Oper Frankfurt ‚DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL‘– Opera Frankfurt ‚The Abduction from the Seraglio‘

Ich kann nur schreiben: schön, kurzweilig, sehenswert.
I can only say: lovely, entertaining, interesting.

DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756 - 1791
Singspiel in drei Aufzügen, Text von Johann Gottlieb Stephanie d. J.
zum Werk

Die zu Mozarts Lebzeiten am häufigsten gespielte und erfolgreichste Oper? Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Noch mitten in der Komposition hatte sich Mozart mit seinem Salzburger Arbeitgeber, dem Erzbischof Hieronymus von Colloredo zerstritten und die Heimatstadt schließlich nach etlichen Auseinandersetzungen verlassen. In Wien erfüllte sich sein berufliches Ziel, die Hoffnung als Hofkomponist zu reüssieren, nicht, stattdessen heiratet er Konstanze Weber und arbeitet weiter an seiner Entführung. Dem modischen Zeitgeist folgend, ahmt Mozart musikalisch „türkische Musik“ nach, bzw. das, was er sich darunter vorstellte. Die Erinnerung an den sogenannten Türkenkrieg hundert Jahre zuvor war noch lebendig – so entstand neben einer dreiteiligen Ouvertüre, deren Anfangs- und Schlussteile „türkisch“ klingen, eine modisch „orientalische Oper“.

DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEMSERAIL (The Abduction from the Seraglio)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756 - 1791
Opera in three acts, Libretto by Johann Gottlieb Stephanie the Younger
About the Piece

Which was the most performed and successful of Mozart's operas during his lifetime? Die Entführung aus dem Serail. While composing the work, Mozart's arguments with his employer in Salzburg, Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo, led him to pack his bags and leave his city of birth. His dream of working at court in Vienna come to nothing, but he found love, married Konstanze Weber and continued work on his Entführung. In tune with the spirit of the times, Mozart imitated »Turkish music«, or how he imagined such music might sound. Memories of the so called Turkish war a hundred years earlier were still fresh – so came into being a three part overture whose beginning and end sections sound »Turkish«, a fashionable »oriental opera«.

Synopsis
Belmonte, a young Spanish nobleman, wants to free his bride Konstanze, her maid Blonde and his servant Pedrillo, who, after falling into the hand of pirates during a voyage, are being held against their will in the harem of Bassa Selim’s palace in Turkey. Belmonte does not manage to get past the steward Osmin until he meets Pedrillo, who passes Belmonte off as an achitect to get him into the building. Since their arrival Konstanze has held firm against Bassa’s threats and pleading for her love and Blonde has not given in to Osmin’s attemps at seduction. Pedrillo gets Osmin drunk so that their attempt at escape can succeed. When the the two pairs of lovers finally meet up again it seems that the escape might have to be postponed because of the men’s doubts about the women’s faithfulness - but they soon make up. Their escape is thwarted at the last moment. They are tied up and taken before Bassa, where it transpires that Belmonte is the son of Bassa’s deadly enemy. Seeing no way out of the situation Konstanze says that she would prefer to die with her lover. Instead of taking revenge Bassa grants his prisoners freedom, much to Osmin’s displeasure.