Violanta and Die Tote Stadt Composer Erich Korngold Was Born May 29, 1897

Summary: Violanta and Die Tote Stadt composer Erich Korngold was born May 29, 1897, and had United States premieres for both operas at the Metropolitan Opera.

portrait of Erich Wolfgang Korngold by Austro-Hungarian photographer Georg Fayer (1892-Nov. 5, 1950) in 1927, the year of Violanta’s United States premiere at the Metropolitan Opera: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Violanta and Die Tote Stadt composer Erich Korngold was born May 29, 1897, and the United States premieres of both premieres, held at the Metropolitan Opera, featured Czech soprano Maria Jeritza as the principal soprano.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was born Saturday, May 29, 1897, into a musical Jewish family in Brünn, Moravia, Austria-Hungary (present-day Brno, Moravia, Czech Republic). His parents were amateur singer and pianist Josefine Witrofsky Korngold (Feb. 12, 1872-Aug. 12, 1958) and esteemed music critic Leopold Julius Korngold (Dec. 24, 1860-Sept. 25, 1945). His only sibling, older brother Hanns Robert Korngold (July 25, 1892-May 17, 1965) led various eponymous jazz bands in Austria between 1928 and 1936.

Considered a child prodigy, he performed Gold, his cantata for solo voices and piano, for Austro-Bohemian late Romantic Era composer Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860-May 18, 1911) in 1909. Mahler’s recommendation led to Erich Korngold’s studies with Austrian composer, conductor and teacher Alexander (von) Zemlinsky (Oct. 14, 1871-March 15, 1942).

Korngold’s first two operas premiered together March 28, 1916, at the Nationaltheater (National Theatre) in Munch, Bavaria, southeastern Germany. The two one-act operas complemented each other as a comedy and a tragedy.

His first opera, Der Ring des Polykrates (The Ring of Polykrates), was a comedy, with a German libretto by Austrian dramaturge, librettist and translator Leo Hirschfeld (Feb. 14, 1899-Sept. 5, 1924), known as Leo Feld. The libretto was based upon the same-named comic drama by Austro-Bohemian dramatist Heinrich Teweles (Nov. 13, 1856-Aug. 9, 1927). The opera’s setting is 18th century Saxony, east central Germany.

Korngold’s second opera, Violanta, was a tragedy, with a German libretto by Austro-Moravian playwright Hans Müller (Oct. 25, 1882-March 8, 1950), known as Hans Müller-Einigen. Violanta’s setting is 15th century Venice.

Korngold’s third opera, Die Tote Stadt (The Dead City), received simultaneous premieres Dec. 4, 1920, at Cologne Opera, North Rhine-Westphalia, central western Germany, and Hamburg State Opera, north central Germany. The opera’s setting is Bruges, Belgium, at the end of the 19th century. Erich and his father co-wrote the opera’s German libretto under their collective pseudonym of Paul Scott. The inspiration for the libretto was Die stille Stadt (The Still City) by Viennese playwright and poet Siegfried Trebitsch (Dec. 22, 1868-June 3, 1956).

Renamed Das Trugbild (The Mirage) by Trebitsch in 1913, Die stille Stadt was Trebitsch’s 1902 translation of Le Mirage (The Mirage) by Belgian Symbolist novelist and poet Georges Rodenbach (July 16, 1855-Dec. 25, 1898). Le Mirage, posthumously published in the April 1, 1900, issue of La Revue de Paris, was Rodenbach’s adaptation, “mais renouvelé avec une réelle puissance dramatique” (but renewed with a real dramatic power), of his 1892 novel, Bruges-la-Morte (Bruges the Dead [City]).

After Die Tote Stadt, Korngold composed three additional operas. Das Wunder der Heliane (The Miracle of Heliane) premiered Oct. 27, 1927, at Hamburg State Opera. Hans Müller-Einigen’s German libretto adapted “Die Heilige” (The Saint), a Lucifer-themed mystery play by Austrian dramatist, poet and writer Hans Kaltneker (Feb. 2, 1895-Sept. 29, 1919). Die Kathrin: A Folk Opera premiered Oct. 7, 1939, at Stockholm’s Royal Swedish Opera with a German libretto by Austrian author and music critic Ernst Décsey (April 13, 1870-March 12, 1941). Décsey’s libretto was based upon Die Magd von Aachen, a novel published in 1931 by German and American author and journalist Heinrich Eduard Jacob (Oct. 7, 1889-Oct. 25, 1967). Die stumme Serenade (The Silent Serenade) premiered Nov. 10, 1954, with a German libretto by Victor Clement, at Theater Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, west central Germany.

The Metropolitan Opera has staged only two of Korngold’s operas. The opera house hosted the United States premieres for Korngold’s second and third operas, Violanta and Die Tote Stadt.

Die Tote Stadt’s United States premiere took place Nov. 19, 1921, at the Metropolitan Opera. The opera’s premiere marked the Met Opera debut of Maria Jeritza (Oct. 6, 1887-July 10, 1982). The Czech soprano sang the principal role of Marietta/Marie. Die Tote Stadt received eight performances during the 1921-1922 season. Met Opera has not staged Die Tote Stadt since the four performances offered during the 1922-1923 season.

