- Robert Schumann’s only opera, Genoveva, was based on a retelling of the Medieval legend (Genevieve of Brabant) written by dramatist Friedrich Hebbel. In Hebbel’s 1841 version of the story, the author focuses on the tale’s antagonist, Golo, and the psychology behind his character.
- Schumann’s Genoveva was composed between 1847-48, with libretto written by the composer.
- Schumann had originally engaged Robert Reinick to write the libretto, but the two failed to see eye-to-eye on the project. One of their major disagreements was Reinick’s preference for Ludwig Tieck’s 1799 dramatization of the legend over Hebbel’s.
- The opera premiered in Leipzig in 1850 under the direction of the composer and only received three performances. One notable event from the premiere was a memory lapse from the tenor lead, which subsequently threw the cast into confusion.
- Fun fact – the overture to the opera was one of the first moments from the score that Schumann put to paper. While the opera as a whole has been effectively forgotten, the overture survives as a popular piece for the concert hall and offers a compelling portrait of the drama of the work.1
Sources
- John Daverio and Eric Sams, “Schumann, Robert,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed January 11, 2023, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040704.
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