THE CONSPIRITORS DIE VERSCHWORENEN Music by Franz Schubert : Words and Text by J. F. Castelli Adapted by George Baker & Humphrey Trevelyan THE STORY (Late medieval times) The plot of this one-act opera resembles 'Lysistrata' by Aristophanes and deals with an effective women's peace organisation. The Crusader husbands, commanded by Count Heribert von Ludenstein, are dissuaded from continually waging war by their wives, led by the Countess. They simply deny their husbands all 'matrimonial rights'. The Conspirators, although composed in 1823, was not performed until 1861, thirty three years after Schubert's death. The present version, in English, was first performed at Cambridge in 1954. The whole work lasts an hour and twenty minutes. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS Total principals required are four sopranos, two contraltos, three tenors, two basses, some of these having smaller roles. The chorus writing is nearly all covered by the principal voices. MUSICAL NUMBERS The work is for four or five sopranos, two contraltos, two or three tenors, two basses, mixed choir and orchestra: Ouverture (fragment) 1. Duet: “Sie ist’s! Er ist’s!” (2 versions; 1st version for soprano, tenor and orchestra; 2nd version for two sopranos and orchestra) 2. Romanze: “Ich schleiche bang’ und still herum” 3. Ensemble: “Ihr habt auf Eure Burg entboten” 4. Corus (“Verschwörungschor” [conspiracy chorus]): “Ja, wir schwören” 5. March and chorus: “Vorüber ist die Zeit” 6. Ensemble: “Verrätherei hab’ ich entdeckt” 7. Chorus of knights and women: “Willkommen, schön willkommen” 8. Duet: “Ich muß sie finden” 9. Arietta: “Ich habe gewagt und habe gestritten” 10. Arietta: “Gesetzt, ihr habt wirklich gewagt” 11. Finale: “Wie? Darf ich meinen Augen traun?”; Ensemble: “Ich bin beschämt” INSTRUMENTATION (Total number of books=20)
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