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Music Text

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)

Publisher

Boosey & Hawkes / Bote & Bock

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

Availability

World Premiere
17/02/1927
Staatsoper, Dresden
Company: nn

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
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