The blacksmith of Ghent
| Opera dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The blacksmith of Ghent |
| Shape: | Great magic opera in three acts (nine pictures) |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Franz Schreker |
| Libretto : | Franz Schreker |
| Literary source: | Charles De Coster : Smetse Smee from the Légendes flamandes |
| Premiere: | October 29, 1932 |
| Place of premiere: | Municipal Opera Berlin |
| Playing time: | approx. 2 ¼ hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Ghent in the 16th century; Road to heaven and at the gates of the sky city |
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The Blacksmith of Ghent is a “Great Magic Opera ” in three acts (nine pictures) by Franz Schreker based on a libretto based on Smetse Smee from the Légendes flamandes (1858) by Charles De Coster in Albert Wesselski's translation Flemish Maires (1916). The premiere took place on October 29, 1932 in the Städtische Oper Berlin .
action
The opera is set in Ghent in the 16th century, towards the end of the Eighty Years War . The hardworking blacksmith Smee is a supporter of the Dutch Geusen , who rebel against the Spanish occupation. After his competitor Slimbroek had brought him into disrepute, he lost his customers and fell into misery. In anger, he throws Slimbroek into the river and then wants to kill himself. Voices from hell propose a pact to him: He can live in happiness and wealth for seven years if he then leaves his soul to them. Smee agrees.
In his new prosperity, Smee not only thinks of himself and his family, but also takes good care of the city's poor. Now the seven years are up and he is wondering how he can get out of the pact. A beggar with his wife and a small child asks him for help. Smee re-shoes his donkey for free and gives the family plenty of presents. The beggar reveals himself to be St. Joseph and promises Smee the fulfillment of three wishes as a reward. Smee wishes that no one could climb down from his plum tree against his will, get out of his armchair or slip out of his sack. Shortly afterwards, on behalf of Hell, the executioner Jakob Hessels, the Blood Duke Alba and Astarte arrive one after the other. Smee fixes Hessels in his tree, Alba in his armchair and Astarte in his sack, beats her and even gets his pact back from the latter. Lucifer personally destroys Smee's forge.
Immediately afterwards, the suddenly aged Smee dies. At the gate of hell, however, one is afraid of him and does not let him in. Peter at the gate of heaven also refuses him entry because he still has his sack of food from hell with him. At the gate, Smee opens a tavern for the arriving souls, in which, after their death, he drinks with his journeyman Flipke and his former competitor Slimbroek. When his wife finally goes to heaven too, he tries to cheat his way into under her skirt. However, Peter notices the trick. His wife turns to Saint Joseph, who weighs Smee's good and bad deeds against each other and lets him and his cronies go to heaven.
first act
1st picture. Smees forge
Scene 1. Smee and his journeymen enjoy the sound of their tools. His wife thinks that he drives his people too much, but since he participates himself, everyone is happy with the matter.
Scene 2. A squire brings his master Don d'Avila's horse to be shod. He tells Smee that his master doesn't want any "Geusen magic" at work. The smiths sneer at a combative "Geusenlied". Smee's wife warns of jealous competitor Slimbroek.
2nd picture. In front of Smee's house
Scene 3. Sitting on a bench, the woman prays for an end to Slimbroek “at the dung heap”, because because of him there are no customers and her family has got into misery. Smees forge fire has now gone out.
3rd picture. In front of Slimbroek's forge
Scene 4. Nobles urge “ugly redhead” Slimbroek to finally finish their assignments. However, he has to put them off because he lacks the journeymen he needs. He maliciously points out that they could also go to his competitor Smee. This and all his journeymen are, however, Reformed Geusen. He hobbles into his forge, taking with him the bottle he drank from during the conversation.
Scene 5. The nobles talk about Slimbroek's evil character. However, they no longer dare to go to the Smees forge, which they would actually prefer.
Scene 6. After the nobles have withdrawn, Slimbroek comes out of his forge drunk.
Scene 7. Slimbroek makes fun of impoverished Smee. To the laughter of the citizens and boatmen present, Smee throws him into the Leie river . Slimbroek makes threats.
