Der ferne Klang

• Fritz, a young artist (tenor )
• Grete Graumann (soprano )
• Rudolf ( bass)
• Dr. Vigelius ( bass)
• The actor (baritone )
• First chorister (Tenor)
• Second chorister ( bass)
• The waitress (mezzo- soprano)
• A dubious individual ( Tenor)
• A police man (Bass)
• A servant (voice)

The distant sound is an opera in three acts by Franz Schreker. The premiere took place in 1912 in Frankfurt am Main.

Action

Act I

The work plays in Germany and Venice around the year 1900. The young composer Fritz can Grete, his lover, is back and looking in the stranger the " distant sound ", which is to fulfill his artistic work. Grete's father gambled away the noise his daughter to the host of the inn " Zum Schwan ". As Grete not want to accept the marriage proposal of the host, she leaves her parents' house at night and fog. At first she thinks of suicide, but when looking at the moonlit landscape wins her will to live. You can be an old bawd, followed her.

Second Act

Years it celebrates Grete, who has become a well-known courtesan, with her ​​admirers on an island off Venice, a lavish celebration. The present Earl has fallen in love with Grete, who can but rebuffed him because he reminds them too much to Fritz. To divert calls from a contest: Whoever recites the most beautiful song, should spend a night with her. Shortly before the end of the competition Fritz, whose search for the " distant sound " was so far fruitless appears. He recognizes Grete, sings of his love and is declared the winner. When he realizes that, what has become of his former beloved, he turns in disgust from her. Grete is in their despair the count down.

Act Three

Fritz's opera "The Harp " falls through at the premiere. Among the spectators is also Grete, who now hires himself as a street prostitute. Fritz realizes too late that he could not have Grete entitled to reject. When she returns to him, he dies of exhaustion in her arms.

Comments

With " The distant sound " celebrated the composer Franz Schreker his first operatic success. The basic elements of its special tonal language are clearly visible: modulation rich and colorful harmony to the edge of tonality and a lush orchestration. The voices are elaborated with a bel canto intensity along the lines Puccini. The artists problem and the suggested escape into imaginary worlds were treated to the year 1900 very often. The figure of Fritz carries autobiographical. At the time of the creation of this work also Schreker was on the search for the " pure sound ".

At the premiere at the Frankfurt Opera, 1912, played and sang the tenor Karl Gentner ( 1876-1922 ) the male lead role of Fritz.