L'amour de loin

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Opera dates
Title: Love from afar
Original title: L'amour de loin
Jaufré Rudel dies in the arms of the Countess of Tripoli (MS der Bibliothèque Nationale)

Jaufré Rudel dies in the arms of the Countess of Tripoli (MS der Bibliothèque Nationale)

Shape: Opera in five acts
Original language: French
Music: Kaija Saariaho
Libretto : Amin Maalouf
Literary source: Jacques Roubaud (Ed.): Biographical Notes in an Anthology on the Provencal Troubadours, 1971
Premiere: August 15, 2000
Place of premiere: Felsenreitschule Salzburg
Playing time: about 2 hours
Place and time of the action: Aquitaine , Tripoli , at sea, 12th century
people

L'amour de loin (German: "Love from afar") is an opera in five acts by Kaija Saariaho (music) with a libretto by Amin Maalouf . The world premiere took place on August 15, 2000 as part of the Salzburg Festival in the Felsenreitschule .

action

The plot is based on the life story of the Aquitan troubadour Jaufré Rudel (around 1100 to 1147), which has only survived in fragments. In his work, written in Occitan , he glorified a distant high-ranking lady as an unattainable ideal of love. Jaufré learns from a pilgrim that there is a lady living in Tripoli who corresponds to this ideal. He sets out on a journey across the sea to get to know them, but falls seriously ill and dies in their presence after his arrival.

first act

The opera begins with an orchestral prelude known as the “Traversée”.

First picture: "Jaufré Rudel"

In a small medieval castle in southwest France, the troubadour Jaufré Rudel composes a song on his fiddle. He's struggling to find the right words. In contrast to the calls of the nightingale, which thus attracts its partner, its own words are only sufficient to generate further verses. Some friends interrupt Jaufré's self-pity. He used to be popular with women and envied by men. But now he's changed. He is no longer interested in superficial society, but longs for a perfect, yet unattainable woman full of beauty, modesty, virtue and grace. While Jaufré describes his ideal to his friends, a pilgrim enters unnoticed and looks at him for a while with benevolence. The friends make fun of Jaufré: There is no such woman at all.

Second picture: “Le pèlerin” - The pilgrim

The pilgrim tells Jaufré that he once met a woman in Tripoli who corresponds to his ideal. She drew everyone's attention on Easter Sunday on her way to church without looking at anyone herself. She is beautiful and noble, but free from any pride. Jaufré wants to find out more, but asks the pilgrim to keep her name secret for the time being. Although the pilgrim cannot describe her appearance, Jaufré imagines all the details: her eyes are the color of the sea at sunrise, her hair is black as night, her hands are as soft as fresh water, her lips are like a sweet fountain. During his crush, Jaufré does not even notice that the pilgrim has left again. He believes that he will never be able to quench his "thirst".

Second act

First picture: "Clémence"

In the garden of the Count's Citadel, Clémence, the sister of the Count of Tripoli, looks out over the sea from a rocky promontory. When the pilgrim comes by, she calls him over and asks him about the origin of a ship anchored in the bay. The pilgrim replies that he himself came from Marseille on this ship to visit her brother and herself. He comes from Blaye in Aquitaine and has traveled to see the "magical mysteries of the Orient" with his own eyes - Constantinople, Babylon, Antioch, the sand oceans, the rivers of fire, trees weeping with tears from ashes, the lions in the Mountains of Anatolia and the hills of the titans, but above all the Holy Land. The countess also dreams of afar. She had left Toulouse at the age of five and never felt at home in Tripoli. Now she reminds every arriving ship of her origin and her childhood. She hopes that someone in Toulouse (“one wall, one flower”) will think of her. After some hesitation, the pilgrim replied that a troubadour was thinking of them there: Jaufré Rudel, the Prince of Blaye. Since he found out about her from a traveler, thoughts of her have permeated all of his songs.

Second picture: “L'amour de loin” - Love from afar

The pilgrim points out to Clémence that she is under no obligation to love Jaufré, but that neither can she prevent him from loving her from afar. He adore her without any hope of success. Then he sings one of Jaufré's love songs: “Jamais d'amour je ne jouirai, si je ne jouis de cet amour de loin.” Clémence is deeply touched. She wonders how she should confront Jaufré if they meet - but she can't think of any suitable words. The pilgrim withdraws in silence. Clémence sings some of Jaufré's verses and ponders whether the troubadour would have sung about them so longingly if he had known them. She doesn't believe that her actual characteristics match the words Jaufré's.