4th picture. City moat on the river
Scene 7. Smee may have been avenged, but still impoverished and with no hope of a better future. In desperation, he decides to put an end to his life. Voices from hell speak to him and suggest a deal: If he sells his soul to them, he should live richly for seven years. Then he should not burn in hell, but they will eat him up. Smee accepts and signs on the black paper that flutters down in front of him.
5th picture. Smees forge
Scene 8. A flaming ball rolls from the background towards the forge. Smee runs towards the light.
Scene 9. The woman who, because of her horror, no longer dares to go into the forge, tells Smee from the next room how the bullet made "noise like a thousand thunders" when it burst. The workshop then cleaned up on its own and the forge ignited.
Scene 10-12. Various vendors bring food, beer and wine. Smee reassures his frightened wife by saying that these are advances on large new orders that have been entrusted to him.
Scene 13. A man, “stiff, blond, smeary smock, thick head, pale, with a lantern and a graveyard” digs a sack of gold coins in the floor of the forge, slaps the woman on the ear and disappears again.
Scene 14. The blacksmiths who were summoned by a stranger also reappear. Now Smee and his wife are all worried.
Second act
Garden in front of Smees forge, seven years later
Scene 1. Smee is rich and honored now. He was even offered a seat in the Senate. But as his deadline is nearing its end, he worries about the future. He is also depressed that there are still poor people in the city despite his generous support.
Scene 2. After his wife goes into the kitchen, Smee ponders that there is no nature, no workmen and no woman in Hell.
Scene 3 (pastoral). A poorly dressed citizen appears with his wife, who is riding a donkey and holding a naked toddler in her arms. He asks Smee to re-shoe his mount. Smee does the work himself free of charge and also gives the beggars plenty of food. Thereupon the beggar reveals himself to be Joseph, husband of the “Most Holy Virgin Mary”, and promises him the fulfillment of three wishes. After briefly considering how he could avoid his fate, Smee wishes that no one could climb down from his plum tree against his will, get out of his armchair or slip out of his sack. Joseph promises, blesses Smee, and continues on his journey.
Scene 4. Delighted with his plan, Smee starts dancing with his wife.
Scene 5. More people appear to attend Smee's festival. Then Flipke reports a "really disgusting guy" who wants to speak to Smee. Smee sends everyone away.
Scene 6. Since the seven years are up, Jakob Hessels, "the greatest butcher of heretics and executioner", comes from hell to pick up Smee. He doesn't even allow Smee to say goodbye to his family. But he allows him to climb his plum tree again to eat his fill. Once at the top, Smee raves about the good plums so much that Hessels follows him to try them himself. He sticks there and is beaten up by Smee, who wants to force the pact out. But since Hessels himself is only a punished soul and does not have the contract with him, Smee lets him go.
Scene 7. Smee von Flipke and the journeymen bring his heavy armchair to the next emissary from Hell, the "Blood Duke" Alba , who is tired from the journey .
Scene 8. After Alba is stuck in the armchair, the journeymen mock him with geusen songs and beat him until he sinks into the floor with the armchair, from which a flame then shoots out. Smee still hasn't got his contract back.
Scene 9. The smoke slowly dissipates. Instead of the armchair you can see Astarte, the “voice of the glittering trees” with a crown on her head. She is naked under her blood-red purple cloak, her body covered with wounds. At that time, she herself arranged the pact that saved Smee from his misery. Smee claims that his sack, which he once received from St. Joseph himself, can heal her wounds. Astarte slips in and is trapped. Smee demands the black paper with the pact for her release. Then his wife appears and explains everything to Smee. She angrily sprinkled Astarte with holy water. There is nothing left for him to do but to issue the pact. At that moment the forge breaks apart. In the background between the walls, Lucifer appears, "naked and beautiful with a banner" on which it says in fiery letters: "More beautiful than God!". At his hint, all kinds of food come running out of the forge, for which Lucifer's servants are wrestling. The waters of the Leie rise and everything sinks into the waves.
