Wieland der Schmied (Bella)

Lore & Background

The libretto originated from Richard Wagner's enthusiasm for Hector Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet symphony. Wagner drafted a prose libretto between December 1849 and March 1850, intending it for the Paris Opéra with music possibly by Berlioz or himself. He published it as an appendix to his essay The Art-Work of the Future, calling it 'a glorious Saga which long ago the raw, uncultured Folk of old-time Germany indited for no other reason than that of inner, free, Necessity.' However, Wagner never set it as an opera, nor did any other composer before Bella.

Oskar Schlemm adapted Wagner's outline into a full German libretto for Bella, who wrote the music between 1880 and 1890 while living in Sibiu. The opera was eventually produced in Bratislava at the Slovak National Theatre on 28 April 1926, conducted by Oskar Nedbal, in a Slovak translation by Vladimír Roy under the title Kováč Wieland. The composer was in the audience, and the Slovak newspaper Slovenská politika reported 'everyone will understand the magnitude of the moment and the tremor that seized us when the sweet singing of a Slovak word sounded from the stage.'

Reader's Guide

Wieland der Schmied holds a unique place in both Wagnerian and Slovak music history. It is the only opera based on a Wagner libretto that Wagner himself never set, and it became the first original opera ever staged in Slovak. Bella's work, composed over a decade in Sibiu, represents a significant cultural milestone for Slovak national identity. The opera's story, derived from Old Norse sources such as Völundarkviða and Þiðreks saga, was reimagined by Wagner with added fairy-tale elements: Schwanhilde, daughter of a mortal and a fairy king, marries the smith Wieland, but their happiness is shattered by the Neidings under Princess Bathilde, who steal a magic ring and kidnap Schwanhilde. Wieland, crippled but resourceful, fashions wings and escapes with her as the enemies' house is destroyed. The premiere, conducted by Oskar Nedbal, was a landmark event, celebrated in the press for the emotional impact of hearing Slovak sung on stage. The opera thus bridges Wagner's theoretical ideals and the emergence of Slovak national opera.

Did You Know?

• Wagner wrote the libretto draft between December 1849 and March 1850, inspired by Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet symphony.
• The opera was first performed on 28 April 1926 at the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava.
• It was the first ever staging of an original opera in Slovak.