The Bell Tower
The Bell Tower is a chamber opera in one act by Ernst Krenek, his Op. 153. The English libretto by the composer was inspired by the novella by Herman Melville (collected in The Piazza Tales), the events only mysteriously hinted at in the story becoming a point of departure for the explicit dramatic action of Krenek's piece.[1] It was commissioned by the Fromm Foundation and written in 1955–56, receiving its premiere on 17 March 1957 at the University of Illinois (recorded on CRS 5).
| The Bell Tower | |
|---|---|
| Chamber opera by Ernst Krenek | |
| Librettist | Krenek |
| Language | English |
| Based on | novella by Herman Melville |
| Premiere | March 17, 1957 University of Illinois |
Roles
| Role [2] | Voice type | Premiere Cast, (Conductor:John Garvey) |
|---|---|---|
| Bannadonna, bell-caster and architect | baritone | Manfred Capell |
| Giovanni, foreman | bass | William Olson |
| Una, Bannadonna's daughter | soprano | Donna Sue Burton |
| Two Senators | Baritone & Tenor | Dan MacDonald, Donald Paschke |
| Two workers | Tenor & Baritone | Edward Levy, Bruce Govich |
| Statue | John Wilson | |
| Chorus of citizens, workers | SATB | |
Orchestra: 1.1.1.0-0.1.1.0-perc-pft-str (offstage: 2tpt, trmb, sn-dr.)
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gollark: I saw it, but didn't get it.
gollark: No, I *missed* it.
References
Notes
- author's forward in Prosa Dramen Verse (1965)
- workpage at /datenbank.krenek.at
Sources
- Stewart, John L., Ernst Krenek: The Man and His Music. University of California Press, 1991 ISBN 0-520-07014-3 ISBN 0-520-07014-3
External links
- Melville's story at the Gutenburg Project
- Recording of premiere
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