Singspiel
Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama that lets spoken dialogue snap into song, ballad, or aria in the middle of a scene. Its plots usually run toward comedy or romance, filled with magic, fantastical creatures, and characters whose good or evil natures are drawn in exaggerated strokes. Today Singspiel is classed as a genre of opera, but its own story raises questions the label doesn't answer. Where did the practice of breaking dialogue with song first take hold, and why did two men earn the title of fathers of the form? Why did some borrowed operas thrive in Vienna while similar imports never caught on, and who eventually carried Singspiel to its most enduring shape?
Germany's earliest Singspiele began inside miracle plays, religious dramas where songs broke up the spoken scenes. By the early 17th century those plays had turned profane, and the word Singspiel itself started appearing in print.
English and Italian songs and plays supplied some of the earliest translated Singspiele, while other scripts were written fresh as original German creations. Secular versions of the form were now being staged alongside the older religious ones.
That habit of borrowing from English stages would only deepen in the century that followed.
In 1736, the Prussian ambassador to England commissioned a translation of the ballad opera The Devil to Pay. That translation went on to succeed onstage in the 1740s, in productions in Hamburg and Leipzig.
In 1766, Johann Adam Hiller and C. F. Weiße produced a further version, titled Der Teufel ist los oder Die verwandelten Weiber. It was the first of a string of collaborations between the two men, work that earned them the title "the fathers of the German Singspiel."
Not every import from abroad would find the same welcome on German-speaking stages.
In Vienna, during the late 1770s and early 1780s, transcribed French opéras comiques became a hit with audiences. Italian opere buffe were popular across England and France at the same time, yet German translations of them stayed rare.
Koch, Döbbelin, and Koberwein were among the traveling companies that carried Singspiel from town to town. Established companies in metropolitan centers rarely staged it, since Singspiel ranked as middle-to-lower class entertainment next to the aristocratic worlds of opera, ballet, and stage play.
That lower rung on the cultural ladder did not stop one composer from turning Singspiel into some of his most enduring work.
Mozart wrote several Singspiele, beginning with Bastien und Bastienne in 1768 and continuing with Zaide in 1780. Die Entführung aus dem Serail followed in 1782, then Der Schauspieldirektor in 1786, and finally Die Zauberflöte in 1791.
E. T. A. Hoffmann admired Mozart and composed his own Singspiele, among them Liebe und Eifersucht in 1807.
In 1927, Kurt Weill created a new word, Songspiel, to label his own work Mahagonny-Songspiel. The new coinage marked German music drama's willingness to keep splitting and renaming itself well into the 20th century.
Common questions
What is a Singspiel in opera?
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera, that alternates spoken dialogue with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias, often strophic or folk-like.
Who are considered the fathers of the German Singspiel?
Johann Adam Hiller and C. F. Weiße are called the fathers of the German Singspiel, a title earned after their 1766 version of Der Teufel ist los oder Die verwandelten Weiber, part of a string of collaborations between them.
When did the word Singspiel first appear in print?
The word Singspiel is found in print by the early 17th century, after Germany's miracle plays had grown profane and secular Singspiele began to be performed.
Which Singspiele did Mozart write?
Mozart wrote several Singspiele: Bastien und Bastienne in 1768, Zaide in 1780, Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782, Der Schauspieldirektor in 1786, and Die Zauberflöte in 1791.
Why was Singspiel considered lower class entertainment?
Singspiele were considered middle-to-lower class entertainment as opposed to the predominantly aristocratic genres of opera, ballet, and stage play, and were usually performed by traveling troupes such as the Koch, Döbbelin, and Koberwein companies rather than established metropolitan companies.
What is the connection between Singspiel and Kurt Weill's Songspiel?
In 1927, Kurt Weill created the new word Songspiel to describe his work Mahagonny-Songspiel, a term derived from Singspiel.
All sources
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