CARL ORFF (1895-1982): Gisei - Das Opfer, Op. 20.

Description: Written the year he turned 18, this was Orff’s first and only stage work for 26 years. Based on a Japanese play, centering on a village school, where a high official sacrifices his own son in order to save his lord’s son, but never produced, it has such mature-period stylistic elements as a preponderance of recitative-like vocal writing, huge orchestration including a wind machine and glass harmonica and some exotic effects to give the impression of far-away exoticsm. Oddly, Felix Weingartner also produced a one-act opera based on the same source just three years later in 1916 (Die Dorfschule) and that will be in next month’s cpo release. German-English libretto. Kathryn Lewek (soprano), Ulrike Helzel (mezzo), Markus Brück (baritone), Ryan McKinny (bass-baritone), Chorus and Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Jacques Lacombe.