Die Königin von Saba
Music by Karl Goldmark · libretto by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal · premiered 1875 · at Vienna State Opera house
Die Königin von Saba (The Queen of Sheba) is an opera in four acts by Karl Goldmark. The German libretto by Hermann Salomon Mosenthal sets a love triangle into the context of the Queen of Sheba's visit to the court of King Solomon, recorded in 1 Kings 10:1-13 (largely copied in 2 Chronicles 9:1–12). The plot centres on a love triangle not found in the Bible between the Queen of Sheba, Assad (an ambassador at the court of Solomon), and Sulamith (Assad's betrothed).
The opera was first performed at the Hofoper (now the State Opera) in Vienna, on 10 March 1875. While in the present-day the opera is rarely performed, its historical popularity led it to be staged over 250 times in Vienna in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the early 1900s, it was staged internationally at leading opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala.
Text from the Wikipedia article "Die Königin von Saba", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
About the Composer
Karl Goldmark is the composer of record for this opera.
Text from the Wikipedia article "Karl Goldmark", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.