Violanta’s United States premiere took place Nov. 5, 1927, at the Metropolitan Opera. Maria Jeritza sang the title role. The opera received five performances during the 1927-1928 season.

Violanta shared double billing with Met Opera’s new production of Hänsel und Gretel by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (Sept. 1, 1854-Sept. 27, 1921). Humperdinck’s fairy tale opera received 12 performances during the 1927-1928 season.

Violanta has not been performed at the Metropolitan Opera since its premiere season. Contrastingly, Hänsel und Gretel has become a Met Opera holiday favorite, marking its 278th performance Jan. 6, 2018.

Korngold died Friday, Nov. 29, 1957, from cerebral thrombosis. He was buried in the Garden of Legends (formerly Section 8) of Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles County, Southern California.

The takeaway for Violanta and Die Tote Stadt composer Erich Korngold, who was born May 29, 1897, is that the United States premieres for both operas took place at the Metropolitan Opera.

Czech soprano Maria Jeritza made her Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 19, 1921, in the United States premiere of Erich Korngold’s Die tote Stadt; Maria Jeritza as Die tote Stadt’s Marietta/Marie with American operatic tenor Orville Harrold (Nov. 17, 1877-Oct. 23, 1933) as Paul; White Studio, Manhattan, New York; Bain News Service; George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division: No known restrictions on publication, via Library of Congress

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

portrait of Erich Wolfgang Korngold by Austro-Hungarian photographer Georg Fayer (1892-Nov. 5, 1950) in 1927, the year of Violanta’s United States premiere at the Metropolitan Opera: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Erich_Wolfgang_Korngold_(1897–1957)_1927_©_Georg_Fayer_(1892–1950)_OeNB_10451525.jpg;
via Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek ÖNB @ https://onb.digital/result/BAG_10451525

Czech soprano Maria Jeritza made her Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 19, 1921, in the United States premiere of Erich Korngold’s Die tote Stadt; Maria Jeritza as Die tote Stadt’s Marietta/Marie with American operatic tenor Orville Harrold (Nov. 17, 1877-Oct. 23, 1933) as Paul; White Studio, Manhattan, New York; Bain News Service; George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division: No known restrictions on publication, via Library of Congress @ http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2014713688/

For further information:

Carroll, Brendan G. The Last Prodigy: A Biography of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Portland OR: Amadeus Press, 1997.

“Debuts: Maria Jeritza, George Meader.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 79050 United States Premier Die Tote Stadt {1} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/19/1921.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=79050

Dixon, Troy. “Erich Wolfgang Korngold Biography.” Erich Wolfgang Korngold Society. February 2006; revised February 2011.
Available @ http://www.korngold-society.org/bio.html

Duchen, Jessica. Erich Wolfgang Korngold. London, England: Phaidon Press, 1996.

Iola. “Erich Wolfgang Korngold.” Find A Grave > Find A Grave Memorial 7920. Dec. 23, 1999.
Available @ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7920/erich-wolfgang-korngold

Marriner, Derdriu. “Hansel and Gretel Is Jan. 6, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Jan. 1, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/01/hansel-and-gretel-is-jan-6-2018-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Hänsel und Gretel Is the Dec. 24, 2016, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Dec. 19, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/12/hansel-und-gretel-is-dec-24-2016.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Joseph Urban Designed Sets for 14 U.S. Premieres at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 23, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/joseph-urban-designed-sets-for-14-us.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Maria Jeritza Sang Title Role in U.S. Turandot Premiere at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 6, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/08/maria-jeritza-sang-title-role-in-us.html

Mosley, Philip. “Appendix B: From Rodenbach to Korngold: The Intertextual Genesis of Die tote Stadt.” Georges Rodenbach: Critical Essays: 190-194. Cranbury NJ; London, England; Mississauga, Canada: Associated University Presses, 1996.
Available via Google Books @ https://books.google.com/books?id=jGyU7dd0ZjAC&pg=PA190

Rodenbach, Georges. “Le Mirage.” La Revue de Paris, septième année, tome deuxième (1 Avril 1900): 445-490. Paris, France: Bureaux de La Revue de Paris, 1900.
Available via HathiTrust @ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.31951001915970q?urlappend=%3Bseq=455

Scott, Paul. Die Tote Stadt (The Dead City): Opera in Three Acts Founded on G. Rodenbach’s “Das Trugbild.” English version for R.H. Elkin. Music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Mainz, Germany: B. Scott’s Sohne, 1920 (German version), 1921 (English version).
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/dietotestadtdead00korn

“United States Premiere: Die Tote Stadt.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 79050 United States Premiere Die Tote Stadt {1} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/19/1921.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=79050

“United States Premiere: Violanta.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 97060 United States Premiere (Violanta) New Production (Hänsel und Gretel) Violanta {1} Hänsel und Gretel {93} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1927.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=97060