Hans Heiling

Hans Heiling is an German Romantic opera in 3 acts by Heinrich Marschner with a libretto by the baritone Eduard Devrient, who also sang the title-role at the première. It was first performed at the Königliche Hofoper (now Berlin State Opera), Berlin on 24 May, 1833 and went on to become his most successful opera. The opera brought the composer a considerable reputation, although this did not materially affect his position in Hanover, where he was music director of the Court Theatre. Like Marschner's other great success, Der Vampyr, the plot of Hans Heiling makes great use of supernatural elements. As with several of his operas, Hans Heiling is based on a folk legend.
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[Folklore] Hans Heiling (Jan Svatos in Czech) is a legendary person from German stories of Loket castle and town in Sokolov county (today's Czech republic). Hans's Heiling was a foundling. His mother, the water nymph Oharka from the Ohre river, gave him the power to command spirits and taught him how to master magic. Hans Heiling became quite rich and powerful and also ordered spirits under his command to build a great city. The granite rocks above the Ohre, named Hans-Heiling-Felsen (Svatosske skaly), were believed to be ruins of this city. When Hans Heiling discovered that he could not achieve common human happiness even with his supernatural powers, he refused them and soon after died fighting a bear. Hans Heiling's legend was later collected C.H. Spiess and also by T. Korner. Korner's version was also adapted by Grimm brothers.