Jessonda

• Jessonda, widow of an Indian rajah ( Prince ) - ( Soprano)
• Amazali whose sister - (Soprano)
• Dandau, Oberbrahmane - (Bass)
• Nádori, young Brahmin - (Tenor)
• Tristan d' Acunha, Portuguese admiral - (baritone )
• Pedro Lopez, his confidant - (Tenor)
• An officer of the Rajah - (Bass)
• Two Bayadère ( Indian temple dancers ) - ( Soprano)

Jessonda is an opera in three acts with dance by Louis Spohr ( 1784-1859 ). The libretto in German language comes from Eduard Heinrich Go. The premiere took place in Kassel on 28 July 1823. The playing time is approximately 2 ¼ hours.

Action

Former Portuguese possession Goa, at the beginning of the 16th century.

Act I

The deceased, aged Rajah is to succeed in the death of his young widow Jessonda. The ritual calls for their death by fire. The novice Nádori to prepare them for their fate. An officer of the Rajah reports the attack of the Portuguese Navy. The Brahmins trust the power of their Hindu gods. Jessonda has resigned. It adds to the will of the priests. Amazali wants to save Jessonda and calls Nádori, the inflamed for Amazali so to help her.

Second Act

Tristan occurs under the Portuguese. He is full of longing for his childhood sweetheart Jessonda. He met the Bajarderenzug with her. He does not recognize them. By Nádori he learns that it was Jessonda. A kidnapping attempt fails on Oberbrahmanen Dandau and an agreed between the Portuguese and Indians ceasefire. Tristan retires. The preparations for the cremation ceremony will be continued.

Act Three

Also Tristan resigned. Since Nádori brings the message that Dandau wants to break the ceasefire and burn down the Portuguese fleet. Nádori is ready to perform Tristan and the Portuguese soldiers in the city.

While Dandau want to offer the sacrifice, drives a flash in the statue of the supreme deity Brahma. The Portuguese storm approach. Dandau pulls the dagger and decided based on Jessonda, but Tristan can at the last second tear his mistress in itself. At last Nádori and Amazali are united.

Creation and reception

The opera is an idea Jessonda Louis Spohr. He created it in 1822. Doing so, he took the 1821 in Berlin, first performed opera Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber ( 1786-1826 ) as a model. Like that and later Richard Wagner (1813-1883), he sought to produce a composite to the same major parts of speech, music and theater in a " total work of art ". As musical territory viewfinder he took up a draft Webers sing exemplary, romantic opera. The result was a leitmotifs embossed, self-contained, through-composed work and the time new German opera form.

The writer Eduard Heinrich Go took the libretto for the spectacle of La Veuve du Malabar ou L' Empire des coutumes (1770 ) by Antoine- Marin Lemierre ( 1723-1793 ) to the original.

Spohr achieved especially with his opera Jessonda a widespread impact, which also extended to foreign countries for over thirty years. Large fascination came from the opulent interior, sensational visual effects, great ballet scenes and striking choral entry and exotic scenery. He wrote after a performance in Leipzig: " Upon entering the orchestra I was greeted with general rejoicing. [ ... ] The biggest, really furious enthusiasm aroused the duet between Amazali and Nádori. "

The opera is not a part of today's repertoire.

Published in 1998, which specializes in premiere recordings of classical cpo a CD with eight overtures by Spohr ( and later several other CDs of his works ). This has helped to make Spohr classical music fans and hi- known friends again.