Hans Werner Henze
Operas Boulevard Solitude (1952) König Hirsch (1956) Der Prinz von Homburg (1960) Elegy for Young Lovers (1961) Der junge Lord (1965) The Bassarids (1966) Der langwierige Weg in die Wohnung der Natascha Ungeheuer (1971) We Come to the River (1976) The English Cat (1983) Das verratene Meer (1990) Venus und Adonis (1997) L'Upupa und der Triumph der Sohnesliebe (2003) Phaedra (2007) Gisela! (2010)
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Gisela! oder: Die merk- und denkwürdigen Wege des Glücks (Gisela! or: The Strange and Memorable Ways of Happiness) is an opera by Hans Werner Henze.

It was first performed in the Maschinenhalle Zeche Zweckel, Gladbeck, Germany, on 25 September 2010 as part of the Ruhrtriennale music and arts festival by the contemporary music ensemble musikFabrik in collaboration with local youth groups and students of the Folkwang University, Essen.^[1] The work was commissioned by the Ruhrtriennale and the Semperoper, Dresden, where it will be performed on 20 November 2010.^[2] A performance lasts for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Roles [link]

• Gisela Gelmeier, art history student (soprano)
• Gennaro Esposito (tenor)
• Hanspeter Schluckebier, vulcanology student (baritone)
• The German General Consul (bass)
• Another female tourist (soprano)
• Another male tourist (tenor)
• Antonio Scarlatti, inn keeper (baritone)
• A mime (silent)
• A female tourist (mezzo-soprano)

Synopsis [link]

Gisela, a young student of art history from the city of Oberhausen, visits Naples with her boyfriend Hanspeter and a group of superficial and arrogant students. They attend a commedia dell'arte performance in a folk theatre and Gisela is fascinated by the young actor Gennario who plays the role of Pulcinella. Gisela and Gennario encounter each other the next day and fall in love. They plan to flee from Naples and the group. Hanspeter, who had planned to propose to Gisela at a restaurant, hears that she has fled to Germany with Gennario.

Having arrived at the railway station of Oberhausen, Gisela and Gennario have nowhere to stay. Sitting on a bank, Gisela falls asleep and has a series of nightmare dreams. Suddenly Hanspeter and his friends appear and attack the couple. During the fight we see in the background Mount Vesuvius exploding and pouring its lava on stage.

References [link]

Notes

1. ^ Gisela! at Ruhrtriennale (German)
2. ^ Gisela! oder: Die merk- und denkwürdigen Wege des Glücks at the Semperoper

External links [link]

• Gisela! on the website of G. Schirmer Inc.
• Gisela! trailer from Ruhrtriennale