Sovedrikken (‘The Sleeping Draught’) was the first of Christoph Weyse’s six operas‚ successful at its première in Copenhagen in 1809 and still a popular work in Denmark. Excerpts appear on records‚ but this seems to be the first complete recording‚ and a pleasure it is. Comparisons have been made with Dittersdorf‚ and the genre is indeed that of German Singspiel at the turn of the 19th century. The plot came from CF Bretzner‚ who wrote the text Belmont und Constanze‚ later adapted for Mozart’s Die Entführung. Here‚ the adaptor of another Bretzner text was Adam Oehlenschläger. He thought Weyse’s music contained ‘profound fantasy and lovely reveries (holden Träumereien)’‚ and was happy to write three librettos for him. However‚ Oehlenschläger did not show a very expert dramatic hand. The plot is complicated‚ too much so for summary. Roughly‚ it concerns a surgeon‚ Brausse‚ resisting the marriage of his daughter Charlotte to Walther‚ who is posing as another surgeon but has his bluff called when he is asked to perform an amputation. Towards the end of the first of the two acts‚ Walther drains some wine which has been laced with opium for an anaesthetic‚ and no more is heard of him until near the end of the whole opera. The rest of it concerns a series of amorous intrigues. So the services are required of nine soloists‚ and there is no time for enough solo arias (for five of the characters‚ only one each) to allow for much characterisation. Brausse himself only gets one‚ a blustering recital of his medical skills and his famous patients that turns into something of a catalogue aria: it is a familiar Singspiel device‚ and Guido Paëvatalu discharges his obligations heartily. Walther has only a single aria before he lapses into oblivion‚ but it is a nice piece well sung by Gert Henning­Jensen. Charlotte has a Romance‚ an Aria and a Cavatine‚ which Eva Hess Thaysen sings pleasantly with a light‚ rather thin voice. The comparatively minor character of Abelone‚ a miller’s wife being pursued by Brausse‚ also gets three numbers‚ which Tina Kiberg handles pleasantly. Throughout‚ the singing is direct and suitable‚ not of great distinction. The cast deals vigorously‚ however‚ with the finales. Like most Singspiel composers of the day‚ Weyse was trying his hand at multi­movement finales linking numbers so as to develop cumulative dramatic momentum. The finale to Act 1 lasts nearly 20 minutes‚ a third of the whole act‚ but only intermittently succeeds in taking flight. What we have‚ then‚ is a modest‚ tuneful‚ likeable piece that could give plenty of amusement as long as too much is not expected of it. Danish‚ English and German texts are provided‚ and there is an outstandingly good‚ long essay by Jørgen Hansen that adds greatly to the interest of the set. In my copy‚ the booklet’s binding omitted many pages and repeated others‚ so collectors should check before they buy.