Der junge Lord (The Young Lord) is an opera in two acts by Hans Werner Henze to an German libretto by Ingeborg Bachmann, after Wilhelm Hauff's Der Affe als Mensch (The Ape as Man) from Der Scheik von Alexandria und seine Sklaven (The Sheik of Alexandria and his Slaves).
The style and plot owe much to Italian opera buffa, with the influence of Bellini and Rossini noted. Andrew Porter has noted four distinct musical styles in the opera, correspondi...
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Der junge Lord (The Young Lord) is an opera in two acts by Hans Werner Henze to an German libretto by Ingeborg Bachmann, after Wilhelm Hauff's Der Affe als Mensch (The Ape as Man) from Der Scheik von Alexandria und seine Sklaven (The Sheik of Alexandria and his Slaves).
The style and plot owe much to Italian opera buffa, with the influence of Bellini and Rossini noted. Andrew Porter has noted four distinct musical styles in the opera, corresponding to four different levels of characters:
Robert Henderson has commented on the "Brechtian" nature of Bachmann and Henze's treatment of the story.
The opera was commissioned by the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, and was first performed there on 7 April 1965. The production was by Gustav Sellner, and the conductor was Christoph von Dohnányi.
The opera is in two acts of three scenes each, linked by interludes.
Sir Edgar, an English gentleman and scientist, visits a small German town with a vast entourage, including black slaves and a large collection...
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