Graener, Paul

Hanneles Himmelfahrt (1927)

Duration: 75 minutes
Opera in two acts

Libretto by Georg Gräner after Gerhart Hauptmann (G)

Scoring
3S,2M,2A,3T,B,8silent roles,speaking role; chorus; 3(III=picc).3(III=corA).3(III=bcl).3(III=dbn)-4.3.3.1-timp.perc-2harps-cel-org-strings.
Abbreviations (PDF).

Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes for the world.

World Premiere
2/17/1927
Staatsoper, Dresden
Company: Unknown

Roles

HANNELE	High Soprano
GOTTWALD, teacher	Tenor
SISTER MARTHA, deaconness	Alto
Inmates of a poorhouse:
- TULPE	Mezzo soprano
- HEDWIG	Soprano
- PLESCHKE	Bass
- HANKE	Tenor
SEIDEL, lumberjack	Silent role
DR WACHLER, physician	Silent role
Apparitions:
MATTERN, bricklayer, Hannele's father	Speaking role
A FEMALE FIGURE, Hannele's late mother	Alto
A DEACONNESS (Sister Martha)	Alto (same singer als Sister Martha)
A LARGE BLACK ANGEL	Silent role
THREE LIGHT ANGELS	Soprano, mezzo soprano, alto
THE STRANGER	Tenor (same singer as Gottwald)
PLESCHKE and HANKE, inmates of the poorhouse
Women and children
FOUR YOUTHS DRESSED IN WHITE	Silent roles
THE VILLAGE TAILOR	Tenor
Many small and large angels

Time and Place
A mountain village in Silesia in the 19th century

Synopsis

Fleeing from her father who is constantly abusing her, little Hannele falls into the village pond. Half drowned, she is fished out by Gottwald, a teacher, who takes her to the poorhouse where Doctor Wachler and Sister Martha take care of her. Hannele has feverish visions of her mother who wants her to join her in paradise. And she sees a good and a bad angel fighting each other. The black angel is victorious. When Hannele is pronounced dead, her drunken father crashes into the room. A stranger appears and talks to him until he eventually darts off in panic. Then the stranger takes Hannele by the hand and leads her away to a distantly shining fairy-tale town.

Moods
Dramatic, Romantic

Subjects
Ethics, Magic/Mystery, Relationships, Religion, Society