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Hanneles Himmelfahrt
(Hannele’s Heavenly Journey) (1927)Libretto by Georg Gräner after Gerhart Hauptmann (G)
3S,2M,2A,3T,B,8silent roles,speaking role; chorus; 3(III=picc).3(III=corA).3(III=bcl).3(III=dbn)-4.3.3.1-timp.perc-2harps-cel-org-strings
Abbreviations (PDF)
Bote & Bock
Staatsoper, Dresden
Company: nn
| HANNELE | High Soprano |
| GOTTWALD, teacher | Tenor |
| SISTER MARTHA, deaconness | Alto |
| Inmates of a poorhouse: | |
| - TULPE | Mezzo soprano |
| - HEDWIG | Soprano |
| - PLESCHKE | Bass |
| - HANKE | Tenor |
| SEIDEL, lumberjack | Silent role |
| DR WACHLER, physician | Silent role |
| Apparitions: | |
| MATTERN, bricklayer, Hannele's father | Speaking role |
| A FEMALE FIGURE, Hannele's late mother | Alto |
| A DEACONNESS (Sister Martha) | Alto (same singer als Sister Martha) |
| A LARGE BLACK ANGEL | Silent role |
| THREE LIGHT ANGELS | Soprano, mezzo soprano, alto |
| THE STRANGER | Tenor (same singer as Gottwald) |
| PLESCHKE and HANKE, inmates of the poorhouse | |
| Women and children | |
| FOUR YOUTHS DRESSED IN WHITE | Silent roles |
| THE VILLAGE TAILOR | Tenor |
| Many small and large angels |
A mountain village in Silesia in the 19th century
Fleeing from her father who is constantly abusing her, little Hannele falls into the village pond. Half drowned, she is fished out by Gottwald, a teacher, who takes her to the poorhouse where Doctor Wachler and Sister Martha take care of her. Hannele has feverish visions of her mother who wants her to join her in paradise. And she sees a good and a bad angel fighting each other. The black angel is victorious. When Hannele is pronounced dead, her drunken father crashes into the room. A stranger appears and talks to him until he eventually darts off in panic. Then the stranger takes Hannele by the hand and leads her away to a distantly shining fairy-tale town.
Dramatic, Romantic