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Die Hamletmaschine is an opera composed by Wolfgang Rihm to a German-language libretto based on Heiner Müller's play Hamletmachine. The libretto, subtitled Musiktheater in 5 Teilen (Music Drama in 5 parts), was written by the composer. The opera was composed between 1983 and 1986.

The opera premiered on 30 March 1987 at the Nationaltheater Mannheim. The premiere production was directed by Friedrich Meyer-Oertel and conducted by Peter Schneider. The role of Ophelia, written for a Wagnerian soprano, was sung by Gabriele Schnaut. The Hamlet character was portrayed at different stages in his life by three separate performers: the actors Kurt Müller and Rudolf Kowalski as Hamlet I and Hamlet II, and the baritone Johannes M. Kösters as Hamlet III.

The work is described in the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera as following Stockhausen in that it seeks "a total theatre of sound and nonnarrative, ritualistic drama." Müller's play, which formed the basis for the libretto, has subsequently had two more musical settings—a chamber work by Ruth Zechlin for narrator and small orchestra (1991) and an oratorio for choir, soloists and orchestra by Georges Aperghis (2000).

A live recording of the opera's premiere was released on CD in 1995 (Wergo #6195)

Structure

• I. Familienalbum (Family Album)
• II. Das Europa der Frau (Europe of the Woman)
• III. Scherzo
• IV. Pest in Buda, Schlacht um Grönland (Pest in Buda, Battle of Greenland)
• V. Wildharrend, In der furchtbaren Rüstung, Jahrtausende (Wildstraining, In the Fearsome Armaments, Millennia)

References

1. ^ Universal Edition. Wolfgang Rihm, Die Hamletmaschine: Musiktheater in 5 Teilen. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
2. Warrack, John and West, Ewan (eds.) (1996). "Rihm, Wolfgang", Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera, p. 432. Oxford University Press.
3. Yunker, Johanna Frances (2013). "Father or Criminal: Ruth Zechlin's Post-Reunification Opera Die Reise", p. 3. AMS-SW Conference, Spring 2013, Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
4. ^ WERGO. Wolfgang Rihm, v. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
5. AllMusic. Rihm: Die Hamletmaschine. Retrieved 21 July 2013.

Further reading

• Neff, Severine (1990). "Die Hamletmaschine: Musiktheater in fünf Teilen (1983-1986) by Wolfgang Rihm". Notes, Second Series, Vol. 47, No. 1 (September 1990), pp. 215-217 (subscription required)

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