Notes on the Program

Transcription

1 Notes on the Program By Ken Meltzer Richard Strauss was born in Munich, Germany, on June 11, 1864, and died in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, on September 8,1949. All of the works on this program are receiving their ASO Classical Subscription Premieres. Sextet from Capriccio, Opus 85 (1942) The first performance of Capriccio took place in Munich, Germany, at the Munich National Theater on October 28, 1942, with Clemens Krauss, conducting. The Sextet is scored for two violins, two violas, and two cellos. Approximate performance time is ten minutes. The final decade of Richard Strauss s long and productive life was, in many ways, the most difficult. Along with the kinds of challenges typically encountered in later years, Strauss witnessed the destruction of his native Germany, as World War II reached its devastating conclusion. Ultimately, Strauss and his wife, Pauline, left their home in Garmisch, seeking refuge in Switzerland. Nevertheless, Strauss s last decade proved to be a remarkably creative period, one affectionately referred to as the composer s Indian Summer. During the 1940s, Strauss produced several marvelous works notable for their haunting lyricism, magical instrumental colors and economy of expression. These works include the Second Horn Concerto (1942), Metamorphosen (subtitled A Study for 23 Solo Strings ) (1945), the Oboe Concerto (1945) and the Four Last Songs (1948). Strauss s final opera, Capriccio (1942), is another worthy member of the Indian Summer family. The idea for the work originated in Author Stefan Zweig ( ), the librettist for Strauss s opera Die Schweigsame Frau (The Silent Woman) (1935), was visiting the British Library. There, he found a libretto by the 18 th -century Italian writer Giovanni Battista di Casti, Prima la musica, e poi le parole (First the Music, and then the Words). Composer Antonio Salieri ( ) set Casti s text to music, and the opera was staged in Vienna in February of 1786, along with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart s Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario). Zweig thought the subject of the libretto the relative importance of words and music in opera would appeal to Strauss. Zweig was correct, and Strauss urged the author to collaborate with him on the project. Zweig, who was Jewish, had no interest in returning to Nazi Germany. Zweig met in Switzerland with librettist Joseph Gregor, and the two developed a scenario to serve as the basis for Strauss s opera. However, Strauss found his collaboration with Gregor unsatisfactory. In 1939, conductor Clemens Krauss ( ) met with Strauss and agreed to assist in the project. Over time, Krauss usurped Gregor s involvement with the opera. The final libretto for the opera, Capriccio, was fashioned by Krauss, with contributions from Strauss as well. Capriccio received its premiere at the Munich National Theater on October 28, Clemens Krauss conducted and his wife, soprano Viorica Ursuleac, sang the role of the Countess Madeleine. Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 21

2 Strauss described Capriccio as A Conversation Piece for Music in one act. The conversation, as previously noted, focuses on the eternal debate of whether words or music should take precedence in opera. The story takes place in a chateau on the outskirts of Paris in May of The Countess Madeleine is pursued by two lovers the musician, Flamand, and the poet, Olivier. As the opera opens, musicians are performing the slow movement of a String Sextet Flamand composed for the Countess. This beautiful Sextet (Andante con moto) also serves as Capriccio s Overture. Nun den, allein! ( Recognition Scene ) from Elektra, Opus 58 (1909) The premiere of Elektra took place in Dresden, Germany, at the Königliches Opernhaus on January 25, 1909, with Ernst von Schuch, conducting. The Recognition Scene is scored for soprano and bass solo, piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, English horn, heckelphone, E-flat clarinet, four clarinets, bass clarinet, basset clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, eight horns, four Wagner tubas, three trumpets, four trombones, bass trumpet, tuba, timpani (two players), percussion and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-two minutes. Strauss and Hofmannsthal Elektra was the first collaboration between Richard Strauss and the brilliant Austrian poet and dramatist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal ( ). It was the beginning of one of the greatest partnerships in operatic history. In addition to Elektra, Strauss and Hofmannsthal created Der Rosenkavalier (1911), Ariadne auf Naxos (1912, rev. 1916), Die Frau ohne Schatten (1919), The Egyptian Helen (1928), and Arabella (1933). While at work on Salome in 1905, Strauss attended a performance of Hofmannsthal s adaptation of Electra, by the Greek dramatist, Sophocles. Strauss approached Hofmannsthal, and the two agreed to create an operatic adaptation of the Sophocles play. But then, Strauss then had second thoughts. There were obvious and striking similarities between Elektra and Salome. Both are one-act operas. Both tell the story of an obsessed daughter, an evil mother and a licentious stepfather. The implacable natures of Elektra s Orestes and Salome s John the Baptist provided another parallel. But Hofmannsthal found crucial differences between the two works: in Salome there is so to speak purple and violet, the atmosphere is torrid, in Elektra, on the other hand, it is a mixture of night and light, of black and bright. Well, I liked it! Strauss and Hofmannsthal decided to proceed with the project. The opera Elektra received its premiere in Dresden on January 25, Prior to the premiere, Strauss invited a group of professional musicians to attend the dress rehearsal. The power and audacity of the music was so overwhelming that at the opera s conclusion, the audience sat in stone-cold silence. 22 Encore Atlanta