Third act

First picture: “Au château de Blaye” - In the castle of Blaye

After his return, the pilgrim reports to the troubadour about his encounter with his dream woman. However, he recommends Jaufré not to think about her as much. His compatriots would already think he was crazy because he never left the castle again. Jaufré himself doubts his sanity, as the one he admires lives far away and does not even know of his existence. To reassure him, the pilgrim admits that he has already told the lady about his love and his songs. At first she seemed hurt in her feelings about this, but she quickly calmed down and "resigned". She recognized that Jaufré's intentions were those of a noble, passionate, but respectful man, and was probably flattered too. Jaufré doesn't like the words "hurt", "resigned" and "flattered" at all. He feels betrayed by the pilgrim. When the pilgrim added that he might have sung his songs to her but could no longer remember exactly, Jaufré was appalled. After putting so much effort into his verses to find the right words, the poorly remembered pilgrim recited them! The pilgrim thinks it is time to retire. But Jaufré stops him and apologizes. Everything changed with this news. He really wants to perform his songs to the lady personally and see her reaction. Now he also learns her name, "Clémence".

Second picture: “A Tripoli, sur la plage” - In Tripoli, on the beach

While walking outside the citadel, Clémence starts up Jaufré's song again. Some Tripolitan women who follow her notice how absorbed Clémence is by this troubadour. They fear that she will neglect her own life and her admirers, who include the Prince of Antioch, the former Count of Edessa and the emperor's son. They ask Clémence if she doesn't suffer from never being able to feel her lover's breath on her skin. Clémence says no. His songs flatter her more than kisses could, and she is not sure if she could love him as a man as as a poet. She would, of course, suffer if she waited forever for him in vain - but she doesn't wait.

Fourth act

First picture: “Mer indigo” - indigo-colored sea

Jaufré and the pilgrim are on the ship to the Orient. It is evening, but not yet completely dark. The sea is calm and indigo colored. Jaufré informs the pilgrim that this is his first sea voyage. The pilgrim, on the other hand, has already crossed the sea at least ten times. He admits that he suffered from seasickness on his first trips and never wanted to leave the coast again - but then he lost himself under the immensity of the sky and the scent of the ocean. Jaufré had never felt the need to travel, but now, on his trip to Clémence, he feels reborn. The pilgrim explains to him that the sea is blue because it is a mirror of the sky. Conversely, the sky is also a mirror of the sea. He advises Jaufré to rest as the journey is still long.

Second picture: "Songe" - dream

The night is getting darker and the sea is increasingly stormy. Jaufré wakes up from a dream. He tells the pilgrim that he saw Clémence's face and smile as if it were real. She also sang his song. The dream manifests itself on stage during Jaufré's description: Clémence walks towards the sea in a white robe and gives Jaufré a sign. She sings: “Your tremendous love possesses my soul when I dream or wake up. But I prefer the dream, because in it you are completely mine ”. Jaufré describes how he followed her curls, got out of the boat and how Jesus walked on the sea. But when she turned to him and opened her arms, he lost his courage. He felt unable to approach her and burst into tears. Then he woke up. The pilgrim assures him that it was just a dream and that he is not a coward. Jaufré confesses that he is afraid of never finding Clémence and never reaching Tripoli. He is equally afraid of death and life.

Third picture: "Tempête" - storm

At daybreak, the ocean movement continues to increase. Jaufré clings to the railing, pale. He is desperate. When he lost his balance in a shock, his companions mock him. But the sea is not the reason for its weakness. He asks the pilgrim whether Clémence already knows about his trip to Tripoli. The pilgrim thinks it is possible that someone told her about it. He himself was often expected at the destination. Perhaps the secrets of men are spread across the wind by angels. Jaufré is plagued by self-doubt. He regrets his departure and wishes he had continued to be charmed from afar. The storm continues to intensify. Jaufré begins to totter. The pilgrim supports him and helps him to lie down.

