A Singspiel is a type of German music drama. It is now considered a type of opera. This form uses spoken dialogue that is mixed with group performances, songs, ballads, and arias. These songs often had repeating verses, similar to folk songs. The stories in Singspiele are usually humorous or romantic. They often include magical elements, imaginary creatures, and characters that strongly show differences between good and evil.

History

Some of the first Singspiele in Germany were miracle plays, which included both dialogue and singing. By the early 1600s, miracle plays became less religious. The word "Singspiel" first appeared in printed materials during this time, and secular Singspiele were also performed. These included translations or imitations of English and Italian songs and plays, as well as original works in German.

In the 1700s, some Singspiele were translated versions of English ballad operas. In 1736, the Prussian ambassador to England asked for a translation of the ballad opera The Devil to Pay. This version was successfully performed in the 1740s in Hamburg and Leipzig. A later version was created by Johann Adam Hiller and C. F. Weiße in 1766 (Der Teufel ist los oder Die verwandelten Weiber). This was the first of many collaborations between them, and they became known as "the fathers of the German Singspiel."

French operas with spoken dialogue (opéras comiques) were often translated into German and became popular in Vienna during the late 1770s and early 1780s. In contrast, German translations of Italian opere buffe, which were successful in England and France, were much less common. Singspiele were considered entertainment for middle and lower classes, unlike opera, ballet, and stage plays, which were mainly for the aristocracy. These performances were usually given by traveling troupes, such as the Koch, Döbbelin, and Koberwein companies, rather than by established theater groups in major cities.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote several Singspiele, including Bastien und Bastienne (1768), Zaide (1780), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1782), Der Schauspieldirektor (1786), and Die Zauberflöte (1791). E. T. A. Hoffmann, who admired Mozart, also composed Singspiele, such as Liebe und Eifersucht in 1807.

In 1927, Kurt Weill created a new term, "Songspiel," to describe his work Mahagonny-Songspiel.