Third act
1st picture. Before the ruins of the forge, early morning
Scene 1. Smee has suddenly grown old and lies down to die. He asks his wife to let him have his dress, because after death he wants to continue hiking as a blacksmith. His wife wants to pray for him and hopes to find him again "at the destination". To the sound of a funeral march, she lights two candles, which she sets up on either side of her husband. The stage darkens, and finally the candles also go out. A green light begins to glow. Smee gets up, puts groceries in his sack, and walks away.
2nd picture. Street
Scene 2. Smee passes a black house full of flames. He stops. The porter (Hessels) and the devil recognize the "treacherous blacksmith" and close the gates in horror. Astarte does not allow him to go to hell either, but chases him away “with restrained tenderness”.
3rd picture. At the gate of heaven
Scene 3. Smee arrives at the Gate of Paradise where he hears the angels singing the Gloria .
Scene 4. Peter appears and rejects Smee because he is still carrying his sack.
Scene 5. Now Smee doesn't know what to do next. He wants to know what the sack is all about, opens it and is amazed to find that it is full of groceries that Astarte has apparently slipped him. He decides to open a tavern for the "tired skywalkers" in front of the gate of paradise. So he can earn money and also do a good job until the “holy growler” lets him in. Peter's voice sounds: "Smee!"
Scene 6. Slimbroek appears first. Smee offers him food and drink and claims that his office is a kind of "probationary period".
Scene 7. Smee is setting up a simple table and chair when his journeyman Flipke comes along. He died when the forge collapsed and informs Smee that his wife is seriously ill.
Scene 8. Shortly afterwards, a soul - Smee's wife - flies quickly towards the gate. Smee calls out to her that he also wants to go in. She hides it under her skirt.
Scene 9. When the woman knocks shyly on the door of heaven, Peter discovers Smee's legs under the skirt. Smee has to stay outside, but his wife promises him to stand up for Josef. Meanwhile, Smee wants to get drunk.
Scene 10. The woman tosses Smee a cake over the sky wall that he shares with Flipke and Slimbroek. The three start a happy drinking song until Peter is angry about the disturbance of the peace. The door of heaven flies open, and St. Joseph appears with the heavenly hosts, two angels with a mighty Libra and Smee's wife.
Scene 11. Joseph demands an explanation from Peter as to why the good blacksmith will not be admitted to Paradise. The problem was actually the sack the devil was in and it was still full of groceries from the devil's money. Josef now weighs Smee's good and bad deeds against each other. Ultimately, the decisive factor is beating the devil. He is allowed to enter paradise and also bring his drinking buddies with him. The gate opens wide and reveals the view of the heavenly city and the heavenly host waving with palm branches, who greet him with these words: "Hail to the brave Smee who beat up the devils!"
layout
Due to the political statements of the plot, the assumption was occasionally expressed that Schreker wanted to refer to the incipient National Socialism with his opera. However, no biographical evidence can be found for this. What is clear, however, are the similarities between the suppression of the Dutch Geusen for religious reasons and the increasing anti-Semitism at the time the opera was written.
As in his opera Der Schatzgräber from 1920, Schreker strives for a greater musical simplification in harmony and form. There are some self-contained folk numbers such as the Geusenlied (I.2), the dance scene (II.5) or the drinking song (III.10) to match the subject. The Passacaglia Albas (II.7) and the funeral march at the death of the blacksmith (III.1) also refer to older forms of music. At the same time, the music also contains more modern elements in terms of sound. Schreker illustrates the seduction scene of the Astarte in a sensual way. When Lucifer performed, he made great use of the extensive percussion instruments. In terms of style, he also continues the style he began in the opera The Singing Devil (1928) and the goals explained in the foreword by Christophorus (1932). This results in a "montage-like connection of these heterogeneous techniques, which often has eclectic features." Schreker himself wrote about it:
“The compositional style of the work is thankfully not very uniform. According to my sinful musical past, the parts of the temptation glitter in my own (God-given) colors, which the despisers of this kind have so painfully missed in the 'Singing Devil'. Whereas in the other parts the strict and harsh streak of time and my own purification are taken into account. Although I couldn't accommodate jazz music, I hope it hasn't become boring and - modern enough. "
The subtitle "Great Magic Opera" already makes it clear that the blacksmith of Ghent is a fusion of the two genres of "Great Opera" (the French grand opera ) and the magic opera . Typical of the Grand Opéra are the historical subject, the musical representation of the corresponding epoch by couleur locale and the large tableaus composed of high-contrast individual scenes.
