Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871−1927)

Tirfing (after Hervardursagan), Norse mythological music drama in two acts with prelude and postlude.

opus 15

Print
  • Year of composition: Prologue, act I, act II: Särö summer 1897, Epilogue: Båstad summer 1898
  • Work category: Opera
  • Text author: Anna Boberg (1864-1935)
  • First performed: 9 December 1898 at the Royal Opera, Stockholm, conducted by the composer
  • Duration: 180 min

Instrumentation

3*.3*.4**.3* / 6.3.3.1 / timp, 3 perc, 2 hp / str
(picc, cor angl, e-flat clar, bass clar, dbn)

Solo voices/choir

Solo voices: 1 soprano (Gullväg), 1 mezzo-soprano (Hervor/Hervardur), 4 tenors (The servants' foreman, Gestur, Harald, A chieftain), 5 baritones (Vidar, King Gudmund, A shepherd, A bard, Svasur), 1 bass (Angantyr)
Mixed choir and female choir (evil-doers, servants, maids of the court, knights, squires)

Examples of printed editions

Nordisk Musikförlag/Henrik Hennings 1898 (only some parts of the piano vocal score)
Levande musikarv, Stockholm 2014. Critical edition by Anders Wiklund.
Orchestra parts available from Malmö Opera, Sweden.

  • Location autograph: Musik- och teaterbiblioteket
  • Possible call no. and autograph comment: Score in autograph Statens Musik- och teaterbibliotek, piano reduction in autograph (Epilogue, Act 1 and 2) Stiftelsen Musikkulturens främjande

Literature

Wallner, Bo: Wilhelm Stenhammar och hans tid (Norstedts Förlag, Stockholm, 1991)

Description of work

Prelude (At Samsö)
scene 1: Hervor, Herden
scene 2: Hervor, Angantyr
scene 3: Hervor

Act I (At King Gudmund on the estate Gläsisvall)
scene 1: Gullväg, Vidar, Overseer of the servants, maids of the court
scene 2: Gullväg, Vidar
scene 3: Vidar
scene 4: Hervardur (Hervor), Vidar, A servant
scene 5: Hervardur

Act II (At the King konung Gudmund on the estate Gläsisvall)
scene 1: Hervardur, Gestur, Harald, Vidar, Svasur, knights
scene 2: the previous, Gullväg, King Gudmund, Barden, maids of the court, squires
scene 3: Gullväg, Hervardur, Gestur, Harald, Svasur, knights
scene 4: Gullväg, Hervardur

Postlude (Back at Samsö)
Hervor

Links

Read about the libretto on Dramawebben (in Swedish)


Media files

Edition Swedish Musical Heritage

  • Scores
    • Tirfing – Förspel och akt 1 - Score (pdf - 14 MB  |  Downloaded 5502 times)
      Edition: Levande Musikarv
      Stämmaterialet kan efterfrågas hos/Orchestra parts available from Malmö Opera, Sweden.
    • Tirfing – Akt 2 och epilog - Score (pdf - 14.7 MB  |  Downloaded 8174 times)
      Edition: Levande Musikarv
      Stämmaterialet kan efterfrågas hos/Orchestra parts available from Malmö Opera, Sweden.