3 After looking around for a few moments, Strauss finally announced: Well, I liked it! The critics and audiences didn t quite know what to make of a score that was both powerful and shocking. One wrote: Though Strauss did not Elektra-fy the audience, he did Elektra-cute it. Another said: (Strauss) has a constitutional aversion to what sounds beautiful If the reader who has not heard Elektra desires to witness something that looks as its orchestral score sounds, let him, next summer, poke a stick into an ant hill and watch the black insects darting, angry and bewildered, biting and clawing, in a thousand directions at once. It s amusing for ten minutes, but not for two hours. To be fair to those early critics, it must be acknowledged that many contemporary opera-goers still find Elektra to be a daunting work. However, no one can deny the brilliance of Strauss s orchestral and vocal writing, or for that matter, the extreme challenges they present for the musicians. It should also be noted that the Recognition Scene, presented in these concerts, offers by far the most extended lyrical moment in the opera. The Story of Elektra The story of Elektra takes place in the courtyard of the palace of the Atridae in Mycenae. Electra, the disgraced daughter of King Agamemnon, is disheveled and near insanity. Electra recalls how Agamemnon, was killed by her mother, Clytaemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus. Electra invokes the spirit of her dead father to come to her aid. Electra s sister, Chrysothemis, does not seek revenge. Instead, Chrysothemis hopes for marriage and motherhood, so that she can escape her unhappy life in the palace. Chrysothemis reveals that Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra plan to imprison Electra. Soon, Clytaemnestra s procession approaches. Clytaemnestra has been haunted by recurring nightmares, in which Orestes avenges his father s death. Clytaemnestra is going to pray to the gods to restore her peace of mind. Clytaemnestra asks Electra how she can rid herself of her nightmares. Electra responds that Clytaemnestra must sacrifice herself to the gods. A confidante tells Clytaemnestra that two messengers have arrived bearing news of the death of Orestes. Clytaemnestra celebrates this news, and then departs. Electra now realizes that she alone must avenge her father s death. She asks Chrysothemis for her help, but the terrified woman rushes away. In the Recognition Scene, Electra encounters one of the messengers, who confirms the death of Orestes. But when the messenger realizes that he is speaking with Electra, he reveals himself to be her brother. Orestes prepares to avenge his father s death and enters the palace. Two horrible screams from within reveal that Orestes has murdered Clytaemnestra. The commotion brings Aegisthus out of the palace. Electra pretends to help her stepfather by lighting his path which of course leads to his death at Orestes s hands. Electra dances in triumph, and falls lifeless to the ground. Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 23