The interlude after the Geusenlied in the first act, which begins like an atonal double fugue , programmatically describes the competition between the two competing blacksmiths Smee and Slimbroek and also includes the horse of Don d'Avila, whose fall triggered the financial downfall of Smees has been. The first theme of the fugue is assigned to Slimbroek. It also appears later in the opera as its leitmotif . It is parodistically distorted and corresponds to the typical baroque theme structure consisting of head, continuation and cadence. The actual theme contains eleven tones. In the program booklet of the Bielefeld production it is described as follows:
“The topic 'limps' over the diminished octave and major seventh, the never-ending fall of a third before the unexpected, banal bass clause Des-Ges ('dominant tonic'), which jerks the flow of movement, seems to be tone-symbolic for Slimbroek's imminent fall into the lair grasp. "
The second fugue theme depicts the smith Smee with concise strokes:
In the contrapuntal voices there is also the motif for the horse, which was previously heard with the words "the starved cattle":
![{\ partial 8 \ times 2/3 {e''16 ([^ "Str." b 'f']} fis'8) <bc 'b' c ''> \ staccato ^ "Tr." <bc 'b' c ''> \ staccato \ times 2/3 {e''16 ([b 'f']} fis'8) <bc 'b' c ''> 8 \ staccato <bc 'b' c ''> \ staccato \ times 2/3 {e''16 ([b 'f']} fis'8) [\ staccato e '' \ staccato e '' \ staccato f '] \ staccato fis' \ staccato r}](https://upload.wikimedia.org/score/n/j/njdufrcnqgp1m5h6nyc90vd5te7e3kc/njdufrcn.png)
Further humorous passages are “Funeral march and wandering way” after Smee's death (referred to as “parodic” by Schreker himself), Smee's “plum wise”, heavily decorated with “flowers” (coloraturas) in the second act and his entry into paradise at the end of the opera.
In some places Schreker resorts to sound painting techniques. One example is the "fluttering of the contract" that appears in the first and third acts:
orchestra
The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:
- Woodwinds : three flutes (2nd and 3rd also Piccolo ), three oboes (3 also English horn ), two clarinets (both also A clarinet and clarinet ), alto saxophone (also tenor saxophone ), bass clarinet , three bassoons (3rd also contrabassoon )
- Brass : four horns , three trumpets , three trombones , tuba (also double bass tuba)
- Timpani , percussion (seven players): big drum , snare drum , cymbals , tam-tam , large tam-tam, castanets , triangle , tambourine , stirring drum, antique cymbals , bells , glockenspiel , xylophone , wind machine , thunder machine
- two harp
- Piano , celesta
- Strings : violins 1, violins 2, violas , cellos , double basses
- Incidental music on the scene: three natural trumpets in C, percussion (bass drum, bells), harmonium or organ
- Stage music behind the scene: three devil voices (soprano, tenor, bass), two voices (soprano, tenor)
The voices of the devil are sung by the singers of Astarte, Jakob Hessel and Duke Alba, the boy's voices are amplified by brass pipes or loudspeakers.
Work history
The Blacksmith of Ghent is Schreker's last opera. After the poor success of his opera The Singing Devil from 1928 and the more experimental Christophorus from 1929, who had withdrawn before the premiere , he decided to compose “a very primitive, naive theatrical work, an opera for everyone”. According to his own statement, the idea came to him during a puppet theater performance in Pallanza on Lake Maggiore, and here he also decided on the story Smetse Smee from Charles De Coster's collection Légendes flamandes, which appeared to him as an "opera à la Breughel " . The collection was available to Schreker in a German translation by Albert Wesselski from 1916 with the title Vlämische Mären . As with most of his operas, he wrote the libretto himself. He initially called the opera Smee, the famous blacksmith. He completed the text at the end of 1929. He worked on the music until the summer of 1931. The fair copy of the score was available in March 1932.
