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The Conspiritors

Music by Franz Schubert : Words and Text by J. F. Castelli
Adapted by George Baker & Humphrey Trevelyan


The Story

(Late medieval times)

The plot of this one-act opera resembles 'Lysistrata' by Aristophanes and deals with an effective women's peace organisation. The Crusader husbands, commanded by Count Heribert von Ludenstein, are dissuaded from continually waging war by their wives, led by the Countess. They simply deny their husbands all 'matrimonial rights'. The Conspirators, although composed in 1823, was not performed until 1861, thirty three years after Schubert's death. The present version, in English, was first performed at Cambridge in 1954. The whole work lasts an hour and twenty minutes.

Principal Characters

Total principals required are four sopranos, two contraltos, three tenors, two basses, some of these having smaller roles. The chorus writing is nearly all covered by the principal voices.

Instrumentation

(Total number of books=20)

2 Violins I
1 Violin II
1 Viola
1 Cello
1 Double Bass
1 Flutes I/II
1 Oboe I
1 Oboe II
1 Clarinets I/II
1 Bassoon I
1 Bassoon II
1 Horns I/II
1 Trumpet I
1 Trumpet II
1 Trombones I/II
1 Bass Trombone
1 Timpani
1 Annotated Vocal Score
1 Full Score