Singspiel was the name given to German comic opera of the 18th- and 19th- centuries, in which the dialog was spoken. Die Entführung aus dem Serail ("Abduction from the Seraglio") and The Magic Flute are the two preeminent examples of the art form, at least from today's vantage point. Die Entführung aus dem Serail was written on an imperial commission for the Nationalsingspiel company of Austrian Emperor Joseph II, during a time of momentous upheaval in Mozart's young life.

In 1781, at the age of 25, Mozart had been booted out of the service of Archbishop Hieronymus in Munich, owning to repeated disagreements. For the first time in his life, Mozart found himself a free-agent and in need of supporting himself. Mozart took up residence in Vienna with the Weber family. Mozart had previously been madly in love with one of the Weber daughters, Aloysia, a great soprano, but in 1782, no doubt with the encouragement of the unscrupulous mother, Frau Weber, Mozart settled finally on the simplest of the sisters, Constanze, whom he described rather ungallantly in a letter to his father: "She is not ugly, although anything but beautiful – her whole beauty consists in two small, black eyes, and a handsome figure. She has no wit, but enough sound human sense to be able to fulfill her duties as a wife and mother."

In July of 1781, Gottlieb Stephanie, director of the National Singspiel, assigned Mozart the task of setting an existing libretto by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner, which had been previously set by Johann André. Mozart would have to work quickly because Stephanie wanted the new opera available for a September visit by the Russian Grand Duke Paul Petrovich. As events transpired, however, the visit of the Grand Duke was postponed until winter and then it was decided to entertain him with some operas by Gluck. As a result, Mozart had plenty of time to refine this opera, before it ultimately premiered on July 16th, 1782. Mozart worked with Stephanie to expand Act 1 and substantially increased the importance of Osmin as a character, which also had the effect of enhancing the Turkish atmosphere of the opera. The opera was a great success when it was staged in Vienna, although the Emperor himself famously carped that it contained too many notes. Mozart replied wryly that he had written the exact number of notes required. From Vienna, the opera quickly made its way to theaters throughout Germany and Austria. Nineteen days after the premiere of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Wolfgang and Constanze were married.

Subject Matter in Brief: The libretto was written by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner and was later pirated, adapted, and enlarged by Gottlieb Stephanie the Younger. Mozart himself played a major role in reshaping the libretto. The choice of libretto was inspired by the European fascination with the exotic culture of the Ottoman Empire that existed at the time of the opera's composition. The libretto reflects in part the narrow stereotypes of Turkish culture that existed at the time in Europe, with, for example, the vicious Osmin representative of Turkish despotism. In the end, however, the opera presents a sympathetic view, reflective of Enlightenment ideals, by providing resolution through a good deed performed by the Turkish sultan.

The opera's setting is the country house of the Pasha (Sultan) Selim, somewhere in Turkey, along the Mediterranean coast. An Italian nobleman, Belmonte, comes ashore, seeking his betrothed, Konstanze, who, along with Belmonte's servant, Pedrillo, and Konstanze's English servant, Blonde, fell into the hands of pirates and were later sold to the Pasha. The Pasha's servant, Osmin, guards the entrance to the compound and ignores Belmonte's pleas for information. Osmin drives Belmonte away, but, after Osmin leaves, Belmonte encounters Pedrillo, and the two men concoct a plan to abduct their respective loved ones, Konstanze and Blonde, and then escape on Belmonte's waiting ship.

Selim desires Konstanze's love and is reluctant to take her by force, though his patience is wearing thin. Pedrillo introduces Belmonte to his master, presenting him as an Italian architect. Even so, Osmin does his best to deny Belmonte entrance to the estate.

In Act 2, the feisty Blonde has to fend off the amorous intentions of Osmin, advising him that, in England, women are treated with respect. Konstanze and Blonde commiserate about their respective difficulties fending off the unwanted suitors. Pedrillo informs Blonde about the escape plan and she is filled with hope and joy. Pedrillo laces a wine bottle with a sleeping draught and invites Osmin to drink with him. Osmin obliges and soon passes out cold. Belmont is then able to reunite finally with his beloved Konstanze.

In Act 3, Belmonte and Pedrillo enter with ladders. Belmonte manages to extract Kostanze from the dwelling, but Pedrillo's effort to remove Blonde is interrupted by a gleeful Osmin, who looks forward to the likely beheadings. Belmonte attempts to buy freedom for himself and his friends by informing the Pasha that his wealthy family will surely pay any ransom demanded. The effort backfires, initially, because it turns out that Belmonte's father is Selim's archenemy, causing him to rejoice in the opportunity for revenge. Ultimately, however, Selim decides to repay a wrong with a good deed and releases the four captives and sends them on their way.

