About the work
Die Alpenhütte is a one-act opera by Conradin Kreutzer, with a libretto by August von Kotzebue. It premiered on 1 March 1815 in Stuttgart, where Kreutzer served as court conductor. Kotzebue's text had already been set by other composers before Kreutzer, notably Julius Miller, whose independent version had appeared in Königsberg as early as 1814.
Plot
Camilla, daughter of the Marchese of Villanova from Turin, has eloped with the officer Altieri against her father's wishes; the couple now live in seclusion in an Alpine hut with their daughter Clara. When her father is injured in a mountain accident, Altieri rescues him, leading to a reconciliation; Clara becomes engaged to the painter Federico.
Cultural significance
The opera became one of Kreutzer's most successful early stage works and was performed in several German cities during the 1820s. Kotzebue's popular text was set by at least eleven other composers.