Fifth act

First picture: "Jardin de la citadelle" - garden of the citadel

In the garden of the citadel in Tripoli, Clémence searches the horizon over the sea. The women bring the news, both longed for and feared by her, that the “crazy troubadour” has arrived. Clémence is unsure how to behave towards him. Should she show herself flattered or rather indifferent? The pilgrim appears, breathless and less “dignified” than usual, and announces a message that will fill her with sadness. Clémence replies that she will decide for herself whether she likes the news. She already knew that Jaufré had arrived. The pilgrim informs her that Jaufré is sick on the trip and is dying. Only Clémence could still call him back to life. Four men carry the unconscious Jaufré in on a stretcher. He gradually comes to again under the gaze of Clemence.

Second picture: “Si la mort pouvait attendre” - If death could wait

Jaufré recognizes Clémence immediately. When she asks him about his pain, he replies that he is satisfied - like any man whose fate she is not indifferent to. The doctor said that he would probably live until the next morning, but he himself knew how things were going. He prayed with all his heart to see her before he died. This wish had been granted to him. He contradicts his companions, who condemn love when it "allies itself with death". Since love grants people every pleasure, it also has the right to take it back. Clémence regrets not being able to respond adequately to his fine words because she is not a poet. Jaufré compares itself modestly to a lake in which its beauty is reflected. Gradually they get closer and confess their mutual love to each other. Jaufré is in despair at his impending death. The pilgrim tries to comfort him with the fact that only his illness has led to the fact that he can now be so close to his beloved woman. Suddenly Jaufré's body goes limp. He doesn't move any more. The chants of the companions gradually fall silent. Clémence rises in prayer.

Third picture: “J'espère encore” - I still hope

Clémence does not want to give up hope yet. She says a prayer to the Lord that is not as cruel as the old gods. Jaufré dedicated his life to love a mysterious stranger and was satisfied with a smile in return. But the pilgrim realizes that Jaufré is no longer breathing. Clémence hugs her dead lover like a child. She quarrels with God, gets up and threatens a fist against the sky. The companions warn them not to let themselves be overwhelmed by their suffering and point to the wrath of God, which could be directed against all of them. Finally there is silence. After a quiet “misterioso” orchestra play, Clémence complains that Jaufré came to see her, but instead died. She blames herself that her beauty lured him to his death. The pilgrim, too, wonders why God chose him of all people for the task of bringing Jaufré here. Both mourn. "The pilgrim moves away like a fallen angel or freezes like a pillar of salt."

Fourth picture: "Vers toi qui es si loin" - In front of you who are so far away

Clémence kneels before her deceased lover like an altar, as if she were already in the monastery. It is not clear whether her prayer is addressed to Jaufré or to God. Her words are also ambiguous: “If you are called love, I will only worship you, O Lord. [...] O Lord, it is you, my dear from afar. "

layout

Instrumentation

The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:

The choir sings partly or optionally completely outside the stage.

libretto

Of the work of the troubadour Jaufré Rudel, only seven songs have survived in Occitan, including the chanson Lanquan li jorn son lonc en mai (“When the days are long in May”), which is quoted in the opera. Little is known about his life. His life story ("Vida"), handed down from the 13th century, which forms the basis for the libretto, is fictitious. Like Jaufré in the opera, the librettist Amin Maalouf is at home between east and west. His opera text, which Robert Maschka describes as a “librettistic masterpiece” in the opera's handbook , is symmetrical with classical, balanced proportions. The first name of the Countess named Clémence is not given in the template. Her origin from Toulouse and the associated longing for home, which her behavior in the opera makes believable, are inventions. The same applies to the accompanying choir, which is modeled on the ancient Greek theater choir , as well as the figure of the pilgrim as personified rumor and mediator of the love of Jaufré and Clémence between Occident and Orient.

The language of the text is simple, but not devoid of poetry. The behavior of the three characters remains understandable at all times. There are also ironic elements: Jaufré is not devoid of vanity, Clémence is sometimes capricious, and the pilgrim occasionally seems to be resigned to Jaufré's behavior. However, this layer has found no equivalent in Saariaho's music. Maschka points out that this creates an "attractive tension" between music and text, which offers interesting aspects for the director.

