Rosamunde

The Rosamunde incidental music Op. 26 (D. 797) was composed by Franz Schubert for an 1823 play by Helmina von Chézy. The full name of that play was Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern ("Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus"); it premiered in Vienna's Theater an der Wien on 20 December, 1823.^[1]. The play, it seems, was a failure and has been permanently lost, but the music —scored for soprano, chorus, and orchestra; rescued in 1867 by George Grove and Arthur Sullivan— remains. Some of its excerpts remain among Schubert's most famous pieces.

Excerpts from the Rosamunde music are frequently played, but the complete score, lasting a full hour, is seldom heard. It has been recorded several times, notably by Kurt Masur and Claudio Abbado.

The incidental music

The music consists of an overture and ten numbers. There are two overtures associated with Rosamunde. The one actually played in the production was originally written for Schubert's opera Alfonso und Estrella. The overture usually associated with Rosamunde (though it apparently had nothing to do with it), is that to Die Zauberharfe (The Magic Harp), presumably because that overture was originally published with the incidental music. This overture is in C minor and major.

The other numbers are:

1. Entr'acte no. 1, a stirring movement in B minor (allegro molto moderato), which some believe may have been originally intended as the finale to Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony.
2. Ballet music no. 1, really two pieces in one. The first is a march in B minor (allegro moderato) beginning with a modified version of the opening theme of the first entr'acte. Like the entr'acte, this ends in B major. A bridge passage leads to a lyrical piece in G major bearing the rather puzzling tempo marking of andante un poco assai.
3. Entr'acte no. 2 in D major (andante), the outer sections of which have the same thematic material as those of no. 5, the "Chorus of Spirits." The central sections of both, though different, are in a similarly ominous mood.
4. Romanze, "Der Vollmond Strahlt auf Bergeshöh'n" (The Full Moon Shines on the Mountain Height) (andante con moto) in F minor and major for Soprano and orchestra.
5. Geisterchor (Chorus of Spirits), "In der Tiefe wohnt das Licht" (In the Deep Dwells the Light) in D major (adagio), accompanying the brewing of the poisoned ink(!).
6. Entr'acte no. 3 in B♭ major (andantino), one of the two best-known pieces in the score. The main theme was used again in the second movement of the String Quartet in A minor, D 804 and, in a modified form, in the Impromptu in B♭, Opus 142 (D 935) no. 3.
7. Hirtenmelodien (Shepherds' Melodies) in B♭ major (andante), a sextet for clarinets, bassoons and horns.
8. Hirtenchor (Shepherds' Chorus), "Hier auf den Fluren" (Here on the Fields) in B♭ major (allegretto).
9. Jägerchor (Hunters' Chorus), "Wie lebt sich's so fröhlich im Grünen" (How Merry Life is in the Country) in D major (allegro moderato).
10. Ballet no. 2, the other favorite, an andantino in G major.

The play by Helmina von Chézy

• Rosamunde, Drama in fünf Akten von Helmina von Chézy. Musik von Franz Schubert. Erstveröffentlichung der überarbeiteten Fassung. Mit einem Nachwort und unbekannten Quellen ed. Till Gerrit Waidelich, Tutzing 1996
• Ein fragmentarischer autographer Entwurf zur Erstfassung von Chézys Schauspiel „Rosamunde“, in: Schubert durch die Brille. Internationales Franz Schubert Institut, Mitteilungen 18, Tutzing 1997, 46-57

Other Rosamunde music by Schubert

A melody of the Rosamunde incidental music was re-used by Schubert in chamber music, notably in the Rosamunde string quartet and in the Impromptu Op. 142 No. 3, in B flat major, where it is the theme for a set of 5 piano variations.

In popular culture

The Overture was used for a ballet sequence in the 1952 Samuel Goldwyn film Hans Christian Andersen, starring Danny Kaye. ^[2] The ballet sequence was danced by Zizi Jeanmaire. Another one of its excerpts was incorporated into the Christmas carol Mille cherubim in coro, a song made popular by Luciano Pavarotti on his 1980 Christmas special. [1]

The piece is also played in Marvel's The Avengers in the German opera house scene.

References

• Rosamunde (Schauspielmusik): Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
• Concert notes and analysis by Bradford Robinson, 2006 (in German)

Audio file

	Impromptu in B-flat, Andante (theme) The "Rosamunde" theme of the Impromptu Op. 142 No. 3 for piano
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

See also

• Entr'acte
• Modern completions of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

External links

• Rosamunde: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.