Guntram
opera · Handlung in drei Aufzügen
Composer Richard Strauss
Librettist Richard Strauss
Synopsis
Guntram and Friedhold, of a fraternal order sworn to help the oppressed, distribute food to poor fleeing the tyrannical Duke Robert after a failed uprising. Guntram saves Robert's wife Freihild from drowning herself in despair at her husband's cruelty, and resolves to win Robert over to the fraternity's cause.
Versions
Key facts
- Premiere
- 10 May 1894
- Acts
- 3
- Language
- German (de)
- Setting
- Germany, in the middle of the thirteenth century.
What's different
Strauss wrote his own libretto and conducted the premiere.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Der alte Herzog Freihild's father, ruler of the duchy. | bass | Karl Bucha |
| Freihild The Old Duke's daughter, unhappily married to Duke Robert. | soprano | Pauline de Ahna |
| Herzog Robert Freihild's husband. | baritone | Franz Schwarz |
| Guntram A wandering minstrel, of the same order as Friedhold. | tenor | Heinrich Zeller |
| Friedhold A minstrel, Guntram's companion. | bass | Ferdinand Wiedey |
| Des Herzogs Narr The Old Duke's jester. | tenor | Hans Buff-Gießen |
| Eine alte Frau One of the poor people, an old woman. | contralto | Luise Tibelti |
| Ein alter Mann One of the poor people, an old man. | tenor | Anton Lutz |
| Zwei jüngere Männer Two of the poor people, younger men. | 2 basses | Arthur Barth, Hermann Bucha |
| Drei Vasallen Three of the Duke's vassals. | 3 basses | Wilhelm Fischer, Bernhard Schustherr, Adolf Henning |
| Vier Minnesänger Four minnesingers. | 2 tenors, 2 basses | Leonhard von Szpinger, Fritz Knöfler, Paul Glitsch, Bruno Weyrauch |
| Ein Bote A messenger. | baritone | Hermann Bucha |
Key facts
- Premiere
- 29 October 1940
- Acts
- 3
- Language
- German (de)
- Setting
- Germany, in the middle of the thirteenth century.
What's different
Strauss radically shortened the score, cutting his own strenuous title role in particular. Given once more, again in Weimar, this time at the Deutsches Nationaltheater; it fared no better than the original and the work has never held a place in the repertory in either form.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Der alte Herzog Freihild's father, ruler of the duchy. | bass | Jean-Wilhelm Pfendt |
| Freihild The Old Duke's daughter, unhappily married to Duke Robert. | soprano | Lotte Mücksch |
| Herzog Robert Freihild's husband. | baritone | Karl Heerdegen |
| Guntram A wandering minstrel, of the same order as Friedhold. | tenor | Willy Störring |
| Friedhold A minstrel, Guntram's companion. | bass | Xaver Mang |
| Des Herzogs Narr The Old Duke's jester. | tenor | Josef Hattemer |
| Eine alte Frau One of the poor people, an old woman. | contralto | Marta Adam |
| Ein alter Mann One of the poor people, an old man. | tenor | Fritz Stauffert |
| Zwei jüngere Männer Two of the poor people, younger men. | 2 basses | Hans Scheidemantel, Walter Mayer |
| Vier Minnesänger Four minnesingers. | 2 tenors, 2 basses | Rudolf Lustig, Fritz Stauffert, Hans Scheidemantel, Theodor Simons |
Source
Original libretto.
Written from
- Osborne, C. (1988) The Complete Operas of Richard Strauss: A Critical Guide. London: Michael O'Mara Books, pp. 1-21.
- Strauss, R. (1903) Guntram: Handlung in drei Aufzügen, Op. 25. London: Fürstner. (Accessed: August 2026).
- opera-guide.ch (2026) Guntram: Synopsis. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Boosey & Hawkes (2026) Guntram: Synopsis. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Murray, D. (1992) 'Strauss, Richard (Georg)', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 565-575.