FRIEDRICH VON FLOTOW (1812–1883) -
MARTHA, OR THE MARKET AT RICHMOND
Romantic-comic opera in four acts
Lady Harriet Durham Maria Bengtsson
Nancy, her servant Katharina Magiera
Lord Tristan Mickleford, Lady Harriet’s cousin Barnaby Rea
Lyonel AJ Glueckert
Plumkett Björn Bürger
Sheriff Franz Mayer
Three ladies Julia Heße, Svea Verfürth, Nicolai Klawa
Two tenants Gerhard Singer, Michaela Schaudel
Three servants Johannes Lehner, Thomas Charrois, Cheol Kang
Drummer Georg Hromadka
Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester
Choir and extra-choir of Oper Frankfurt
Sebastian Weigle, conductor
With a terrific cast including Maria Bengtsson
and Katharina Magiera, and under the baton
of Sebastian Weigle, OehmsClassics and
Opera Frankfurt bring back to life a nearly forgotten jewel
of comic opera in the 19th century: After the premiere
at the Viennese Kärntnertortheater in 1847, Friedrich
von Flotow’s
Martha or The Fair at Richmond became
for nearly half a century one of the most popular operas
in Europe. Full of charming melodies and with a plot
as hilarious as fast-paced, the story of bored Lady Harriet
Durham and her friend Nancy, who travel as “Martha”
and “Julia” to the Richmond servant’s fair not only to
find a job but also true love, is an enchanting example of
1850’s opera and also Friedrich von Flotow’s wonderful
light-hearted music.