Schoene Galathee, Die
Komisch-mythologische Oper in einem Akt
Composer: Suppe, Franz von 1819 - 1895
Version: Theo Mackeben (Musikalische Bearbeitung) / Aldo von Pinelli (Textliche Neubearbeitung)
Franz von Suppé’s 1865 comic mythological opera Die schöne Galathee (The Beautiful Galatea) takes both thematic and musical inspiration from the operettas of Jacques Offenbach - which first arrived in Vienna at the beginning of the 1860s - and was his first critical success. The sculptor Pygmalion has fallen madly in love with his statue of Galatea. Therefore he does not want to sell the statue to a patron of the arts, Midas, and asks Venus, the goddess of the love, to breathe life into the statue. Venus grants him the request and Galatea comes to life. However, Galatea turns out to be a very independent-minded creature. She is unfaithful to Pygmalion with his servant Ganymede (because he is much more pleasing to her than Pygmalion) and does not reject Midas, who offers her jewelry. When Pygmalion catches Galatea in a compromising situation, he implores Venus to turn her back into stone. The jewelry offered by Midas is also turned to stone, but the whole statue is sold to him.
Instrumentation
Fl dbl Picc. 2 Cl (1 dbl a sax, 2 dbl t sax). 2 Tpt. Tbn. Perc. Hp. 2 Pno. Str.
Format
V/S Lib O/S
Publisher
JW