Lucia Popp & Bo Skovhus in "Venus" by Othmar Schoeck

Othmar Schoeck (Switzerland 1886-1957)

Venus op. 32 Opera in three acts.
Libretto by Armin Rüeger, after a novella by the French writer Prosper Mérimée
The première in May 1922 at the Zurich Opera.

Baron de Zarandelle : Frieder Lang
Horace, his nephew : James O'Neal
Simane, betrothed to Horace : Lucia Popp
Raimond, Simone's cousin : Bo Skovhus
Simone's mother : Hedwig Fassbender
Lucile, Simone's friend : Zsuzsa Alföldi

Kammerchor Heidelberg
Chorus Master , Linda Horowitz
Knabenkantorei Basel
Chorus Master, Dr Beat Raaflaub

Philharmonische Werkstatt Schweiz
Mario Venzago, Conductor
1991.

"The action takes place in a country castle in Southern France around 1820.
In a simple song the young bride Simone praises the beautiful spring morning of her wedding day.
The bridegroom Horace and his friend Raimond listen in the backgroung. Raimond voices his doubts at horace's readiness for marriage after years of dissolute living. Following his sentences" Verzeiht mein Freund" the oboe gives the first hint of the Venus motif.
This first musical block, to quietly flowing quavers, ends in a trio."
...
Simone