Eugen d´Albert: The Lowland

The world premier of the opera Tiefland (1903) by German pianist and composer of British descent Eugene d’Albert was not particularly successful when conducted by Leo Blech in the New German Theatre on October 15, 1903. Only after the Berlin performance in 1907 did the oeuvre enjoy a long spell of great popularity, especially in Germany. The opera with the libretto by Rudolf Lothar based on the Spanish drama by Angel Guimera shows elements of Italian verism as well as the influence of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss: Wagnerian leitmotifs permeate the entire oeuvre, while the local Spanish atmosphere is evoked by the sound of shawms and pastoral songs. Eugene D’Albert created an impressive contrast between the mountain landscape and pastoral idyll, on one hand, and the depressed and hostile atmosphere of life in a small town in a valley, on the other hand.

Premiere: Sep 18, 2003