About this edition
Albert Lortzing's Der Waffenschmied (The Armourer) stands among the best-loved of German comic operas, a warm-hearted Spieloper in three acts whose tuneful charm and gentle humor have kept it in the repertoire of German-speaking opera houses since its Vienna premiere in 1846. At its center is Hans Stadinger, the gruff but golden-hearted armourer, whose aria "Auch ich war ein Jüngling mit lockigem Haar" ranks among the great comic bass showpieces of the German operatic stage. It is a score that reveals Lortzing at his most assured — melodically generous, dramatically economical, and full of the affectionate wit that made him the most performed German opera composer of his generation.
This full orchestral score reproduces the edition issued by C.F. Peters in Leipzig as No. 10291 of the celebrated Edition Peters series, published without a printed date but generally dated to around 1922. It was prepared by Gustav Friedrich Kogel (1849–1921), the respected German conductor and Frankfurt Kapellmeister whose editorial work for Peters helped shape the firm's reputation for dependable, performance-ready orchestral material. By the early twentieth century, Edition Peters had become the standard source for German orchestral scores across Europe, and Kogel's editions were prized for combining scholarly care with the practical clarity conductors need on the podium — qualities that make this score a trustworthy resource for study and performance alike.
About this edition:
- Full orchestral score, presenting the complete instrumentation as originally published
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Reproduced from a historical public domain edition
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
Because this historic Edition Peters score has entered the public domain, we're happy to bring it back into print in a clean, accessible format for conductors, orchestral musicians, students, and Lortzing enthusiasts alike. We hope this edition finds its way to music stands and libraries, keeping this delightful opera alive for a new generation of performers.
