Music composed by Heinrich August Marschner (1795-1861). Libretto by
Wilhelm August Wohlbr¸ck after the play Der Vampir oder die
Totenbraut by Heinrich Ludwig Ritter.
First Performance: 29 March 1828, Theater der Stadt
Leipzig, Leipzig
| Principal Characters: | |
| Lord Ruthven, the vampire | Baritone |
| Sir John Berkley | Bass |
| Janthe, his daughter | Soprano |
| Sir Humphrey Davenaut | Bass |
| Malwina, his daughter | Soprano |
| Edgar Aubry, employee of Davenaut’s | Tenor |
| The Vampire Master | Spoken role |
| John Perth, Lord Ruthven’s steward | Spoken role |
| Emmy, his daughter and Dibdin’s fiancee | Soprano |
| George Dibdin, servant of Davenaut’s | Tenor |
| Berkley’s manservant | Bass |
| James Gadshil | Tenor |
| Richard Scrop | Tenor |
| Robert Green | Bass |
| Toms Blunt | Bass |
| Suse Blunt, Toms’s wife | Mezzo-Soprano |
Setting: Sir Humphrey Davenaut’s Estate in Scotland, 18th
century
Synopsis:
The vampire Lord Ruthven appeals to his Vampire Master to grant him
another year of life on earth before being condemned to hell. The Vampire
Master agrees provided Ruthven can bring three more victims to him before
midnight. Almost instantly, Janthe, daughter of Lord Berkley, falls into
Ruthven’s clutches and is despatched in the vampires’ cave. Her father’s
rescue party comes belatedly onto the scene and Ruthven is accused of her
murder. He is stabbed and left for dead. Aubry, a member of the house of
Davenant, comes upon Ruthven’s near-lifeless body, however, and helps him
recover in the moonlight. Horrified at realising that Ruthven is a vampire,
Aubry is nevertheless sworn to secrecy because Ruthven had once saved his
life. At a wedding party among the local peasantry shortly afterwards,
Ruthven sets his sights on the bride, Emma, lures her away and murders her.
Finally, Malwina Davenant prepares to marry Ruthven himself according to her
father’s wishes (she would prefer Aubry), but Aubry reveals the vampire’s
true nature and Ruthven is straightaway dragged down to hell by a demonic
crew. Davenant awards Malwina’s hand to Aubry.
[Synopsis
Source: Boosey & Hawkes]
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here for the complete libretto (original 4-act version)
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product_title=Heinrich Marschner (1795-1861): Der Vampyr
product_by=Leo Heppe (Sir Humphrey), Liane Synek (Malwina), Fritz Sperlbauer (Edgar Aubry), Georg Oeggl (Lord Ruthwen), Peter Lagger (Sir Berkley and Robert Green), Gisela Rathauscher (Janthe), Kurt Equiluz (Georg Dibdin and James Gadshill), Traute Skladal (Emmy), Johannes Blaha (Toms Blunt), Erich Kuchar (Richard Scrop), Maria Nussbaumer (Suse), Das Grosse Wiener Rundfundorchester, Kurt Tenner (cond.)
Live performance, 1951, Vienna