Cardillac

Cardillac is an opera by Paul Hindemith in three acts and four scenes. wrote the libretto based on the short story Das Fräulein von Scuderi by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

The first performance was at the Staatsoper, Dresden on 9 November 1926. It was promptly performed throughout Germany. Although Britain had to wait until 1970 for a staged performance, a concert performance was presented at the Queen's Hall, London, on 18 December 1936, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Clarence Raybould, and starring Miriam Licette as Cardillac's daughter.

Hindemith revised both the score and the text, for the reason that, according to Ian Kemp, the musical idiom "seemed crude and undisciplined". This second version was first performed at the Zurich Stadttheater on 20 June 1952. Hans-Ludwig Schilling has published a comparison of the two versions. After 1953, Hindemith sanctioned only the 1952 revised version for theatrical performances. However, after the composer's death in 1963, the original version became available again for production.

The opera's Italian premiere took place in 1948 at the Venice Biennale as part of the Venice Festival of Contemporary Music XI. The American premiere took place at The Santa Fe Opera in 1967 using a staging by director Bodo Igesz. The New Opera Company presented the first staged UK performances in March 1970 at Sadler's Wells.

The setting is Paris in the 17th century.

Scene 1

The crowd is agitated about a series of recent mysterious murders. The police calm the crowd. The goldsmith Cardillac enters the scene and the atmosphere becomes hushed. The Lady asks the Cavalier about the goldsmith Cardillac, and the Cavalier tells of the goldsmith and his priceless jewelry. The Lady promises the Cavalier a tryst that evening if he can bring her Cardillac's most beautiful work.

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