Frank Martin
The Tempest
Short instrumentation: 3 3 3 3 - 4 3 3 1 - windmascine, flute stage music, 1. horn stage music, 2. horn stage music, trumpet in C stage music, Jazz-percussion stage music, Violine I stage music, Violine II stage music, Viola stage music, Violoncello stage music, doublebass stage music, timp(2), perc(4), hp, cel, cemb, pno, t.sax(Bb), str
Duration: 150'
Übersetzer: Pauline Martin, August Wilhelm von Schlegel
Text von: William Shakespeare
Choir: TB, gemischter Kammerchor hinter der Szene
Roles:
König Alonso
Baß
Sebastian
Baß
Prospero
Baßbariton
Antonio
Tenor
Ferdinand
Tenor
Gonzalo
Baßbariton
Adrian
Tenor
Caliban
Baß
Trinculo
Tenorbuffo
Stephano
Bariton
Bootsmann
hoher Bariton
Miranda
Sopran
Ariel
Tänzer oder Tänzerin mit rhythmischem Sprechen
Ein Schiffspatron
gesprochen
Iris
Ceres
Juno
Nymphen
Schnitter
Ballett-Gruppe
Matrosen
Männerchor
Instrumentation details:
1st flute
2nd flute
3rd piccolo
1st oboe
2nd oboe
cor anglais
1st clarinet
2nd clarinet
bass clarinet
tenor saxophone in Bb
1st bassoon
2nd bassoon
contrabassoon
1st horn in F in D
2nd horn in F in D
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
1st trumpet in C
2nd trumpet in C
3rd trumpet in C
1st trombone
2nd trombone
3rd trombone
tuba
1st timpani
2nd timpani
windmashine
percussion(4)
celesta
harp
piano
violin I
violin II
viola
violoncello
double bass, flute stage music, 1. horn stage music, 2. horn stage music, trumpet in C stage music, Jazz-percussion stage music, Violine I stage music, Violine II stage music, Viola stage music, Violoncello stage music, doublebass stage music (the wind/brass instr. can be played by orchestra musicians)
Martin - Der Sturm
Sample pages
Audio preview
Work introduction
Der Sturm (“The Tempest”) is a magical comedy numbering among Martin’s most important and creative compositions. He worked on it for three years before it premiered in 1956 at the Vienna State Opera (with Eberhard Wächter, Anton Dermota and Christa Ludwig in the main roles). Martin was a great admirer of the literary quality of August Wilhelm von Schlegel’s bold yet faithful German translation of Shakespeare, which became the libretto for his Sturm.
There are two versions of The Tempest. The original one has the figure of Ariel choreographed whereas the text is sung from behind the wings by a chorus. Frank Martin then decided to entrust the dancer with the text which has to be spoken in keeping with the music - in other words, one needs a dancer with exceptional musical talents.