About the work
Abu Hassan is a one-act Singspiel by Carl Maria von Weber, with a libretto by Franz Carl Hiemer based on a tale from "One Thousand and One Nights". It premiered on 4 June 1811 at the Munich court theatre (Residenztheater).
Plot
The heavily indebted Abu Hassan fakes his own death to the caliph's court in order to claim funeral money from the moneylender Omar and the caliph, while his wife Fatime tells the caliph's wife the same story about Abu Hassan's supposed death. When both courts learn of the other's "bereavement", the ruse unravels, but the caliph forgives the resourceful couple and settles their debts.
Cultural significance
For its oriental colour, Weber unusually added two guitars and "Turkish" percussion to the orchestra; the short, light-hearted work is still performed regularly today, often paired with other one-act operas.