music

The opera's protagonists are characterized less by their actions than by self-reflection. The focus is on their internal conflicts. Saariaho himself named Wagner's Tristan and Isolde and Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande as role models . As in these works, the viewer is presented with a “space of imagination detached from the real world” with “seamless continuity” (Maschka). The musical cohesion results from the composition process of spectral music . A central chord, referred to by Saariaho as the “aggregate”, forms the basis of the entire opera. All musical components are “derivatives obtained by fanning out and decomposing” this chord. Over the respective basic tones, so-called "sound currents" develop, from which temporary individual voices emerge. The timbre is assigned a special meaning. Robert Maschka described it as "neo-impressionistic tonality, the maxim of which is not the split sound, but the finely mixed play of colors". This also includes the various drum and electronic effects as well as the choir. The choir is not limited to its scenic importance in the form of the accompanists of Jaufré or the Tripolitan women in the society of Clémences. It also supplements the color palette of the orchestra with noisy sibilants or spherical sounds and, like the latter, comments on what is happening. He also acts as a link between the orchestra and the protagonists. The choir sound is partly fanned out in a microinterval . The electronic sounds, some of which are recorded from the tape, merge so strongly with the orchestra that they can hardly be heard.

The score also contains elements of tone painting. When Jaufré finally learns the name of the honored lady in the third act, the music is characterized by a “sky-striving motif”. The beginning of the fourth act shows the waves of the sea through a “rocking movement” of the choir and orchestra. This introduction, entitled “Mer indigo” (“indigo-colored sea”), is structured like a passacaglia . Jaufré's inner tension is reflected in the storm music that follows. In the death scene of the fifth act in the form flageolet playing high strings from the pulse Jaufrés. The instruments gradually fall silent, and the alto flute concludes with a final “sigh” in the form of a sliding, falling semitone.

Archaic fourths and fifths drones, modal scales in the melodies and delicate ornamentation of the vowel line evoke the atmosphere of the Middle Ages in the appropriate places. The music of Jaufré's companions is reminiscent of minstrel music, and the harp that accompanies his song symbolizes the music of the troubadours. The musical highlight is the song “Jamais d'amour je ne jouirai” performed by the pilgrim in the second act, which Maschka regards as a “grandiose musical highlight not only of this opera, but also of contemporary vocal composition in general”. The vocal line floats in it "in arioso bel canto melos, quasi improvisationally above the drones of the choristers".

The three characters, the choir and the orchestra are musically designed differently. Clémence's music is based on the modal scales mentioned, which, however, are not taken directly from medieval music, but were reinvented by Saariaho. Her role is largely recitative, but more virtuoso than that of the other roles. It is the only one that contains large and dissonant jumps. The perfect fifth plays a special role in Jaufré's music. When he meets Clémence, their respective musical structures merge down to a single note. The pilgrim has mainly worn declamatory recitatives, the style of which is reminiscent of both his travels and the music of the troubadours.

The opera contains four of the original eight stanzas of Jaufré's poem. However, none of them are presented by Jaufré himself. The pilgrim sings three stanzas in French and Clémence another in the Occitan language of the original.

The music critic Ulrich Schreiber pointed out that Saariaho's approach to understanding love as a “spiritual sublimation process in the relationship between humans and others, to God and the world” could easily be suspected of kitsch, especially since the composer refrains from dramatic contrasts . However, this deficiency "in no way leads to monotony, but to an introspection of the sound matter". The music is always mysterious, never striking. "Dissonant intensifications, garish overtone mixtures and shrill electronic sounds are rare, but their sporadic appearances illustrate the painful components of this inevitable path of love to death." Schreiber considered the opera to be a "surprising and forward-looking plea for the possible unity of meaning and Sensuality in the musical theater. "

Work history

L'amour de loin is the first opera by the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho . She received the inspiration for this after a performance of Olivier Messiaen's opera Saint François d'Assise in 1992 at the Salzburg Festival , where the American soprano Dawn Upshaw sang the role of Angel. Upshaw also took on the role of Clémence at the world premiere of the opera and had already participated in the world premieres of two other compositions by Saariaho in 1996, the symphonic song cycle Château de l'âme and Lonh for soprano and electronics. The latter is considered to be the “nucleus” of opera and, like this one, goes back to the poetry of the troubadour Jaufré Rudel.

The subject matter of the opera is based on biographical notes in an anthology on the Provencal troubadours published by Jacques Roubaud in 1971 . The libretto comes from the Lebanon-born French writer Amin Maalouf . Saariaho received the commission from the Salzburg Festival and the Théâtre du Châtelet Paris. She dedicated the opera to the opera manager Gerard Mortier .

