Das Nusch-Nuschi

Das Nusch-Nuschi (The Nusch-Nuschi) is an opera in one act by Paul Hindemith, with a German libretto by Franz Blei.

Subtitled A Play for Burmese Marionettes it is in fact a fully staged work with both singers and dancers, the second in a triptych of expressionist influenced one-act operas, the others being Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen op. 12 (1921), and Sancta Susanna op. 20 (1922).

Performance history

It was first performed on 4 June 1921, at the Landestheater, Stuttgart under the baton of Fritz Busch; Oskar Schlemmer was the director.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast,[1] 4 June 1921 (Conductor: Fritz Busch)
Rag-weng	reciter
the Nusch-Nuschi, a mythological beast	mime
Zatwai, seducer of the emperor's 4 wives	mime
Tum Tum, Zatwai's servant	tenor buffo	Heinrich Lohalm
Mung Tha Bya	bass	Albin Swoboda, Jr.
Kyce Waing, an army chief	bass	Reinhold Fritz
Bangsa	soprano	Erna Ellmenreich
Osasa	soprano
Ratasata	soprano
Twaise	contralto
Susulü	tenor	Felix Decken
Kamadewa	tenor
Master of ceremonies	bass
Executioner	bass
Beggar	bass
First dancer	soprano
Second dancer	soprano
First maiden	soprano
Second maiden	soprano
Third maiden	contralto
First poet	tenor
Second poet	bass
First herald	bass
Second herald	tenor
First monkey	tenor
Second monkey	tenor

References

Notes

1. "Musical events 4 June 1921". Italy: AmadeusOnline. Retrieved 8 August 2010.

Sources

• Skelton, Geoffrey (1992), 'Nusch-Nuschi, Der' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7