Der singende Teufel

The work was composed during 1927-28 to a libretto written in 1924 and published by Universal Edition.[2]

The opera was first performed in Berlin at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden on 10 December 1928 conducted by Erich Kleiber. Despite generally favourable audience reaction, the production was not a critical success. Other theatres, including Breslau, Prague, Munich and Frankfurt, abandoned their plans to stage the work and only two further productions took place during the composers lifetime: in Wiesbaden (1929) and Stettin (1930).[3]

The first production in modern times was at the Bielefeld Opera in 1989.[3]

The action takes place in the Germany of the Middle Ages.

Act I

Amandus Herz, a young organ-builder, has built a small pipe-organ. The priest Father Kaleidos, a religious fanatic, seizes the opportunity to ask Amandus to complete the construction of the great organ begun by his father. Amandus, however, is horrified by the fact that his father went insane trying to complete the instrument and asks for time to consider.

The pagans are looking for the most beautiful virgin for their springtime rituals. Lilian, to whom Amandus was once close, will be given to the man who can lead them against the Christians. Lilian asks Amandus to take on the role of leader, but in vain.

Act II

Amandus is tormented by his inability to complete the organ begun by his father and rejects Kaleidos's encouragement. When he hears the pagan procession, he goes outside to join them. At night, the priestess Alardis performs a pagan ritual, mocking the Christian message. The proceedings grow increasingly wild and Amandus tries to remove Lilian but is defeated in a duel by the knight Sinbrand and imprisoned while Sinbrand abducts Lilian. Kaleidos comes to free Amandus and takes him back to the security of the monastery.

Act III

Amandus, now a monk, has successfully completed the organ. But the militant Kaleidos sees the instrument as a way of imposing Christianity on the pagans. Lilian warns of an impending attack. Amandus rallies the monks and envisions the organ's beautiful tones as pacifying the pagan hoards. His vision at first seems to be fulfilled, but soon the organ starts producing harsh dissonances and the pagans begin their assault.

Act IV

In the woods some weeks later, a broken Amandus recovers under Lilian's care. A pilgrim visits him wanting help repairing a small organ, but as soon as Amandus sees the instrument, it only reminds him of his own fatal failure. Lilian, in a bid to end his suffering, sets fire to the monastery. In the process, the burning organ at last begins to produce heavenly sounds. Amandus undergoes a complete transformation. Knowing that she has finally broken the spell, Lilian falls lifeless to the ground.

An excerpt from the Bielefeld production was issued on the CD accompanying the book Franz Schreker: Grenzgänge, Grenzklänge (Hailey and Haas; Mandelbaum, 2004).

Sources

• Hailey, Christopher, Franz Schreker: A cultural biography Cambridge University Press, 1993