Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty) is a 1902 opera by Engelbert Humperdinck. The libretto, based on the story of Sleeping Beauty, was by fairy tale writer Elisabeth Ebeling and Bertha Lehrmann-Filhés, mother of Rudolf Lehmann-Filhés, with a dialogue version by Ralf Eger who worked on Franz Lehár's operettas such as Der Zarewitsch.
Dornröschen premiered on 11 December 1902 at the Stadttheater in Frankfurt-am-Main, with Humperdinck conducting.
Principal roles with premiere cast members:
Complete opera
Dornröschen – Brigitte Fassbaender (speaking role, Dämonia, the wicked fairy), Christina Landshamer (Rosa, Queen of the fairies), Kristiane Kaiser (Sleeping Beauty), Tobias Haaks (Reinhold), Stephanie Hampl (Morphina), Anna Borchers (Quecksilber), Miriam Clark (the Sun), Brigitte Bayer (a forget-me-not), Guibee Yang (a rose), Wolfgang Klose (Vogt of the Ancestral Castle), Jerzy May (Ringold), Barbara Malisch (Armgart). Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Muenchner Rundfunkorchester; Ulf Schirmer, conductor. CPO, 2011.
Incidental music
Märchenmusiken = Fairy-tale music - Hänsel und Gretel. Ouvertüre = Overture—Der blaue Vogel = The Blue Bird. Vorspiel : Der Weihnachtstraum = The Christmas Dream; Sternenreigen -- Königskinder = The King's Children. Konzertouvertüre = Concert Overture; Einleitung zum 2. Akt = Act II: Introduction : Hellafest und Kinderreigen; Einleitung zum 3. Akt. = Act II: Introduction : Verdorben-Gestorben! -- Dornröschen. Vorspiel = Prelude; Ballade; Irrfahrten = Wanderings; Dornenschloss = The Thorn Castle; Festklänge = Festival Sounds. Bamberger Symphoniker; Karl Anton Rickenbacher, conductor. Virgin Classics, 1992.
