The Magic Knight is a one-act musical burlesque with music by Victor Herbert and a libretto by Edgar Smith. Burlesque is a genre of entertainment also known as Travesty. Victor August Herbert ( February 1 1859 &ndash May 26 1924) was a Cellist, conductor and Composer best known The piece parodies the Richard Wagner opera Lohengrin. Lohengrin is a romantic Opera (or music drama in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner.
The original production opened at Weber's Music Hall in New York City on December 25, 1906, and ran for 102 performances until March 23, 1907. The City of New York Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year It was played as a show within a show with Herbert and Smith's two-act operetta, Dream City. [1]
Modern performances of the piece, especially with orchestra, are rare. It was performed without orchestra, within Dream City, during the 2006 Victor Herbert Festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ann Arbor is a city in the US state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. [2]
Contents |
Synopsis
Elsa is accused of murdering her brother, Godfrey, who has mysteriously disappeared, but Elsa is guilty of nothing more than an excessive fondness for singing cadenzas. Frederick, who was to have married Elsa, marries the enchantress Ortrud, instead. Ortrud has turned Godfrey into a swan. Elsa calls upon a magic knight to save her by engaging in combat with Frederick. A first call to fairyland to summon the knight is unsuccessful, but after a second call, the knight arrives on the back of the enchanted swan. The knight soon defeats the cowardly Frederick and turns the swan back into Godfrey. He asks Elsa to marry him, but when she asks his name, the enchantment is broken. He must return to fairyland, leaving Elsa alone and grief stricken, but still singing cadenzas.
Musical numbers
- Our King Is Here – Ensemble
- The Court Is Called to Order – The King
- Elsa Is Accused – Frederick and Tunite
- I'm Such a Modest Maiden – Elsa
- The Human Canary – Elsa
- The Magic Knight Is Summoned – The Herald
- Oh, Look Who's Here – Elsa and Chorus
- Ta Ta, My Dainty Little Darling – Lohengrin
- The Cake-Walk Duel – Lohengrin and Frederick
- The Confession – Ortrud
Roles and original cast
- The King – Frank Belcher
- Elsa – Lillian Blauvelt
- The Herald – W. Lillian Blauvelt (1873 - 1947 was a popular opera singer in New York City, USA in the first decade of the 20th century L. Romaine
- Ortrud – Cora Tracey
- Lohengrin – Maurice Farkoa
- The Swan, Godfrey – Lores Grimm
- Frederick – Otis Harlan
- Tumaronite – Lillian deLee
- Tunite – Lois Ewell
- Lastnite – Billie Norton
Recording
A recording of The Magic Knight was released with Dream City in 2006 by the Comic Opera Guild. Otis Harlan ( December 29, 1865 &ndash January 21, 1940) was an American comedic actor [3]
References
External link
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic