68 Cornish House, Otto Street, London SE 17 3 PE, UK

Tel: +44 20 7735 0125,  Email: norbertmeyn@mac.com

Goethe’s Singspiel Erwin und Elmire

in cooperation with Guildhall Schooll of Music and Drama and

Freundeskreis der Klassik Stiftung Weimar

performances:

Liebhabertheater Schloss Kochberg, May 31, 2008

cast: Adam Kowalczyk, Tanya Cooling, Lucy Mervik, Thomas Herford,

Ja Yeon Kang, piano   

Festsaal des Weimarer Schlosses, June 1, 2008    

cast: Norbert Meyn, Tanya Cooling, Lucy Mervik, Thomas Herford,

Ja Yeon Kang, piano

In 2001, Norbert Meyn spent several months in Weimar with a research scholarship from Stiftung Weimarer Klassik, looking in particular at the performance practice of early classical song (Lieder). Here he first came across “Erwin und Elmire” and other works from the Weimar Liebhabertheater under Goethe’s direction. In his research project “Excavating the Future” at the Guildhall School and through several performance projects he has since explored the late 18th century German song repertoire.

In 2006 Norbert Meyn prepared an abbreviated version of “Erwin und Elmire”, based on the piano reduction by Max Friedländer from 1921. Scenes and Arias from this version were performed by Guildhall Students on June 13, 2007.

Work history:

The Libretto for “Erwin und Elmire” was written in 1773, when Goethe was just 24 years of age, and was inspired by Oliver Goldsmith’s novel “The vicar or Wakefield” (1766). The duchess Anna Amalia, patron of the German Enlightenment at the court of Weimar, set it to music shortly after Goethe had moved to Weimar in 1776.

The Story:

Elmire has been deserted by her sweetheart Erwin because of her apparent coldness and is now heartbroken about her loss. Her mother Olympia and her teacher and friend Bernardo try to cheer her up without success until a plan is born. Elmire should confide in an old and wise hermit who lives in a romantic hut in the forest. This hermit is none other than the anxious Erwin in disguise, who now hears from Elmires own lips that she loves him – happy end.

The best known poem from Erwin und Elmire is “Das Veilchen”, made famous by Mozart’s setting. The “Erlkönig”, another famous Lieder text, originates from a similar Goethe-Singspiel “Die Fischerin” first staged at the Weimar court.

Anna Amalia von Sachsen- Weimar -Eisenach