Blech, Leo
Das war ich (1902)
Rural idyll in one act
Libretto by Richard Batka after Johann Hutt (G)
Scoring
2S,A,T,Bar
2(II=picc).2.corA.2.2-4.2.0.1-timp.perc-harp-strings.
Abbreviations (PDF).
Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes for the world.
World Premiere
10/6/1902
Dresden
Company: Hofoper Dresden
Roles
| PAUL, a tenant farmer | Character Baritone |
| MARTHE, Paul's wife | Lyric Soprano |
| PETER, a farm labourer | Lyric Tenor |
| RÖSCHEN, Paul's cousin | Soubrette Soprano |
| THE NEIGHBOUR | Character Alto |
Time and Place
In a German village around 1830
Synopsis Röschen is in love with Peter, the farm labourer, but her cousin Paul is against a marriage between the two because he himself, having had enough of his own married life, has an eye on his cousin. One day he succeeds in kissing the reluctant girl. He is caught by the neighbour who, having been rejected by him years ago, senses an occasion for revenge and wants to inform Marthe, Paul’s wife, of the outrageous incident on the spot. Paul, however, forestalls her, kisses Marthe quickly and repeats with her the whole delicate scene with Röschen, so that Marthe answers the neighbour with a laugh: ‘That was me!’ Now the neighbour tries the same with Peter. However, Röschen had played the same game with him as Paul had with Marthe, and so the neighbour once more gets the reply: ‘That was me!’ Thus jealousy is outwitted, and Röschen is eventually allowed to marry Peter.
Moods
Comic
Subjects
Relationships
