Name: Genoveva
Start: 2008-02-17T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2008-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Opernhaus

Organization

Baritone

Ruben Drole

Hidulfus

Oliver Widmer

Siegfried

Soprano

Juliane Banse

Genoveva

Tenor

Shawn Mathey

Golo

Bass-baritone

Alfred Muff

Drago

Mezzo-soprano

Cornelia Kallisch

Margaretha

Conductor

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Stage director

Martin Kušej

Set designer

Rolf Glittenberg

Costume designer

Heidi Hackl

Lighting designer

Jürgen Hoffmann

Chorus master

Ernst Raffelsberger

Opernhaus Zürich

Zurich

Switzerland

Opernhaus

On 25th June 1850, Robert Schumann’s only opera, Genoveva, received its first performance at Leipzig State Theatre. It was a much-awaited event, as Schumann, widely regarded as the leading German instrumental composer, had set his mind to the urgent task of creating a national opera. However, despite the efforts of the composer’s supporters to maintain interest in the work, the opera was soon forgotten. When conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt first came across Genoveva some 15 years ago (he subsequently recorded a CD of it in 1996), he voiced the opinion that “Genoveva is a work of art for which one should be prepared to go to the barricades”. Harnoncourt sees the main reason why Genoveva has not been recognised as a brilliant composition and perhaps the most significant opera written during the second half of the 19th century, as having much to do with the false expectations attached to the work. “You mustn’t look for dramatic events in this opera. What it offers us is a glimpse into the soul. Schumann was not interested in creating something naturalistic – he wanted to write a type of opera in which the music had a greater say.”

Genoveva Schumann,R

Approved

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