While doing some research yesterday, I ran across a 1961 article from German news magazine Der Spiegel about how the late H.C. Robbins Landon, then a hotshot 35-year-old American musicologist, had just authenticated a manuscript opera score identified as “L’Incendie de Haydn” as truly belonging to the great 18th century composer.
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
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- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
It’s one of the few puppet-theatre musicals ever written, produced by Haydn in the theatre at Esterháza, his employer’s castle. I had to listen to Die Feuersbrunst (the Conflagration) again — and loved every minute as much as ever.
The Spiegel article reminded its readers how Haydn’s employment contract stipulated that he consult with Prince Paul Anton Esterházy every day at noon to see if he desired some musical entertainment that evening. But it’s not clear what, specifically, led to the creation of this piece for puppets, written 15 years or so into Haydn’s employment with Paul Anton’s successor, Nikolaus.
Landon not only authenticated this two-act Singspiel, he declared that it had been composed between 1776 and 1778, because it was scored for two clarinets, and these were the years in which there were two clarinet players in the prince’s employ.
The plot of Feuersbrunst is straight out of commedia dell’arte, with the innocent daughter appropriately named Colombina. Her young admirer is Leander. A father and a drunk ghost and several other characters act as either enablers and/or thwarts. But nothing in the love story is as tragic as the fire that destroys all of Colombina’s family’s possessions halfway through the story.
After Landon identified the opera, it received a performance at Bregenz Festival, then wasn’t seen or heard again until 2001, in Vienna. And it still isn’t produced much, despite the fact that audiences are coming around to Haydn’s operas in Europe.
I fell in love with this work after reviewing a great 2009 CD release from the German label CPO. Conductor Andreas Spering does an amazing job in this 2006 live-concert performances in Potsdam with the Capella Augustina. The main performers are soprano Isa Katharina Gericke, tenors Andreas Karasiak and Ferdinand von Bothmer, and baritone Otto Katzameier.
You can find more details about this album here.
The recording on this YouTube video, featuring the Esterhazy Orchestra, is almost as good. Enjoy.
John Terauds
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
