldner is surprised to see that it is his friend Mandryka, however, a different man enters, who turns out to be the nephew, also named Mandryka. His uncle is dead, and as his only heir, he has acquired his fortune, the letter and portrait. From seeing the portrait, he has fallen in love with Arabella. He offers to marry her and gives Waldner money.

A carnival ball is to be held that night. Matteo asks "Zdenko," his supposedly male friend, when he will receive another letter from Arabella; "Zdenko" answers that he will have one that very evening at the ball. Arabella continues to muse about the strange man she had noticed, but when Count Elemer arrives to be her escort for the evening, she tries to banish these thoughts and look forward to the excitement of the ball.

Act 2

In a ballroom

Arabella meets Mandryka, who turns out to be her fascinating stranger. Mandryka tells her about his life and his country's customs, in which young women offer their fiancés a glass of water as a token of agreeing to be married. Mandryka tells Arabella that she will be mistress of all the things he owns, and that she will be the only thing that will be ranked above him besides the Emperor himself; Arabella finally agrees to marry him, saying, "I give myself to you, for eternity", the couple are very happy and Mandryka agrees to Arabella's request that she be allowed to say farewell to her maidenhood, during which she thanks her suitors for their interest in her and bids them goodbye.

Meanwhile, Zdenka gives Matteo a letter with the key to the room next to Arabella's, saying that it is Arabella's room and promising that Arabella will meet him there that night. Mandryka overhears this conversation and, mad with jealousy and disappointment (although he at first tried to evade these feelings), raises a commotion, flirting with the Fiakermilli, the ball's mascot. Since Arabella is nowhere to be found, the Waldners insist that he meet Arabella to talk things out, and they head for the hotel.

Act 3

A lobby in the hotel

A passionate orchestral prelude depicts the love-making of Matteo and Zdenka.

Arabella enters the lobby and comes across Matteo. As Arabella is in love with Mandryka and Matteo is in love with Arabella and thinks it was she with whom he had just made love, in a darkened room, their conversation is at once confused and emotional. The Count and Countess and Mandryka arrive at this moment, helping further the misunderstanding. After Mandryka accuses Arabella of infidelity and plans to go back to his land, Zdenka rushes in, no longer in disguise and in her negligee (making it clear that it was she who slept with Matteo). She declares her intention to drown herself for such a disgrace. The situation is finally cleared up. Matteo learns that the letters were forged by Zdenka and that it was her and not Arabella in the room. Surprisingly, he suddenly realizes that he is in love with Zdenka, whom he agrees to marry. Mandryka is left to ruminate on his indecorous and boorish behaviour, thinking it has lost him Arabella as his wife. Arabella asks his servant to bring her a glass of water, and Mandryka thinks she has requested it for her refreshment. Arabella goes upstairs and Mandryka, grieving and blaming himself, stays downstairs. However, afterwards Arabella comes down the stairs and, seeing that he has stayed and having pardoned him, offers him the glass of water, signifying reconciliation and marriage. They happily kiss and Arabella goes up the stairs to her room.

Instrumentation

Recordings

Year Cast
(Arabella, Zdenka, Mandryka)
Conductor,
Opera House and Orchestra
Label
1947 Maria Reining, Lisa della Casa, Hans Hotter Karl Böhm,
Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Phiharmonic Orchestra
DG
1953 Lisa della Casa, Elfride Trötschel, Hermann Uhde Rudolf Kempe,
Chor & Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper
Testament
1955 Eleanor Steber, Hilde Güden, George London Rudolf Kempe,
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus
Andromeda (sung in English)
1957 Lisa della Casa, Hilde Güden, George London Sir Georg Solti,
Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
Decca
1963 Lisa della Casa, Anneliese Rothenberger, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Joseph Keilberth,
Bayerischer Staatsopernchor & Bayerisches Staatsorchester
DG
1977 Julia Varady, Helen Donath, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Wolfgang Sawallisch,
Bayerisches Staatsorchester Staatsorchester
Orfeo
1980 Kiri te Kanawa, Gabriele Fontana, Franz Grundheber Jeffrey Tate,
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Decca
1984 Kiri te Kanawa, Gianna Rolandi, John Bröcheler Bernard Haitink,
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Kultur Video (DVD)
1984 Gundula Janowitz, Sona Ghazarian, Bernd Weikl Sir Georg Solti,
Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
Decca (DVD)
1995 Kiri te Kanawa, Marie McLaughlin, Wolfgang Brendel Christian Thielemann,
Metropolitan Opera
DG (DVD)
2008 Renée Fleming, Julia Kleiter, Morten Frank Larsen Franz Welser-Möst,
Orchestra of the Opernhaus Zürich
Decca (DVD)

Sources

  • " Arabella: Richard Strauss" from English National Opera series, New York: Riverrun Press, 1985) ISBN 0-7145-4062-5
  • John Warrack and Ewan West, The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 1992 ISBN 0-19-869164-5

External links


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