Der Mond

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Der Mond" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["operas-by-carl-orff", "german-language-operas", "operas", "1939-operas", "one-act-operas", "moon-in-culture", "opera-world-premieres-at-the-bavarian-state-opera"] topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Mond" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox opera"]

FieldValue
nameDer Mond
composerCarl Orff
imageCarl Orff um 1970.jpg
captionOrff, c. 1970
descriptionEin kleines Welttheater ("A little world theatre")
librettistCarl Orff
languageGerman
based_ona Grimms' fairy tale
premiere_date
premiere_locationBavarian State Opera
::

| name = Der Mond | composer = Carl Orff | image = Carl Orff um 1970.jpg | caption = Orff, c. 1970 | image_upright = | translated_name = | description = Ein kleines Welttheater ("A little world theatre") | librettist = Carl Orff | language = German | based_on = a Grimms' fairy tale | premiere_date = | premiere_location = Bavarian State Opera Der Mond (The Moon) is an opera in one act by Carl Orff based on a Grimm's fairy tale with a libretto by the composer. It was first performed on 5 February 1939 by the Bavarian State Opera in Munich under the direction of Clemens Krauss. The composer describes it not as an opera but as Ein kleines Welttheater ("A little world theatre"); the performance lasts for about one hour and is often paired with Orff's Die Kluge.

Roles

::data[format=table] | Role | Voice type | Première cast, 5 February 1939 Conductor: Clemens Krauss | |---|---|---| | The storyteller | tenor | Julius Patzak | | Saint Peter | bass | Paul Bender | | A farmer | baritone | | | First Rascal | baritone | Franz Theo Reuter | | Second Rascal | baritone | Emil Graf | | Third Rascal | tenor | Karl Ostertag | | Fourth Rascal | bass | Georg Wieter | | Landlord | spoken | Ambros Witt | ::

Synopsis

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Videodesign_Carl_Orff_"The_Moon"_Andechs_2015.JPG" caption="Video Design at the Carl-Orff Festival 2015"] ::

The story involves characters who steal the Moon for their country which does not have a Moon. They take the Moon to their graves upon their deathsThe interlude which marks the death of the four rascals is notated in the unusual key of C-flat major. and St. Peter goes to the underworld to retrieve it and hang it again in the sky. Two speaking roles include that of a child and a landlord. Singing roles include the four rascals who steal the Moon, St. Peter, a farmer and the narrator.

[[instrumentation (music)|Instrumentation]]

Selected recordings

References

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

operas-by-carl-orffgerman-language-operasoperas1939-operasone-act-operasmoon-in-cultureopera-world-premieres-at-the-bavarian-state-opera