Weiße Rose (opera)

The title of this article contains the character ß. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Weisse Rose.

Grave of Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christoph Probst, in the Perlacher Friedhof, next to the Stadelheim prison in Munich.

Weiße Rose (White Rose)^{[N 1]}is a chamber opera in one act by composer Udo Zimmermann. The opera tells the story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, a brother and sister in their early twenties, who were guillotined by the Nazis in 1943 for leading Die Weiße Rose, a non-violent resistance group. The opera premiered at the Dresden Conservatory on 17 June 1967 with a German libretto by the composer's brother, Ingo Zimmermann, who is a well known journalist and writer in Germany.^[1] The opera was received fairly well but did not spark the interest in a professional production.

A revised and less conventionally narrative version of the opera was premiered at the Hamburg State Opera on 27 February 1986 and was a success with both audience and critics. The opera became an international success and has had performances at many of the world's leading opera houses and with leading orchestras including the Vienna State Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Zurich Opera, the Salzburg Festival, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra among many others.^[2] The United States premiere of the opera was presented by Opera Omaha in 1988 with soprano Lauren Flanigan as Sophie.^[3]

Roles

Cast	Voice type	Premiere of revised opera, 27 February 1986 Conductor: Udo Zimmermann)
Hans Scholl	tenor*See note	Lutz-Michael Harder
Sophie Scholl	soprano	Gabriele Fontana

• Note — The tessitura and range of the role of Hans is such that a number of baritones with good upper extension have also learned and performed the role.

Recordings

• Die weiße Rose^{[N 1]} with Udo Zimmermann (conductor), Gabriele Fontana (Sophie) , Lutz-Michael Harder (Hans) and the Instrumentalensemble München. Released on the Orfeo label in 1988.
• Weiße Rose with Udo Zimmermann (conductor), Grazyna Szklarecka (Sophie), Frank Schiller (Hans), Musica Viva Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Classics, 2005.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} The title of the opera is often shown as Die Weiße Rose; however, the publisher, Breitkopf & Härtel, shows both versions as Weiße Rose.

References

1. ^ Zeit Online
2. ^ Hennenberg, 96
3. ^ Bernard Holland (September 17, 1988). "Review/Opera; An Omaha Premiere For 'The White Rose'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/17/arts/review-opera-an-omaha-premiere-for-the-white-rose.html?scp=7&sq=%22Lauren+Flanigan%22&st=nyt. 

Sources

• F. Hennenberg: Udo Zimmermann: Leidenschaft Musik – Abenteuer Theater: Komponist – Intendant – Dirigent (Bonn, 1992)
• M. Ernst, ed.: Udo Zimmermann: ein Fünfzigjähriger im Spiegelbild von Zeitgenossen: eine Biographie in Zitaten (Leipzig, 1993)
• Lars Klingberg. "Zimmermann, Udo." Grove Music Online. (subscription access)