The French-language world premiere took place on August 15, 2000 at the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg . The production was done by Peter Sellars and the set by Georges Tsypin . Kent Nagano directed the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir . In addition to Dawn Upshaw as Clémence, Dwayne Croft sang in the role of Jaufré Rudel and Dagmar Pecková as a pilgrim. The performance was a great success with the public. The critics, however, had different views. Some received the work with enthusiasm, while others reacted with vehement rejection.

After Saariaho had lowered parts of the role of Clémence, the production was also played at the Châtelet Theater in Paris. The musical direction was again Kent Nagano. Dawn Upshaw sang the Clémence again, Gerard Finley the Jaufré Rudel and Lilli Paasikivi the Pilgrim.

In December 2001 there was a new production at the Stadttheater Bern in a production by Olivier Tambosi . It was conducted by Hans Drewanz , and the soloists were Wolfgang Koch (Jaufré Rudel), Rachel Harnisch (Clémence) and Maria Riccarda Wesseling (Pilgrim). Further performances followed in 2002 at the Santa Fe Opera , 2003 in Darmstadt, 2004 in Helsinki and 2005 in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

On July 3, 2009 the work was performed for the first time in English by the English National Opera under the direction of Edward Gardner . Daniele Finzi Pasca was responsible for the production . Roderick Williams (Jaufré Rudel), Joan Rodgers (Clémence) and Diana Montague (Pilgrim) sang .

The tenth production of the work was presented at the Festival d'Opéra de Québec in July 2015 and played at the Metropolitan Opera New York in 2016 . It was directed by Robert Lepage , the set and costumes were by Michael Curry and the lighting was designed by Kevin Adams and Lionel Arnould. Eric Owens (Jaufré Rudel), Susanna Phillips (Clémence) and Tamara Mumford (Pilger) sang under the musical direction of Susanna Mälkki . The production received the International Opera Award 2017 in the "New Staging" category.

The Latin American premiere took place in 2019 at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. The Finnish baritone Jaakko Kortekangas (Jaufré Rudel), the Polish soprano Agnieszka Slawinska (Clémence) and the Mexican mezzo-soprano Carla López-Speziale (Pilger) took part. José Areán was the musical director. The production was done by Víctor Zapatero, Rafael Mendoza and Jorge Ballina.

In 2003 Kaija Saariaho received the $ 200,000 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for L'amour de loin .

Recordings

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Robert Maschka: L'amour de loin (Love from afar). In: Rudolf Kloiber , Wulf Konold , Robert Maschka: Handbuch der Oper. 9th, expanded, revised edition 2002. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag / Bärenreiter, ISBN 3-423-32526-7 , pp. 640–645.
  2. ↑ Piano reduction, p. 2.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f program booklet of the Metropolitan Opera.
  4. ↑ a b c d e Ulrich Schreiber : Opera guide for advanced learners. The 20th century III. Eastern and Northern Europe, branch lines on the main route, intercontinental distribution. Bärenreiter, Kassel 2006, ISBN 3-7618-1859-9 , pp. 474–477.
  5. ↑ a b Information in the piano reduction of the opera.
  6. ↑ Winners of International Opera Awards 2017 Announced on broadwayworld.com, accessed May 13, 2017.
  7. ↑ Mauricio Elí: L'amour de loin: La producción que no debió nacer en México. Review of Mexico City 2019 production on mexicanadearte.art, April 11, 2019, accessed May 8, 2020.
  8. ↑ 2003 - Kaija Saariaho. from grawemeyer.org, accessed May 22, 2017.
  9. ↑ David Fanning: Review of Esa-Pekka Salonen's DVD on Gramophone (English), accessed on May 22, 2017.
  10. ↑ Mathilde Bouhon: Review of the DVD by Esa-Pekka Salonen on forumopera.com (French) accessed on 22 May 2017th
  11. ↑ Charlotte Gardner: Review of Kent Nagano's CD on bbc.co.uk, accessed on May 22, 2017.
  12. ↑ Peter Uehling: A Sign of Indispensability: The German Symphony Orchestra Berlin received a Grammy for “L'amour de loin”: Sounds between man and woman. In: Berliner Zeitung of February 15, 2011, accessed on May 22, 2017.