The Two Widows
Catalogue of Works by Bedřich Smetana
Basic information
Title:
The Two Widows
Inscribed on the autograph: the Overture to the opera The Two Widows.
Subtitle:
A comic opera in two acts
Title by autograph:
Dvě vdovy
Subtitle by autograph:
Ouvertura k zpěvohře
Classification according to the catalogue of J. Berkovec:
1.108
Title according to the catalogue of J. Berkovec:
Dvě vdovy
Parts/Subjects:
Ouverture, Act I: Living room with an open veranda, Act II: Great hall with a veranda
Note:
Teige: Dvě vdovy, salónní opera ve dvou jednáních [The Two Widows, a drawing-room opera in two acts].
CLC 1875: "Dvě vdovy. dok. dne 15 ledna 1874. ponejprv provoz. dne 27 března 1874." [The Two Widows. finished on 15 January 1874. first performed on 27 March 1874.]
CLC 1875: "Dvě vdovy. dok. dne 15 ledna 1874. ponejprv provoz. dne 27 března 1874." [The Two Widows. finished on 15 January 1874. first performed on 27 March 1874.]
Cast
Instrumental cast:
2,2,2,2 - 4,2,3,0 - timp., trg - archi
Vocal cast:
Mixed choir and solo vocals
Other information
Text source
Author of the draft:
Name/Title:
comedy Les deux veuves
Language:
French
Translation author:
The Two Widows: 1st (original) version
Place of origin:
Prague
Date of beginning of composition:
16. 07. 1873
Date of composition completion:
15. 01. 1874
Note on date and place of origin:
Act 1 completed on 18 November 1873, Act 2 completed on 15 January 1874.
Premiere date:
27. 03. 1874
Place of premiere:
Prague, Royal Provisional Theatre
Conductor/Chorus Master:
Staging:
Edmund Chválovský - director, scriptwriter (partim)
Ensemble:
Josef Macourek, Marie Sittová, Ema Sáková, Antonín Vávra, Karel Čech
1st edition of the score
Publisher:
Place of publication:
Prague
Year:
1874
Note:
Arrangement of the movement Čtverozpěv, arranged by Josef Jiránek
Critical edition
Edition type:
Full score
Publisher:
Place of publication:
Prague
Year:
1950
Note:
The volume contains only the opera The Two Widows.
1st edition of the libretto
Publisher:
Place of publication:
Prague
Year:
1874
Note:
Text by Mallefille, translated by Emanuel Züngel
The Two Widows: 2. version
Place of origin:
Jabkenice
Date of beginning of composition:
05/1877
Date of composition completion:
13. 07. 1877
Note on date and place of origin:
First act completed on 28 June 1877, second act completed on 13 July 1877.
Premiere date:
15. 03. 1878
Place of premiere:
Prague, Royal Provisional Theatre
Conductor/Chorus Master:
Staging:
Edmund Chválovský - director, script (?),
Ensemble:
Tereza Boscheti, Marie Sittová, Antonín Vávra, Karel Čech, Marie Laušmannová, Jan Šára
The Two Widows: Supplement
Place of origin:
Prague, Jabkenice
Date of composition completion:
28. 09. 1882
Premiere date:
28. 12. 1881
Place of premiere:
Hamburg, Stadtoper
Conductor/Chorus Master:
Staging:
Merjack - director, script writer (?),
Ensemble:
Charlotte (Karolina) Pechka – Leutner - Blanka (Anežka) Rose Sucher - Alfred (Ladislav) Joseph Wolff - Grognard (Mumlal) Freny - Minette (Lidka) Kolbe - Francois (Toník) Sedlmayer
1st edition of the score
Publisher:
Place of publication:
Berlin
Year:
1882
Note:
Arrangement for piano four hands
Critical edition
Edition type:
Piano-vocal score
Publisher:
Place of publication:
Prague
Year:
1950
Note:
Supplements, composed by Smetana in August and September 1882 for the publishing house Bote & Bock in Berlin, which published the piano arrangement of The Two Widows in 1893. The German text of the supplements was written by Roderich Fels and translated into Czech probably by Josef Srb-Debrnov. Smetana's score of the supplements is now lost.