Bedřich Smetana - Libuše
National Theatre Prague, 2018
Jaroslav
Kyzlink, Jan Burian, Iveta Jiříková, Svatopluk Sem, František
Zahradníček, Jaroslav Březina, Jiří Sulženko, Jiří Brückler, Petra
Alvarez Šimková, Stanislava Jirků, Eva Kývalová, Olessia Baranová, Yvona
Škvárová, Václav Lemberk
Opera Vision - 27 October 2018
One
of the many not inconsiderable functions of opera can be that of
defining and contributing to the idea of a national character. Every
country is proud of its most celebrated composers and in many ways they
do act as ambassadors for their nations across the world stage. The
linking of myths, folk legends and tradition to musical drama is a
natural connection and all of them can play a part in establishing
cohesion around the idea of a nation as much as any national anthem.
You
could even go so far as to say that composers themselves form part of
that sense of national identity. The two greatest composers Wagner and
Verdi indeed remain in such high standing in the world of opera because
of the nationalistic colour of their works, Wagner in particular even
going as far as to see opera as vital to the propagation and definition
of who a nation and its people are. It's Wagner's influence that would
lead Bedřich Smetana to consider preserving and celebrating the idea of a
Czech nation in his opera Libuše, written for the opening of the
National Theatre in 1881.
In the case of Libuše, the
nation defining story is a fairly uncomplicated one, low-key even to any
outsider not familiar with the characters and the mythology covered in
the opera around the founding of Bohemia in 600AD. The Princess Libuše
has been asked to pass judgement on a dispute between two brothers
Chrudoš and Štáhlav, who have been fighting over their father's
inheritance. Chrudoš as the eldest brother is demanding everything and
rejects the verdict of a woman. To give legitimacy to her position say
she will marry a man who will be acceptable to the nation, choosing
Přemsyl, a peasant ploughman as her husband.
Act I lays
out that situation in which everything is resolved and everyone
reconciled fairly easily over the next two acts of choruses, ceremony
and pageantry. That's the tone established by Act I of Libuše and that's
the way that the Prague production is more or less plays out the rest of
the opera, with no surprises or directorial intervention or
reinterpretation. It's played as a traditional myth, the nobles wearing
pale togas of Greek mythology, the peasants a little more colourful
costumes. The design and almost ceremonial nature of the spectacle
however is in keeping with the occasion, in this case the centenary of
the Czechoslovakian proclamation of independence.
There's
evidently nothing in the production that distracts in any way from the
central purpose of the work, from the simple message of its drama to its
relevance as a national myth. It's meant to look impressive and it
does, the stage surrounded by a golden picture frame, the effects simple
but effective using sliding platforms to parade figures in poses across
the stage, with only a few firework effects at appropriate points.
Elsewhere, the tone is of a bucolic pageant, with earnest intonations of
patriotic sentiments and joyous celebrations of the beauty and honour of
hard working on the land.
It's a case of it is what it
is, requiring no deep concepts or analysis. It's not Parsifal or The
Ring of the Niebelung and despite some superficial similarities it's not
even Lohengrin. Libuše is opera as an occasion, a work that speaks to
the Czech people, and Smetana fulfills that remit admirably. If it
doesn't have anything revelatory to say about human nature to a wider
audience, it does give us a little insight into Czech character, Přemsyl
citing peace, mercy and working for mutual benefit as characteristics
that will bring unity and peace not just in the resolution to the
divisions between Chrudoš and Štáhlav but to the nation as a whole.
This will be important, Libuše prophesies and warns, when the nation
faces threats in the future from the East.
Smetana of
course also wants to bring the essential Czech nature out in the music
as well, allowing it to be expressive of the national character.
Musically the influence of Wagner is there in the mythological grandeur
of the nobles, but these are not Gods; the nature
of the labour of the peasants in the fields is a celebration of the land
itself and their music are celebrated as well in Libuše. It gives the
opera a warmer character with individual colours and folk derived that
has a more Russian character like Rimsky-Korsakov. There is room
however for some lovely individual touches, such as the cello solo that
opens Act II Scene II, the singing not so deep and declamatory as
warmly baritonal and flowingly lyrical.
Links: National Theatre Prague, OperaVision
Giuseppe Scarlatti - Dove è amore è gelosia
Český Krumlov Castle, 2011
Vojtěch Spurný, Ondřej Havelka, Lenka Máčiková, Aleš Briscein, Kateřina Kněžíková, Jaroslav Březina, Bohumil Klepl, Tat'ána Kupcová
Opus Arte - Blu-ray
Dove è amore è gelosia (Where there is Love, there is Jealousy) was written in 1768 by Giuseppe Scarlatti (a nephew of the more famous Domenico Scarlatti) as a commission for Prince Joseph Adam of Schwarzenberg, the Duke of Krumlov to celebrate the wedding of his son Jan Nepomuk to Maria Eleonora, the Countess of Oettingen-Wallerstein on 24 July 1768. It was the first opera to be performed in the newly renovated theatre of Český Krumlov Castle, and as such it seemed appropriate then to choose this rare work to be the first opera performed in this UNESCO heritage site when it was restored to its full glory in 2011.