Place in the Repertoire: Die Entführung aus dem Serail is one of the finest examples of German singspiel and a good secondary Mozart opera, one significant step below the quality of the composer's four great operas.

Quality as a Work of Art: Goethe, who had written some singspiel librettos, summed up Mozart's effort aptly: "All our endeavour . . . to confine ourselves to what is simple and limited was lost when Mozart appeared. Die Entführung aus dem Serail conquered all, and our own carefully written piece has never been so much as mentioned in theater circles."

Musical Performances: American soprano Ruth Ann Swenson, born in 1959 in Bronxville, New York, sang the part of Konstanze. Swenson studied primarily at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and debuted at the San Francisco Opera in 1983. Her career took her to many of the world's greatest opera houses. She was widely admired for her brilliant coloratura, which she displayed to great effect in the present recording. Swenson survived a bout of breast cancer in 2006 and made a triumphant return to the stage at the Metropolitan Opera in 2007. Swenson has personality and pizzazz to spare as the charming Konstanze. Her vocal performance is this production's single strongest element.

German tenor Hans Peter Blochwitz, something of a Ted Danson look-alike, sang the role of Belmonte. Blochwitz was born in 1949 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. He earned a Ph.D. in computer science while singing as an amateur before turning to a vocal career. He made his operatic debut in September of 1984. His career then entered the fast track. He has a lyric tenor voice, with firm tone and excellent diction. He's a stylish actor and vocally adequate.

The lovely Swedish soprano Malin Hartelius sang the part of Blonde. Hartelius was born in 1967 in Växjö, Sweden. She studied at the Conservatory of Vienna, before joining the Vienna State Opera in 1989. Her repertoire leans heavily on the Mozart and Donizetti operas. She has also sung the role of Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Her graceful soprano voice has a wonderfully clear tone.

Kurt Rydl had the wonderfully comic role of Osmin for this production. Rydl was born in Vienna and studied at the Vienna Music Academy and the Moscow Conservatory. He debuted at the Vienna State Opera in 1976, in the role of Ferrando in Il Trovatore. In 1999, he was selected as an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera.

German tenor Manfred Fink sang the role of Pedrillo. Fink joined the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf in 1981. His acting is excellent and his vocal performance adequate.

German actor Matthias Habich took the speaking-only role of Selin. He was born in Danzig in 1940 and now lives in Paris. His film credits include Enemy at the Gates (2001) and Downfall (2004).

The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra was led by Italian conductor Gianluigi Gelmetti for this recording. Gelmetti was born in 1945 in Rome and made his first appearance as a conductor at age 16. He served as principal conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1989 to 1998, then as chief conductor of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma from 2001 to 2008. Gelmetti takes the score at a leisurely pace, giving the singers plenty of time for clear diction and intonation.

Staging: This production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail was directed by Michael Hampe, a German actor and director, born in 1935 in Heidelberg. In the years immediately prior to this production in 1991, Hampe worked closely with Herbert von Karajan in conjunction with the Salzburg Festival. Hampe gives us a traditional and attractive staging, with an intriguing set, lovely costumes, and lively and well-conceived stage action.

Technical Aspects: This EuroArts DVD of a 1991 performance at the Rokokotheater Schwetzingen is coded for all-region playback. The video is presented in full-screen format. Audio options include PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1. The performance language is German. Optional subtitles are provided in English, French, German, and Spanish. The opera's running time is 156 minutes.

Competitor Versions: There's an excellent 1980 version of this opera on DVD with Edita Gruberova and Reri Grist in the soprano roles.

Bottom-Line: Although Die Entführung aus dem Serail can be fairly described as one of the greatest examples of Singspiel, it is a significant step below the quality of Mozart's four greatest operas, written between 1786 and 1791. Those wanting to explore Mozart operas should not begin here, but it's an excellent place to extend one's interest after acquainting oneself with the four masterpieces. This particular production boasts strong staging and casting strength for the soprano roles and Osmin.



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You can easily access my other opera reviews using the following lists:

Top-Twelve Film Versions of Operas
Metalluk's Twenty Best Pre-Romantic (Baroque & Classicism) Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Twenty-five Best Italian Romantic Period Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Twenty Best Non-Italian Romantic Period Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Thirty Best Operas of the 20th-Century, on DVD
Metalluk's Best Opera from Each Decade of the 20th-Century, on DVD

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age