Das Wunder der Heliane or The Miracle of Heliane, is an opera
in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold with a libretto by Hans
Müller-Einigen, after Hans Kaltneker. It was first performed at the
Hamburg State Opera on October 7 1927.
Before its premiere in 1927 Korngold claimed that this would
be his masterwork. But at the world premiere in Hamburg the
audiences and critics were unimpressed feeling that Korngold's
music held no new surprises and it was not modern. Critics were
united in their lack of esteem for the work, many simply dismissing
it as kitsch. Within the artistic community however there is
evidence that there was admiration for the work, soprano Lotte
Lehman even stating that the title role was her favorite. If fact,
Lehman and Jan Kiepura sang in the premier. This spectacular 1993
recording stars Anna Tomowa-Sintow René Pape and Nicolai Gedda.
John Mauceri conducts.
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