The Magic Theatre (Das Wundertheater)
(English by Wesley Balk)
One scene
Year of composition 1948
Revised version 1964
Duration 45 minutes
World premiere
World premiere (Version for actors) 7. May 1949
Heidelberg · Städtische Bühnen
Production Heinrich Köhler-Helffrich
Stage design Heinrich Nötzold
Conductor Carl Caelius
World premiere (Version for singers) 30. November 1965
Frankfurt am Main · Städtische Bühnen
Production Hans Neugebauer
Stage and costume design Jacques Camurati
Conductor Wolfgang Rennert
Comments
The earliest and now obsolete version of this piece (first performed in Heidelberg, 1949) was scored for actors and orchestra. This revised version of 1964 has recast the actors’ parts into roles for singers. In addition, a scaled-down orchestration was made to suit performances in small theatres. “The Magic Theatre” is suitable as one part of a triptych, of which “A Country Doctor” forms the centre and “The End of a World” the third part.
“The Magic Theatre” can still be per formed with actors: for a production given at the Schiller Theatre in Berlin, on 30 September 1965 at the Berlin Festwochen, Henning Brauel made a version for a small ensemble designed to be performed in small theatres.
This version ensures that the actors’ voices are not drowned out by the instruments.
Hans Werner Henze
Cast
Place: Spain and everywhere Time: yesterday, today and tomorrow
Time: yesterday, today and tomorrow
| Teresa | soprano | daughter of Benito Repollo |
| Juana Castrada | mezzosoprano | daughter of Juán Castrado |
| Chirinos | contralto | companion of Chanfalla |
| Chanfalla | tenore | director of the miracle theatre |
| Der Knirps Pedro | tenore | a musician |
| Capacho | tenore | writer |
| Benito Repollo | baritono | mayor |
| Juán Castrado | baritono | alderman |
| Der Gobernadór | basso | |
| Repollo | ballerino | nephew of Benito Repollo |
| parte parlata | a quartermaster | |
| personaggio muto | a man wearing a talar | |
| coro ad lib. | guests at Juana Castrada’s engagement party | |
| personaggi muto ad lib. | pages at Juana Castrada’s engagement party |
Instrumentation
Versione Berlinese per attori e 5 musicisti
Violino solo | sul palco | |
| Timpano | ||
| Triangolo | ||
| 2 Piatti sospesi | ||
| Tamburo piccolo | ||
| Grancassa | ||
| Glockenspiel | ||
| Vibrafono | ||
| 2 Campane | ||
| tubolari | ||
| Pianoforte | ||
| Clavicembalo | ||
| Tromba | dietro la scena | |
Versione 1964
2 Flauti | anche Ottavino |
| 1 Oboe | anche Corno inglese |
| 1 Clarinetto | anche Clarinetto basso |
| 1 Fagotto | |
| 1 Corno | |
| 1 Tromba | anche dietro la scena |
| 1 Trombone | |
| Timpani | |
| Percussione | Triangolo Piatti sospesi Tamburo piccolo Grancassa Glockenspiel Xilofon [per 3] |
| Arpa | |
| Clavicembalo | |
| 2 Violini | |
| 1 Viola | |
| 1 Violoncello | |
| 1 Contrabbasso | |
| 1 Tromba | dietro la scena |