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Hin und zurück by Paul Hindemith : a production thesis

University of British Columbia

Hin und Zurtick, a short, one-act opera written in 1927 by Paul Hindemith, was produced, designed, conducted and staged by Douglas V. Riley, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Music degree in the Department of Music of the University of British Columbia. This opera was produced on a budget of $232.07 and was performed by a student cast on November 29 and 30, 19 74 in the Old Auditorium Theatre which seats approximately 550 people. The following is a detailed record of that production with the stage director's analysis and interpretation of the musical score. This record is divided into seven chapters and a final section containing a bibliography and production appendices. The first chapter deals with the reasons for choosing the opera itself, taking into account the restrictions of an opera workshop: that is, a limited number of singers, young voices, inexperienced actors and the necessary simplicity of the design and production. This is followed by a short historical look at the composer and at the opera itself in Chapter Two. The third chapter contains specific notes on the different approaches to the conceptualization of the production and a discussion of the origin and basis of the final directorial concept. It also discusses intellectual and other analytic considerations dealing with dramaturgy and the projected production and directorial problems. The fourth chapter covers the specific organization of the production and the detailed final realization of the staging. Cast selection and its related problems are then considered. This chapter also includes a scene-by-scene analysis which covers purpose, actions, musically-denoted actions, dominant emotions and the particular difficulties encountered therein. This chapter concludes with specific references to aspects of acting by young performers. Chapter Five deals with the conductor's personal preparation as a basis for co-ordinating the work both in rehearsal and during performances. The chapter then deals with all other musical considerations and their particular relations to both the performers and the audience of Hin und Zuriick. The straightforward approach to the planning and construction of the scenery is discussed in Chapter Six which also describes the different methods of stage lighting. It concludes with an assessment of the final outcome. Chapter Seven is a short appraisal of the entire production from different points of view, including a discussion of the opera as it relates to the director/producer. The final section consists of a bibliography and various appendices, from a scene breakdown to the photo-copied reproduction of the score.

Text

2010-03-15

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21900

Music

University of British Columbia

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