Der Rattenfänger
composer: Wilfried Hiller
librettist: Michael Ende
Ein Hamelner Totentanz in 11 Bildern, einem Prolog und einem Epilog
Libretto von Michael Ende
(Trilogie der Sagen I)
Premiere: September 26, 1993 Dortmund, Opernhaus (D) · Conductor: Laurent Wagner · Staging: Heinz Lukas-Kindermann · Costumes: Hans Georg Schäfer · Stage design: Hans Georg Schäfer
Orchestra instrumentation: 3 (2. auch Picc., 3. auch Altfl.) · 0 · 0 · 2 · Kfg. - 4 · 4 (1. auch hohe Tr. [ad lib.]) · 3 · 1 - P. S. (Glsp. · Xyl. · Bassxyl. · 2 Marimba · Trgl. · Zimb. · Zimbelspiel · 4 hg. Beck. · chin. Gongs · Buckelgongs · 2 Tamt. · 1 gr. balinesischer Gong · 4 Tomt. · Bong. · 6 Cong. · Schellentr. · 6 Holztr. · gr. Tr. · 2 Tempelbl. · Mar. · Clav. · Röhrengl. · gestimmte Weingläser · Steinspiel · Flusssteine · Windmasch.) (3 Spieler) - Hfe. · Klav. (auch Cel.) - Str. -
Auf der Bühne: gr. Mühlstein, mit gestimmten Bambusrohren zu bespielen - 6 Cong. · Messgl. · Tamb. · kl. Tr. · Rührtr. - Harm. - Chor mit Flusssteinen - Pos. - Vl. · Va. · Kb.
Cast of characters: der Spielmann · Klarinette - Bürgermeister Heiner Gruelhot · Bass - Atela, seine Frau · dramatischer Sopran - Magdalena, deren Tochter · lyrischer Alt - Amelung Reicke, Vogt · Bariton - Abt Lambert · Mezzo-Sopran - Gottfried Weregesius, der Seher · Charakter-Tenor - Bruder Fuchsgesicht · stumme Rolle - der blinde Junge · helle Knabenstimme · das lahme Mädchen · helle Mädchenstimme - drei Weiber · Sopran, Mezzo-Sopran, Alt - drei Männer · Tenor, Bariton, Bass - die Armen, die Reichen, Landsknechte · Chor - eine Schar von Kindern, Ratsherren, Büttel, Mägde, Rattenkönig (überdimensionaler Popanz), Rattengeister, Mönche
Publisher: Schott Music
Duration: 120' 0''
Year of composition: 1992/1993
Edition: full score
Language: German
Material on hire
Description
The mysterious, disturbing tale of the Pied Piper is revisited in this haunting work. Why did the rat infestation break out? What salary did the Pied Piper want? ‘I was clear’, explains Michael Ende, ‘that the thing which brought the rat infestation into town was what the Pied Piper wanted as his salary. Something that has to be destroyed, so the town can get well again. To complete the mythos I introduced a kind of “Popanz”, a demonic being which continuously produces money. Every time it produces money the form of a ghost of death, the smaller double of the Pied Piper, sets off into the world and something has to die. This could be a tree, a river or a child...’
The town of Hamelin is already haunted by these ghosts of death by the beginning of the opera. Nature has been turned into a desert, the river Weser is dry and the trees are dead. To rescue the children from being sacrificed to the town’s wellbeing, the Pied Piper leads them out of the town to the mountain of Calvanien. However, it soon becomes clear that there’s no way out for them. (Quotation: Theater Dortmund 1993)
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