Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Der Mond

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Based on
  
a Grimms' fairy tale

First performance
  
5 February 1939

Language
  
German

Composers
  
Carl Orff, Rocko Schamoni

Written
  
1938

Lyricist
  
Rocko Schamoni

Librettist
  
Carl Orff

Der Mond httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Description
  
Ein kleines Welttheater ("A little world theatre")

Premiere
  
5 February 1939 (1939-02-05) Bavarian State Opera

Similar
  
Die Kluge, Trionfo di Afrodite, Antigonae, De temporum fine como, Edipo rey

Der Mond (The Moon) is an opera in one act by Carl Orff based on a Grimm's fairy tale) with a libretto by the composer. It was first performed on 5 February 1939 by the Bavarian State Opera in Munich under the direction of Clemens Krauss. The composer describes it not as an opera but as Ein kleines Welttheater ("A little world theatre"); the performance lasts for about one hour and is often paired with Orff's Die Kluge.

Contents

Mendelssohn der mond thomas michael allen


Synopsis

The story involves characters who steal the moon for their country which does not have a moon. They take the moon to their graves upon their deaths and St. Peter goes to the underworld to retrieve it and hang it again in the sky. Two speaking roles include that of a child and a landlord. Singing roles include the four rascals who steal the moon, St. Peter, a farmer and the narrator.

Instrumentation

  • Woodwind: 3 flutes (2 doubling piccolos), 3 oboes (1 doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (1 doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (1 doubling double bassoon)
  • Brass: 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
  • Percussion (5 percussionists): bass drum, snare drum, field drum, tambourine, triangle, xylophone, cymbals, castanets, various Turkish cymbals, big tamtam, ratchet, stick, sleigh bells, hour bell, tubular bells, glass harmonica, metallophone, glockenspiel
  • Other instruments: harp, celesta, piano, harmonium, accordion, zither, strings
  • Stage orchestra: mixed choir, natural horn (tuba), organ, bells, 3 field drums, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, wind machine, thunder machine, thunder & lighting (Blitz, Einschlag)
  • Selected recordings

  • Die Kluge, Der Mond, conductor: Kurt Eichhorn, 1970, RCA Classic, ASIN B000025QHU
  • Die Kluge, Der Mond, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Gottlob Frick, Marcel Cordes, Benno Kusche, Hermann Prey, Gustav Neidlinger, Hans Hotter, Karl Schmitt-Walter, conductor: Wolfgang Sawallisch, 1990, EMI Classics 0777763712 2 1
  • References

    Der Mond Wikipedia