Grétry, André Ernest Modeste ( 1741-1813)
Aria: “Im Heiligthum der Ehre”
Soprano, violino obligato, fagotto concertante, oboes, strings.
This substantial aria, held as a transcription in Hamburg amongst numerous Gretry works with mixed German and French titles and texts, remains a puzzle. It contains major solo passages for both instruments. The soprano part is missing. The work of 156 bars includes a 16 bar written cadenza for soprano, violino and fagotto that starts “Des Nachruhms….” and ends “....der Lohrbeer Zweig.” C major, 4/4, vln solo bar 16, fag solo bar 52.
So far, no matching music or text has been found in the collected Gretry edition. It is possible that this is an original Gretry work in German, but another may have used the music with unrelated German text.
Staats-und-Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietsky, Hamburg D-Hs/ ND VII 156.1) RISM 451501827
A further search in Gretry’s Le Jugement de Midas (Das Urteil des Midas) may yield a result.
Staats-und-Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietsky, Hamburg D-Hs/ ND VII 156 RISM 451501826