Daphne
opera · bukolische Tragödie
Composer Richard Strauss
Librettist Joseph Gregor
Synopsis
Daphne, daughter of the fisherman Peneus and his wife Gaea, feels closer to the natural world than to any suitor, and refuses both her friend Leucippus's advances and the festival customs marking Dionysus's feast. A disguised cowherd, secretly the god Apollo, arrives and is captivated by her, setting him against Leucippus for her attention.
Key facts
- Premiere
- 15 October 1938, Sächsische Staatsoper, Dresden
- Acts
- 1
- Language
- German (de)
- Setting
- Outside the fisherman Peneus's hut in Greece, by the river that bears his name, in mythical antiquity.
Notes
The only version. The libretto is by Joseph Gregor. Premiered on the same evening as Friedenstag's first Dresden performance, about an hour apart, three months after Friedenstag's own premiere in Munich.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Peneios A fisherman. | bass | Sven Nilsson |
| Gaea Peneios's wife. | contralto | Helene Jung |
| Daphne Peneios and Gaea's daughter. | soprano | Margarete Teschemacher |
| Leukippos A shepherd. | tenor | Martin Kremer |
| Apollo A god, disguised as a cowherd. | tenor | Torsten Ralf |
| Erster Schäfer First shepherd, named Adrast in the score. | baritone | Arno Schellenberg |
| Zweiter Schäfer Second shepherd, named Kleontes in the score. | tenor | Heinrich Tessmer |
| Dritter Schäfer Third shepherd. | bass | Hans Löbel |
| Vierter Schäfer Fourth shepherd. | bass | Erich Händel |
| Erste Magd One of Daphne's two maids. | soprano | Angela Kolniak |
| Zweite Magd One of Daphne's two maids. | soprano | Martha Rohs |
Source
Original libretto.
Written from
- Osborne, C. (1988) The Complete Operas of Richard Strauss: A Critical Guide. London: Michael O'Mara Books, pp. 201-210.
- Strauss, R. (1938) Daphne, Op. 82. Vienna: R. Strauss. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Boosey & Hawkes (2026) Daphne: Synopsis. (Accessed: August 2026).
- opera-guide.ch (2026) Daphne: Synopsis. (Accessed: August 2026).