# Der Protagonist

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This article is about the 1926 opera and 1920 play. For other topics, see [protagonist (disambiguation)](/source/Protagonist_(disambiguation)).

Der Protagonist Literaturoper by Kurt Weill The composer in 1932 Librettist Georg Kaiser Language German Premiere 27 March 1926 (1926-03-27) Semperoper, Dresden

***Der Protagonist*** (*The Protagonist*) is an [opera](/source/Opera) in one act by [Kurt Weill](/source/Kurt_Weill), his [Op.](/source/Opus_number) 15. The German [libretto](/source/Libretto) was written by [Georg Kaiser](/source/Georg_Kaiser) based on his own play of the same name of (1920). Weill's first surviving opera has been described as *[Literaturoper](/source/Literaturoper)*.[1]

## Performance history

It was first performed on 27 March 1926 at the [Semperoper](/source/Semperoper) in Dresden, when it was directed by [Josef Gielen](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Josef_Gielen&action=edit&redlink=1) [[de](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Gielen)] and conducted by [Fritz Busch](/source/Fritz_Busch). It was given again at the [Städtische Oper Berlin](/source/St%C3%A4dtische_Oper_Berlin) in October 1928 directed by Walter Brügmann and conducted by [Robert F. Denzler](/source/Robert_F._Denzler), this time as a double bill with *[Der Zar lässt sich photographieren](/source/Der_Zar_l%C3%A4sst_sich_photographieren)*.

Post-war performances have included productions at the [Deutsche Oper am Rhein](/source/Deutsche_Oper_am_Rhein), Düsseldorf, in April 1958 (the first German post-war performance), directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Andreas and conducted by Friedrich Brenn; [Santa Fe Opera](/source/Santa_Fe_Opera) from 31 July 1993, directed by Jonathan Eaton and conducted by [George Manahan](/source/George_Manahan) (coupled with *Der Zar lässt sich photographieren*). An Austrian premiere of the opera took place only on 17 November 2000 in a production of the [University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna](/source/University_of_Music_and_Performing_Arts_Vienna) at [Schönbrunn Palace](/source/Sch%C3%B6nbrunn_Palace), directed by Sebastian Müller and conducted by [Marino Formenti](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marino_Formenti&action=edit&redlink=1) [[de](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marino_Formenti)]. It was followed by the [Bregenz Festival](/source/Bregenz_Festival) from 21 July 2004, with the direction of [Nicolas Brieger](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicolas_Brieger&action=edit&redlink=1) [[de](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Brieger)] and conducted by [Yakov Kreizberg](/source/Yakov_Kreizberg) (coupled with Weill's *[Royal Palace](/source/Royal_Palace_(opera))*).[2]

## Roles

Roles, voice types, premiere cast Role Voice type Premiere cast, 27 March 1926[3] Conductor: Fritz Busch The protagonist tenor Curt Taucher His sister soprano Elisa Stünzner First actor bass Robert Büssel Second actor baritone Rudolf Schmalnauer Third actor contralto Elfriede Haberkorn The majordomo of the duke tenor Ludwig Eybisch Young lord baritone Paul Schöffler Innkeeper bass Adolf Schoepflin Eight musicians

## Recordings

**Weill: *Der Protagonist*** – Berlin German Symphony Orchestra

- Conductor: [John Mauceri](/source/John_Mauceri)

- Principal singers: Corby Welch, Matthias Koch, Alexander Marco-Buhrmester, Robert Worle, Jan Buchwald, Matteo de Monti, Johannes von Duisburg, Amanda Halgrimson

- Recording date: 1 May 2002

- Label: Capriccio – 60 086 (CD)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["*The Protagonist*, Op. 14 (1925)"](https://americansymphony.org/concert-notes/the-protagonist-op-14-1925/), analysis by Bryan Gilliam (1996), [American Symphony Orchestra](/source/American_Symphony_Orchestra)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["*Der Protagonist* / *Royal Palace*"](https://chronik.bregenzerfestspiele.com/saison-2004/der-protagonist-royal-palace), performance details, [Bregenz Festival](/source/Bregenz_Festival), Summer 2004 (in German)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *Casaglia, Gherardo (2005).["*Der Protagonist*, 27 March 1926"](https://almanac-gherardo-casaglia.com/index.php?Giorno=27&Mese=03&Anno=1926&Testo=Der_Protagonist&Parola=Stringa). L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).

## Further reading

- [Hinton, Stephen](/source/Stephen_Hinton) (1992), "*Der Protagonist*", *[The New Grove Dictionary of Opera](/source/The_New_Grove_Dictionary_of_Opera)*, ed. [Stanley Sadie](/source/Stanley_Sadie) (London) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-333-73432-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-333-73432-7)

## External links

- [Work details](https://www.kwf.org/pages/ww-der-protagonist.html), Kurt Weill Foundation

v t e Kurt Weill Works for the stage Der Protagonist (1926) Royal Palace (1927) Mahagonny-Songspiel (1927) Der Zar lässt sich photographieren (1928) The Threepenny Opera (1928) Happy End (1929) Der Lindberghflug/The Flight Across the Ocean (1929) Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (1930) Der Jasager (1930) Die Bürgschaft (1932) Der Silbersee (1933) The Seven Deadly Sins (1933) Der Kuhhandel (1935) Johnny Johnson (1936) The Eternal Road (1937) Knickerbocker Holiday (1938) Lady in the Dark (1940) We Will Never Die (1943) One Touch of Venus (1943) The Firebrand of Florence (1945) A Flag Is Born (1945) Street Scene (1946) Down in the Valley (1948) Love Life (1948) Lost in the Stars (1949) Songs "Alabama Song" "J'attends un navire" "Mack the Knife" "My Ship" "Pirate Jenny" "The Saga of Jenny" "September Song" "Speak Low" "Tschaikowsky (and Other Russians)" "What Keeps Mankind Alive?" "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?" Film scores The Threepenny Opera (1931) You and Me (1938) Where Do We Go from Here? (1945) One Touch of Venus (1948) The Threepenny Opera (1963) Tribute albums André Previn and J. J. Johnson (1962) John Bunch Plays Kurt Weill (1975) Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill (1985) The Young Gods Play Kurt Weill (1991) Let No One Deceive You (1992) September Songs – The Music of Kurt Weill (1994) This Is New (2002) I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Wainwright Does Weill (2025) Others The Berlin Requiem (1928) Related articles Lotte Lenya (wife) Kurt Weill Centre Category

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