Pygmalion is a monodrama in one act by composer Georg Benda with a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter. The opera's first performance was at the Ekhof Theatre, the court theatre in Gotha, on 20 September 1779.[1] Pygmalion was the fourth of the five theatrical collaborations of Benda and Gotter. Gotter based his text on Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 1762 play Pygmalion. Benda's melodrama is unusual as it has no singing roles. Two of the three characters, Pygmalion and Galatea, are spoken roles; the other, Venus, is silently acted on stage.
| Pygmalion | |
|---|---|
| Monodrama by Georg Benda | |
 Georg Benda in 1751 | |
| Librettist | Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter |
| Language | German |
| Based on | Rousseau's Pygmalion |
| Premiere | 20 September 1779 |
Synopsis
editPygmalion, having renounced women, is in love with the statue he has made, his Galatea. Venus allows her to come to life, giving him final happiness.
Discography
edit- Benda Melodramas: Ariadne auf Naxos/Pygmalion with conductor Christian Benda and the Prague Chamber Orchestra. Cast: Brigitte Quadlbauer (Ariadne) and Peter Uray (Pygmalion). Released in 1996 on the Naxos label.
References
edit- ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Pygmalion, 20 September 1779". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
External links
edit- Pygmalion (Benda): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Pygmalion at Naxos Records
