| Irische Legende | |
| Composer: | Werner Egk |
| Librettist: | Egk |
| Language: | German |
| Premiere Location: | Salzburg Festival |
German: Irische Legende (Irish Legend) is a 1955 opera by Werner Egk who also wrote the libretto after the 1892/1899 verse drama The Countess Cathleen by W. B. Yeats. It premiered at the Salzburg Festival on 17 August 1955.
German: Irische Legende was the first opera that Egk composed after World War II. He had studied with Carl Orff in Munich, and was successful in the 1930s with German: [[Die Zaubergeige]], Norwegian: [[Peer Gynt (opera)|Peer Gynt]] and Columbus. He was invited to compose an opera for the 1955 Salzburg Festival. The project was supported by Wilhelm Furtwängler. Egk wrote his own libretto based on The Countess Cathleen by Yeats which has elements of Irish mysticism from both heathen and Christian roots.
German: Irische Legende was premiered at the Salzburg Festival on 17 August 1955, conducted by George Szell and directed by Oscar Fritz Schuh, with Inge Borkh and the young Walter Berry in leading roles. The premiere performance was broadcast by international radio stations. The premiere received international recognition. The Salzburg Festival presented nine premieres between 1947 and 1957, including von Einem's German: [[Dantons Tod (opera)|Dantons Tod]], Orff's Antigone, Blacher's German: [[Romeo und Julia (Blacher opera)|Romeo und Julia]] and German: [[Die Liebe der Danae]] by Richard Strauss. Egk revised the opera in 1975.[1]
Ireland suffers a famine. Two messengers of the devil, disguised as merchants, promise food to the hungry in return for selling their souls. Many despaired give in and end in hell. The countess Cathleen offers her soul to save the others. Egk explained that he liked the concept that one person could try, against all odds, to stand up for others in a seemingly hopeless situation (German: "dass ein Einzelner in scheinbar hoffnungsloser Lage – der eigenen Verantwortung bewusst und gegen alle Wahrscheinlichkeit – einen Ausbruch aus der Hoffnungslosigkeit unternimmt"|italic=no).
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 17 August 1955 Conductor: George Szell[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathleen | Inge Borkh | ||
| Der Dichter Aleel (Aleel, the poet) | Kurt Böhme | ||
| Die Amme Oona (Oona, the nurse) | Margarete Klose | ||
| Der Verwalter (The Administrator) | baritone | Franz Bierbach | |
| Zwei Hirten (two Shepherds) | Waldemar Kmentt, | ||
| Der Tiger (The Tiger) | baritone | Walter Berry | |
| Zwei Eulen (two Owls) | soprano, contralto | Chloe Owen, Lilian Benningsen | |
| Der Geier (The Vulture) | tenor | ||
| Die Schlange | dancer | Maria Litto | |
| Zwei Hyänen in Gestalt von Kaufleuten (Two Hyenas in the appearance of merchants) | tenor, baritone | Max Lorenz, Oskar Czerwenka | |
| Fausts Erscheinung (Apparition of Faust) | bass | Gottlob Frick | |
| Stimme hinter der Szene (Satanas) (Voice behind the scene, Satan) | bass | Gottlob Frick | |
| Seele (Soul) | Patricia Brinton | ||
| Die leeren Seelen, Engel, Hirten, Knechte, Volk (The empty souls, angels, shepherds, servants, crowd | |||
The story takes place in Ireland in legendary time.