# Stephen Climax > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Stephen_Climax > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Stephen_Climax.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Climax > Source revision: 1330076236 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ***Stephen Climax*** is an opera in three acts by [Hans Zender](/source/Hans_Zender), who wrote his own [libretto](/source/Libretto) based on [James Joyce](/source/James_Joyce) and [Hugo Ball](/source/Hugo_Ball). It was premiered on 15 June 1986 at the [Oper Frankfurt](/source/Oper_Frankfurt), staged by [Alfred Kirchner](/source/Alfred_Kirchner) and conducted by [Peter Hirsch](/source/Peter_Hirsch_(conductor)). The opera was published by [Breitkopf & Härtel](/source/Breitkopf_%26_H%C3%A4rtel). A 1990 production at [La Monnaie](/source/La_Monnaie) in Brussels was recorded. ## History Zender wrote his own libretto, based on two literary sources, Hugo Ball's *Symeon, der Stylit* ([Simeon Stylites](/source/Simeon_Stylites)) from his legends of saints,[1] and the [Stephen Dedalus](/source/Stephen_Dedalus) episodes from *[Ulysses](/source/Ulysses_(novel))* by James Joyce.[2] Zender worked on the opera from 1976 and again from 1984.[3] *Stephen Climax* was premiered on 15 June 1986 at the [Oper Frankfurt](/source/Oper_Frankfurt), staged by [Alfred Kirchner](/source/Alfred_Kirchner) and conducted by [Peter Hirsch](/source/Peter_Hirsch_(conductor)). It was the only world premiere at the Oper Frankfurt during the [Gielen era](/source/Michael_Gielen).[4] It was also performed at [La Monnaie](/source/La_Monnaie) in Brussels in 1990 and the [Staatstheater Nürnberg](/source/Staatstheater_N%C3%BCrnberg) in 1991.[1] The opera was published by [Breitkopf & Härtel](/source/Breitkopf_%26_H%C3%A4rtel).[1] ## Theme A main character of the opera is St [Simeon Stylites](/source/Simeon_Stylites), as described in the *[Acta Sanctorum](/source/Acta_Sanctorum)*. Joyce used motifs in his *Ulysses* which Zender read in the German translation by [Hans Wollschläger](/source/Hans_Wollschl%C3%A4ger).[3] His story, as a hermit who lives on a column for decades and is venerated as a saint, is juxtaposed with scenes from the novel by Joyce.[4] ## Roles Role Voice type Premiere cast, 15 June 1986 Conductor: Peter Hirsch[2][3][5][6] Simeon, Säulensteher tenor Ian Caley Antonios bass-baritone Franz Mayer 3 Ratsuchende baritone, bass, youthful baritone William Workman[7] Simeon's mother soprano June Card Vorsänger tenor Tanzlehrer Professor Maginni tenor Alfred Vökt Stephen youthful baritone Lyndon Terracini Leopold Bloom bass Joshua Hecht Lynch bass Barry Mora Bella Cohen mezzo-soprano Sandra Walker Zoe soprano Nancy Shade Kitty mezzo-soprano Ilse Gramatzki Florry contralto Karen Rambo Carr tenor William Pell Compton tenor Bodo Schwanbeck The action takes place in the [Syrian Desert](/source/Syrian_Desert) and in [Dublin](/source/Dublin) at night.[3] ## Music *Stephen Climax* is scored for soloists, choir, two orchestral groups, stage music and tape playback. The duration is given as 135 minutes,[1] also as 150 minutes.[3][4] ## Recording In 1992, academy released a CD set with a live performance of the 1990 Brussels production, with [Dale Duesing](/source/Dale_Duesing) as Stephen, [Ronald Hamilton](/source/Ronald_Hamilton) as Simeon, [Isoldé Elchlepp](/source/Isold%C3%A9_Elchlepp) as Bella, and [Ellen Shade](/source/Ellen_Shade) as Simeon's mother, and conducted by [Sylvain Cambreling](/source/Sylvain_Cambreling).[2] ## References 1. ["Hans Zender (*1936) / *Stephen Climax*"](https://www.breitkopf.com/work/20254/stephen-climax) (in German). [Breitkopf & Härtel](/source/Breitkopf_%26_H%C3%A4rtel). Retrieved 21 May 2017. 1. Griffel, Margaret Ross (2018). ["*Stephen Climax*"](https://books.google.com/books?id=H-xEDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA458). *Operas in German: A Dictionary*. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 458. ISBN 9781442247970. 1. ["Zender Hans (*1936) (Komponist) / *Stephen Climax*"](https://www.theatertexte.de/nav/2/2/3/werk?verlag_id=universal_edition&wid=8733102&ebex3=3) (in German). *theatertexte.de*. Retrieved 21 May 2017. 1. Herbort, Heinz Josef (4 July 1986). ["Musiktheater: *Stephen Climax* von Hans Zender in Frankfurt: Dichter, Huren, Mönche"](https://www.zeit.de/1986/28/dichter-huren-moenche/komplettansicht) (in German). *[Die Zeit](/source/Die_Zeit)*. Retrieved 21 May 2019. 1. Lehn, Mathias (2018). ["Hans Zender, *Stephen Climax*"](https://www.opera-collection.net/compz/zenderh.htm). *Opera Collection*. Retrieved 22 May 2019. 1. ["William Workman"](https://web.operissimo.com/triboni/exec?method=com.operissimo.artist.webDisplay&xsl=webDisplay&searchString=&id=ffcyoieagxaaaaabckjf) (in German). *[Operissimo](/source/Operissimo)*. Retrieved March 24, 2021. ## External links - [*Stephen Climax*](http://operadata.stanford.edu/catalog/10133461) in *Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres*, stanford.edu - [Hugo Ball](/source/Hugo_Ball): *Byzantinisches Christentum: Drei Heiligenleben.* Insel, Frankfurt am Main 1979, ISBN 3-458-04965-7; new edition, edited by Bernd Wacker: Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen 2011, ISBN 978-3-89244-779-5 - Nyffeler, Max (2019). ["Zender, *Stephen Climax*"](https://issuu.com/breitkopf/docs/b_h-_uptodate__2019-1_issuu). *Uptodate*. **2019** (1): 36–38. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Stephen Climax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Climax) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Climax?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.