4 Schweigt doch: Ich hab es nicht getan! from Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow), Opus 65 (1919) The premiere of Die Frau ohne Schatten took place in Vienna, Austria, at the Vienna Staatsoper on October 10, 1919, with Franz Schalk, conducting. Schweigt doch: Ich hab es nicht getan is scored for soprano and bass solo, three flutes, two oboes, English horn, E-flat clarinet, two clarinets, bass clarinet, basset clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, eight horns, four Wagner tubas, three trumpets, four trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, two harps, Sergei celeste, Prokofiev organ and strings. Approximate performance time is eleven minutes. After the success Elektra (1909), Strauss informed Hugo von Hofmannsthal that he wished to compose a Mozart opera. Early in 1909, the two agreed on the plot that was to become the basis of Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose). Hofmannsthal described the story in the following manner: (A) pompous, fat, and elderly suitor favored by the father has his nose put out of joint by a dashing lover could anything be plainer? Der Rosenkavalier was an immediate and resounding success. Within a year of the Dresden premiere on January 26, 1911, the Königliches Opernhaus presented fifty sold-out performances. Special Rosenkavalier trains transported eager opera lovers from Berlin and neighboring towns to Dresden. Strauss was anxious to embark immediately on a new operatic project with Hofmannsthal. The author suggested two possibilities, one of which became their next collaboration, Ariadne auf Naxos (1912, rev. 1916). The other subject Hofmannsthal proposed was a magic fairy tale of two couples. Over time, this magic fairy tale developed into the epic three-act opera, Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow). Progress on Die Frau ohne Schatten proved to be slow. Strauss worked on the project for more than three years. By contrast, Strauss wrote Der Rosenkavalier (a work of comparable length) in seventeen months. Certainly the outbreak of the First World War had a great deal to do with this (Hofmannsthal served in the military during the conflict). Also, Strauss spent considerable time on his revision of Ariadne auf Naxos, as well as the huge orchestral work, An Alpine Symphony (1915). Strauss finally completed Die Frau s final act in September of Both Strauss and Hofmannsthal agreed that the premiere of Die Frau ohne Schatten should await the conclusion of the War. The first performance took place at the Vienna State Opera on October 10, The epic and complex work tells the story of an enchanted Empress who lacks a shadow, the symbol of both fertility and compassion. The Empress learns that unless she acquires a shadow in three days time, she will be forced to leave her husband, the Emperor, who will be turned into stone. In search of a shadow, the Empress meets the wife of the poor dyer, Barak. The Empress and the Dyer s Wife reach an agreement for the latter s shadow. In the end, the Empress s refusal to take the shadow of the Dyer s Wife, even at the potential cost of the Emperor s death, leads to everyone s salvation. At the beginning of Act III ( Schweigt doch: Ich hab es nicht getan! ), Barak and his Wife are in an underground vault, separated by a wall. The Dyer s Wife is haunted by the voices of unborn 24 Encore Atlanta

5 children. She confesses that she still loves Barak. A light guides Barak and his wife up a staircase to where they will be reunited. Moonlight Interlude from Capriccio, Opus 85 (1942) The Moonlight Interlude is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, three clarinets, basset clarinet, bass clarinet, three bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two harps and strings. Approximate performance time is five minutes. The Countess has made dates with both of her lovers the musician Flamand and poet Olivier for the same time and place. She tries to choose between the two men. In the final scene of Capriccio, the Countess, wearing an elegant evening gown, steps out of her salon onto the moonlit terrace. In an exquisite monologue, the Countess struggles with her emotions. At the opera s close, the Countess s choice remains a mystery. The Final Scene opens with an orchestral introduction, the gorgeous Moonlight Interlude (Andante con moto). The Interlude begins with an extended horn solo, blossoming into the orchestra s shimmering climax. In the final measures, the Moonlight Interlude resolves to an ascending pianissimo close. Dance of the Seven Veils and Final Scene from Salome, Opus 54 (1905) The first performance of Salome took place on December 9, 1905, at the Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden, Germany, with Ernst von Schuch conducting. The Dance of the Seven Veils and Final Scene are scored for soprano solo, piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, English horn, heckelphone, E-flat clarinet, two clarinets in A, two clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, six horns, four trumpets, four trombones, tuba, timpani (two players), gong, cymbals, bass drum, snare drum, tambourine, triangle, xylophone, castanets, glockenspiel, celesta, two harps and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-seven minutes. Wilde, Strauss and Salome Richard Strauss s one-act opera, Salome, is based upon the biblical play by Oscar Wilde ( ), written in 1891 and published two years later. Wilde originally intended Salome as a vehicle for the great actress, Sarah Bernhardt. However, Bernhardt, fearful that the play s shocking story might cause a scandal, withdrew from the project. Wilde s Salome finally had its premiere, in Paris, in Subsequently, Hedwig Lachmann authored a German translation of Wilde s original French text. And when Richard Strauss attended a German performance of Salome featuring the Lachmann translation, the composer became convinced of the possibilities for an operatic adaptation. Strauss worked on Salome for two years, finally completing the opera on June 20, During the composition of Salome, Strauss played some of the score for his father, Franz Strauss. The elder Strauss, one of the greatest horn players of his generation, was never shy about offering Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 25

