Täcka blommor fältets heder from Proserpin (J M Kraus)

The scene where Proserpin is taken by Pluto and brought to the underground. Music by the german/swedish composer Joseph Martin Kraus and libretto (in swedish) by Johan Henrik Kellgren. The opera was composed in 1781 on orders from the swedish despot king Gustav III but he never let the opera be staged of various reasons. Kraus was called "The swedish Mozart" but was mostly influenced by Gluck as you can hear!

Proserpin - Anna Eklund-Tarantino
Cyane - Susanne Rydén
Pluto - Lars Arvidson
Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, Mark Tatlow
(Musica Sveciae recording from 1994)

I really recommend you to buy this album, it's worth every penny!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Joseph
• Martin
• Kraus
• Proserpin
• Anna
• Eklund-Tarantino
• Lars
• Arvidson
• Mark
• Tatlow
• Confiedencen
• Ulriksdal
• Opera
• Susanne
• Rydén

[zaida1780]

What exactly is the plot of this opera? I sort of know Lully's Proserpine, and know what happened to Persephone/ Proserpina, but many of the operas from this time seem to add other elements not in the original story.

[evaeke]

Sorry for a late answer...

This is an allegori over the king (Gustav III) and queen (Sofia Magdalena) of Sweden (as Jupither and Ceres) and the nation (Proserpin).

At the beginning she is at Sicily and is courted by a mortal. When she is out with the nymphs she is taken by Pluto to the underworld. Right after Ceres returns from Sweden (where she has started the spring) and discovers that her daughter has dissappeared.

[evaeke]

The second part is just about the agony Ceres endeavours and the guilt of the mortal in love with Proserpin (who had left her for one of the nymphs). In the end Jupither decides that Proserpin will be a half year with Pluto and a half year with her mother, the mortal has decided to let go of Proserpin. Everyone is happy and praises Jupither for his wisdom

[Caecarulf]

And this opera was refused by the Swedish king Gustav III...!!!

Ulf Sawert

[evaeke]

Not refused, just delayed (but they both died before they could stage it). _I_ think that Gustav III did not like Kellgren's libretto that much, I read somewhere that he wanted corrections to be made and therefore temporarily dropped it. But he LOVED the music and made Kraus re-use it in the opera Aeneas in Cartagho, that opera was never staged during the king's and Kraus lifetime too.

[Caecarulf]

Now you can see Joseph Martin Kraus grave in Bergshamra (Stockholm) in my last video (Karl XIV Johan statues)!

Friendly

Ulf Sawert

[Caecarulf]

Hi Eva, nice to hear from you! This piece of music is one of the best I ever had heard - I don´t know how many times I had heard it now...Can you understand WHY so many people dont´t know about Kraus and his music?

Friendly

Ulf Sawert. Sweden

[evaeke]

Jag har sett att det finns flera album tillgängliga olagligt på nätet.

Vi har ju så fantastiskt utbud på klassisk musik här i Sverige så det är verkligen lätt att gynna kompositörer, orkestrar och solister utan att också gynna Amazon och Tullen!

Det gäller att hugga Kraus-skivan snabbare än ögat i butiken när man ser den om man vill vara laglig.

Hoppas mitt inlägg inte är för svavelosande!

Vet ni någon butik för klassisk musik med både smalt och brett utbud i ABC-området, tipsa gärna mig!

[Caecarulf]

Hej igen..."Svenska Klassiska favoriter" skall det vara.

Vänligen

Ulf Sawert

[Caecarulf]

Hej Sientaa! Det finns på NAXOS serie: "Svenska favoriter", del 1. Där finns två stycken till:"Larghetto ur Symfoni i Ess-dur" och "Presto ur Symfoni i e-moll". Jag vet inte hur många gånger jag hört dem! Har du hört mina piano-nocturns?

Vänligen

Ulf Sawert