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Die Dorfschule (The Village School), Op. 64, is a 1918 German opera in one act by Felix Weingartner based on act 4, scene 3, "Terakoya" (temple school), from the Japanese kabuki play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami. The plot of the scene "Terakoya" concerns the samurai Matsuōmaru, who on learning of a plot to kill the son of his feudal lord sends his own son to the village school where the son dies in his master's son's place, fulfilling the family duty.

The subject of the opera had already been treated by the 17-year old Carl Orff as Gisei – Das Opfer, in June 1913, one of the juvenile works that Orff did not have performed during his lifetime. Orff's treatment was based on the German translation of "Terakoya" by Karl Florenz [de].

Recordings

A 2012 recording of the opera has been issued on a 1-disc set by the German label cpo, in 2015 with the German Opera Orchestra, chorus and soloists conducted by Jacques Lacombe.

Dating

The work was published in 1919 but composed in March 1918.

References

1. Die Dorfschule, work details at Universal Edition
2. Felix von Weingartner: Die Dorfschule: Weingartners Einakter, dessen Konzeption in das Jahr 1916
3. "Theodizee als Problem der Philosophie und Theologie", Yong Sung Kim (2002): "weiß die Hauptfigur Matsuo-maru, dass die Feinde dem Sohn seines Lehnsherrn nach dem Leben trachten. Matsuo-maru und seine Frau schicken ihren eigenen Sohn in die private Schule des Lehrers Takebe Genzo, in der sich der gesuchte ..."
4. Das Fremde und das Vertraute, p. 188
5. "Felix Weingartner: Die Dorfschule op.64 (CD) – JPC".
6. 1919 publication: ONB
7. Autograph dated March 23 1918 @ ONB

• Opera

• 1918 operas
• Operas
• One-act operas
• German-language operas
• Operas based on literature
• Operas set in Japan
• Japan in non-Japanese culture
• Compositions by Felix Weingartner