6 his opinion. Upon hearing Salome, Franz Strauss remarked: Oh God, what nervous music! It sounds as if a swarm of ants were crawling in the seat of your trousers. On the other hand, Gustav Mahler was quite taken with Strauss s Salome. Mahler was concerned that the scandalous plot might preclude the opera from being staged in Catholic countries. But Mahler s wife, Alma, recalled that when Strauss played the score for Mahler, her husband was charmed Mahler was won over. A man may dare all if he has the genius to make the incredible credible. Early Reactions to Salome The premiere of Salome, which took place in Dresden on December 9, 1905, was an extraordinary triumph. The audience roared its approval, calling the musicians and composer back to the stage for 38 curtain calls. Still, all was not smooth sailing. The North American premiere of Salome took place at New York s Metropolitan Opera on January 22, Two days earlier, there was a dress rehearsal, presented for an invited audience. In what was probably not the wisest planning, Heinrich Conried, Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, scheduled the dress rehearsal for Sunday afternoon, shortly after many of the audience members had been to church. Included in the dress rehearsal audience was industrialist J. P. Morgan, who was deeply offended by what he saw. At the Metropolitan Opera premiere, the great Swedish-American soprano, Olive Fremstad, gave a stunning performance in the title role, capped by a voluptuous kiss on the lips of John the Baptist s severed head. The Met s board of directors was scandalized. Twenty-seven years would elapse before the Metropolitan Opera would again stage Salome. Today, Salome is one of the staples of the operatic repertoire. It remains, however, a piece that has the power to seduce and shock its audiences. It is also a work that presents extraordinary challenges, notably for the soprano performing the title role. In Wilde s play and Strauss s opera, Salome is a beautiful, teenage princess. But in the opera, Strauss often requires the soprano to project her voice over huge orchestral forces. As Strauss put it, the ideal Salome should have the figure of a sixteen-year-old princess with the voice of an Isolde. As you might imagine, the confluence of such attributes is rare. The first Salome, Marie Wittich, was a superb singer, but a quite ample woman as well. Strauss was not deterred: Voice, Horatio, voice, and once again voice, he wrote to a friend. But when the moment arrived for the performance of the Dance of the Seven Veils, a professional dancer substituted for Wittich. Later, Strauss asked the beautiful American soprano, Geraldine Farrar, to consider the role of Salome. Farrar replied that she felt her lyric soprano was not appropriate for this dramatic role. Strauss countered, You, Farrar, (who) have such dramatic possibilities, can act and dance half naked, so no one will care if you sing or not. Farrar politely declined Strauss s suggestion. The Story of Salome Salome takes place in Tiberius, in the palace of Herod, Tetrarch of Judea. The princess Salome, daughter of Herod s wife, Herodias, becomes fascinated with imprisoned prophet, John the 26 Encore Atlanta

7 Baptist. When John the Baptist resists Salome s advances, the young princess vows that she will kiss the prophet s mouth. The lecherous Herod vows to give Salome anything she wishes if the princess will dance for him. After extracting this promise from Herod, Salome performs the seductive Dance of the Seven Veils, a stunning and voluptuous orchestral showpiece that has enjoyed an independent life in the concert repertoire. At the conclusion of the Dance, Salome throws herself at Herod s feet and asks for her reward the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. Herod protests, but finally realizes he has no choice but to fulfill his promise. In the Final Scene, Salome grabs the platter, and, exulting in her triumph, kisses the mouth of the prophet s severed head. Herod orders that his soldiers crush Salome beneath their shields. Atlanta s Performing Arts Publication 27