There's historical justification alone in reviving this extremely rare work, but the opera itself isn't without merit either, even if the name of Giuseppe Scarlatti means little nowadays. You can gauge a few things about Dove è amore è gelosia from the title alone, and the fact that it is an opera buffa written in 1768. You would expect the comedy to play out along similar lines to Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro or Così Fan Tutte, and those examples will give you a good idea of the tone of the comedy and the arrangements if not the exact musical quality. Haydn might be a closer point of comparison, since the work was also written to commission for a royal court and composed to certain specifications that included the Prince's daughter Maria Theresia singing one of the principal roles.
Composed for a small orchestra of Baroque instruments then, Dove è amore è gelosia can't hold up to the sophistication of Mozart's treatment of the opera buffa, but it's as delightful an example of this kind of work as you'll find. The musical arrangements are driven by a vigorous harpsichord rhythms, with a small string accompaniment and some limited horns and woodwind, but it consequently has a lovely clear, bright sound, with jaunty buffo rhythms and a strong sense of structure. As far as the treatment of the plot goes, it's similarly stripped down and, written for only four roles, far from the complexity of one of Mozart's works. You could probably write this one yourself, so familiar is it with the conventions of the comic opera of this period.
The four principals are, inevitably, divided into two couples - one from the nobility and one from the servant class. The Marquise Clarice and Count Orazio are involved in yet another bitter dispute on account of the Count's jealousy, always on the point of breaking up and calling off the wedding until a reconciliation is reached. The other couple are of course their servants, Vespetta (the Marquise's maid) and Patrizio (the Count's manservant). Their problem is the opposite of their masters, since Patrizio seems to be immune to sentiments of jealousy and unconcerned about Vespetta's suggestions of flirtations with other men. How can he truly love her if he never gets jealous? It sounds like both men need to be taught a lesson, and you know how that's going to turn out...
So yes, you can expect a plot to involve letters falling into the wrong hands, disguises requiring cross-dressing and resulting in mistaken identities, with people grasping the wrong end of the stick. Hilarity inevitably ensues and lessons are learnt by all concerned. And that's exactly what you get. Dove è amore è gelosia is skillfully arranged, if not particularly inspired in this respect, but it's a light, undemanding and enjoyable entertainment. The music likewise is light and pleasant, with clever little solo arias bemoaning the inconstancy of one's lover and some playful little duets that keep the comic interaction going. With minimal stage direction to include plenty of comic touches, gestures and playful expressions, you can't go wrong, and that's pitched perfectly in delivered in Ondřej Havelka's stage direction and in the musical performance under the baton - or rather rolled-up music scroll - of Vojtěch Spurný.
The note about the rolled-up music scroll incidentally is a clue to this productions intentions to perform the work as close to period authenticity as possible. There are good reasons for this, since Český Krumlov Castle is the only authentic working Baroque theatre in the world. All the props, backdrops and stage effects are operated using the original rope and pulley systems (and it's most impressive to see these in action), the costumes and setting are period - with even the conductor and orchestra wearing period costumes and wigs - and the whole stage is entirely illuminated by candlelight. You can't get much more historically authentic than that, and in the case of this particular work and for this setting it's perfectly appropriate.
This is however also a very good performance in its own right. It might not be one of the great undiscovered works of opera buffa, but neither does Dove è amore è gelosia deserve to remain lying in obscurity. This is a lovely production, sung well by a good cast, performed with verve and with a feel for the qualities of the work, its arrangements and its intentions. The filmmakers want you to get an impression of just how authentic this is and there are consequently a few backstage cutaways to show the mechanical effects in operation, but for the most part Dove è amore è gelosia is filmed like any other opera performance and it looks marvellous.
There's a slight softness of tone then in the quality of the High Definition image in the Blu-ray, but that's entirely down to the use of natural candlelight. The audio tracks in LPCM stereo and DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1 are marvellous, giving a wonderful brightness and clarity to the musical performances and the singing. The BD also has an interesting 52-minute documentary on the history and renovation of Český Krumlov. It's a quite stunning building in a beautiful setting, and the detail on the workings of a Baroque theatre are of immense interest. The disc is compatible for all-regions and has subtitles in English, French, German, Japanese and Korean.
