Der Mond

Operas by Carl Orff
Der Mond (1939) Die Kluge (1943) Antigonae (1949) De Temporum Fine Comoedia (1973)
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Der Mond (The Moon) is an opera in one act by Carl Orff based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale (KHM 175) with a libretto by the composer. It was first performed on 5 February 1939 by the Bavarian State Opera in Munich under the direction of Clemens Krauss. The composer describes it not as an opera but as Ein kleines Welttheater ("A little world theatre"); the performance lasts for about one hour and is usually paired with Orff's Die Kluge.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere cast, 5 February 1939 Conductor: Clemens Krauss
The storyteller	tenor	Julius Patzak
Saint Peter	bass	Paul Bender
A farmer	baritone
First Rascal	baritone	Franz Theo Reuter
Second Rascal	baritone	Emil Graf
Third Rascal	tenor	Karl Ostertag
Fourth Rascal	bass	Georg Wieter
Landlord	spoken	Ambros Witt

Synopsis

The story involves characters who steal the moon for their country which does not have a moon. They take the moon to their graves upon their deaths^{[N 1]} and St. Peter goes to the underworld to retrieve it and hang it again in the sky. Two speaking roles include that of a child and a landlord. Singing roles include the four rascals who steal the moon, St. Peter, a farmer and the narrator.

Instrumentation

• Woodwind: 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (1 doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (1 doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (1 doubling double bassoon)
• Brass: 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
• Percussion (5 percussionists): bass drum, snare drum, field drum, tambourine, triangle, xylophone, cymbals, castanets, various Turkish cymbals, big tamtam, ratchet, stick, sleigh bells, hour bell, tubular bells, glass harmonica, metallophone, glockenspiel
• Other instruments: harp, celesta, piano, harmonium, accordion, zither, strings
• Stage orchestra: mixed choir, natural horn (tuba), organ, bells, 3 field drums, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, wind machine, thunder machine, thunder & lighting (Blitz, Einschlag)

Selected recordings

• Die Kluge, Der Mond, conductor: Kurt Eichhorn, 1970, RCA Classic, ASIN B000025QHU

References

1. ^ The interlude which marks the death of the four rascals is notated in the unusual key of C-flat major.

• Amadeus Almanac, accessed 23 July 2008
• Carl Orff: Biography
• Erik Levi. "Mond, Der." In The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online (subscription required)
• Der Mond at Allmusic

External links

• Text of Grimm's fairy tale (German)