Der Corregidor – Libretto

Der Corregidor is based on the novella El Sombrero de tres picos ('The Three-Cornered Hat') by Pedro de Alarcón. Wolf thought highly of his music for Der Corregidor; for him, with its vividly graphic quality and its remarkable simplicity and transparency, it compared favourably with his earlier works. The subject matter of this at once comic and also genuinely tragic work still has relevance for performers and audiences today – corruption, the arbitrary exercise of authority, and women's struggle for their rights. (Leopold Spitzer) Wolf's vocal score was already in print before the first performance in Mannheim on 7 June 1896, and the composer's post-premiere revision can only be deduced from the performance material.

Leopold Spitzer has cross-checked Wolf's revised score and vocal score and evaluated the source material in a detailed critical report.

Orchestra: 3(1st+Picc),2,C.A.,2,B.Cl.,2-4,3,3,1- Timp,Perc,Gl-Hp-Str, Stage music: 3Tpt, 2Hr