DAS LIEBESVERBOT is Wagner's only Shakespearean opera, his second ever composed (the first was DIE FEEN), and only one of two comic operas (the other being DIE FEEN, based on a fairy tale by Carlo Gozzi, "La donna serpenta"). It's Wagner's version of the dark comedy "Measure for Measure", though he shifts the focus almost entirely to Isabella and minimises the importance of the Duke. Musically, it was influenced by Bellini and also von Weber and von Marschner (in the same way DIE FEEN was influenced by von Weber and Hoffmann), and some have also observed a foreshadowing of TANNHAUESER in its lyricism.
The opera itself was a debacle, not so much a reflection on the opera, but on the cast - on opening night the first tenor forgot most of his part, the second performance didn't even get started because there was a fist-fight backstage and the lead soprano got knocked unconscious by her jealous husband. With karma like that, it's no wonder the opera had only the one performance during Wagner's lifetime.
There are two soprano arias in the opera, one sung by the heroine, Isabella, "Kennst du das Leid...O war dein Herz", and the other by her friend Mariana, "Welch' wunderbar Erwarten". Neither is overtly comedic, though the Isabella aria could be used to comical effect, as it's basically an aria in which she tries several different arguments to persuade the hard-hearted governor, Friedrich, who has the hots for her to release her brother from prison.
The role of Isabella has been performed and/or recorded by Doris Soffel - who has sung everything from Rossini heroines to Kundry and Ortrud - Elizabeth Gale, who seems to be one of those high lyric mezzos who alternates between lyric mezzo and soubrette soprano repertoire - and Pamela Coburn, a solidly lyric soprano. Again, the opera is so seldom performed, I think one can take more latitude in "faching" it than one can more familiar operas. I suspect that a soprano who can manage Adalgisa might be just about right for Isabella.
KM ............................ NEIL SHICOFF, TENORE SUPREMO http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Own Website http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + I sing hymns with my spirit, + + but I also sing hymns with my mind. + + - 1 Corinthians 14:15 + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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