THE WICHTER

"Das Wichtelchen" was composed around 1900 based on the libretto by Moritz Heimann, who was also the husband of Max Marschalk's sister. Incidentally, Gerhart Hauptmann was the husband of Marschalk's second sister, Margarette. "Wichteln" are house spirits that appear in various fairy tales from Central Europe, but also in Slavic culture. They can be good or bad, it depends on the people they hang out with.

In the opera in one act by Max Marschalk, an elf befriends the young Marie, who is the nanny in a lady's house and takes care of her son Hansen. Hänschen likes the songs and stories of his nanny. When asked how Marie knew these songs from, she replied that it was a little pixy she was teaching her. But Hans has to go to sleep now and then the imp appears behind the stove. He begins to talk to the young girl and makes her remember an incident that she pushed aside a long time ago. The girl's dark secret is then revealed and the opera ends with a dramatic finale. But until the end we don't know who this pixie really is and why he appeared?

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Max Marschalk has written music for many pieces by Gerhart Hauptmann, such as "Und Pippa tanzt", "Sunken bell" or "Schluck und Jauch". The first and most important was "Hanneles Himmelfahrt", which was translated into Polish by Maria Konopnicka. It was Bolko von Hochberg who, as director of the Royal Theater in Berlin, made the premiere possible in 1893. Hannele is a half-orphan who, mistreated by her father, throws herself into the icy river out of desperation. Rescued by the villagers and their teacher Gottwald, she lies dying next to sister Marta, and sees in a dream how everyone around is transformed into angels. In heaven she sees her beloved teacher transforming into the "stranger" (Jesus) who receives her in paradise. Hannele was the debut role of many later great actresses such as Pola Negri.

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Max Marschalk (Berlin, 1863 - Pobierowo, 1940) was a German composer, music teacher, music critic and music publisher. He was the son of Fritz Marschalk, a merchant and shop owner, and Laura Marschalk, a singer. He was also the older brother of the violinist, actress and pacifist Margarete Hauptmann, Gerhart Hauptmann's second wife. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin (painting) and took private composition lessons from Heinrich Urban. From 1885 he worked as a music critic, from 1895 to 1933 for the "Vossische Zeitung". He also worked as a singing teacher. Until 1934 he was the owner of the music publisher "Dreililien" in Berlin. Marschalk was very close friends with the composers Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. As a composer he created operas and theater music, especially for his brother-in-law Gerhart Hauptmann, but also orchestral pieces and many songs.

A project by the Ars-Augusta eV association in collaboration with the Gerhart Hauptmann Haus municipal museum in Hirschberg and the Goßwitz manor house. Funded by the cultural department for Silesia in the Silesian Museum in Görlitz and the consulate of the FRG in Breslau.