Korngold composed his first opera, Der Ring des Polykrates [The Ring of Polykrates] between 1913 and 1914, when he was seventeen years old and his theatrical experience was reduced to the 1909 pantomime Der Scheemann [The Snowman], orchestrated by his then teacher Alexander von Zemlinsky. However Korngold's intention to work on an opera comes from earlier times, as demonstrated by the manuscripts of an abandoned and very youthful opera, which should not look strange if we thought that at the turn of the century, to obtain a success on the Opera World was to reach the top as composer, and Korngold always had the ambition to go there. Suggested by his father, at that time the influential music critic Julius Korngold, Erich began to work on a one-act opera chosing, curiously, a comedy from Heinrich Teweles as the base; adapted first by Leo Feld, and later by the own Julius unsatisfied with the first presented draft, it is not hard to see on its plot what attracted young Korngold in such measure to dedicate it his efforts, with its main idea around the durability and passion in Love, a basic theme on each and everyone of his operas. The music created, graceful, slight and brilliant (almost mozartian in spirit, not in handwriting), with a terrific use of the voices, and a no less spectacular treatment of the orchestra and its relationship with the scene and the singers, disclose the maturity of his young author, who however had to wait two years to see it performed on stage, in March of 1916 and conducted by Bruno Walter, together with its companion work, the very dramatic and even better Violanta op.8.For many years forgotten, with the exception of Scene 4 and the many times recorded Kann's heut nich fassen, german label CPO -who already issued four basic records with his best orchestral works- turn his eyes to Korngold in a fortunate decision, and recover this terrific work in a adjusted performance, both in voice and batton levels; right now there is only the lack of the even more forgotten Die Kathrin op.28, which seems to be in the future DECCA-LONDON plans, to be able to enjoy the whole of Korngold's five operas.