The premiere took place on October 29, 1932 in the Städtische Oper Berlin . It sang Wilhelm Rode (Smee), Charlotte Müller (Smees woman), Josef Burgwinkel (Flipke), Harry Steier (Slimbroek), Elisabeth Friedrich (Astarte), Wilhelm Guttmann (Duke Alba), Wilhelm Gombert (Jacob Hessels), Rudolf Gonszar ( Saint Joseph), Anita Gura (Maria) and Anton Baumann (Saint Peter). Paul Breisach was the musical director, Rudolf Zindler directed, and the set was designed by Caspar Neher . Despite the folk theme of the opera, the performance was disrupted by anti-Semitic rioters. The director Carl Ebert personally dispatched a dozen of them from the hall. Haidy Schreker-Bures, the daughter of Schreker's widow, wrote: “The scandal at the premiere that banned the work from the program was instigated by the Nazis. People shouted 'Jew' (his father was of Jewish descent) and whistled for house keys. ”Schreker was accused of“ decadent erotomania ”with reference to the nude scene of the Astarte. The opera could only be played five times, although according to the reviews it was well received by the audience.
It was not until 1981 that Der Schmied von Gent received appropriate recognition at the German State Opera in Berlin in a production by Erhard Fischer with a set by Valeri Lewenthal and costumes by Marina Sokolewa. Rolf Reuter was the musical director . The singers included Jürgen Freier (Smee), Günther Kurth (Slimbroek) and Ulrike Joannou (Astarte).
There was another successful production in 1992/1993 on the stages of the city of Bielefeld in a production by John Dew , which was also performed in June 1993 as a guest performance at the Wuppertal Opera House and in the Musiktheater im Revier as part of the “Days of New Music Theater in North Rhine-Westphalia” was shown in Gelsenkirchen. The set was designed by Thomas Gruber, the costumes by Wolfgang Kalk and the choreography by Wolfgang Geisendoerfer. Under the direction of Rainer Koch a. a. Erling Onsager (Smee), Krystyna Michałowska (Smee's wife), Lassi Partanen (Flipke), Ulrich Neuweiler (Slimbroek), Diane Jennings (Astarte), Wladimir Miakotin (Alba), Richard Panzner (Jacob Hessels) and Nikolaus Bergmann (Josef).
In 2010, Der Schmied von Gent was played in a production by Ansgar Weigner at the Chemnitz Opera House . Siegfried E. Mayer was responsible for the stage and Claudia Möbius for the costumes. The conductor was Frank Beermann . A recording of the premiere was broadcast live on Deutschlandradio Kultur and then published on CD.
In 2020 a new production was released at the Vlaamse Opera, directed and set by Ersan Mondtag and with Alejo Pérez as musical director. The costumes were created by Josa Marx, with Leigh Melrose (Smee), Kai Rüütel (Smee's wife), Vuvu Mpofu (Astarte) and Michael J. Scott (Slimbroek) in the leading roles. The director moved the plot to the former Belgian colony of the Congo .
Recordings
- January 28 to February 2, 2010 - Frank Beermann (conductor), Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie , choir and children's choir of the Chemnitz Opera .
Oliver Zwarg (Smee), Undine Drei 30 (Smees wife), André Riemer (Flipke), Edward Randall (Slimbroek), Judith Kuhn (Astarte), Martin Gäbler (Herzog Alba), Viktor Sawaley (Jakob Hessels), Matthias Winter (holy Josef ), Anna Erxleben (Maria), Kouta Räsänen (Saint Peter).
From the Chemnitz Opera House.
CPO 777 647-2. - February 28, 2020 - Alejo Pérez (conductor), Ersan Mondtag (production and scenography), Josa Marx (costumes), Rainer Casper (lighting), Yevgeniy Kolesnyk (choreography), symphony orchestra and choir of the Opera Ballet Vlaandere.
Leigh Melrose (Smee), Kai Rüütel (Smees wife), Daniel Arnaldos (Flipke), Michael J. Scott (Slimbroek), Vuvu Mpofu (Astarte), Leon Košavić (Herzog Alba), Nabil Suliman (Jakob Hessels), Ivan Thirion ( Saint Joseph), Chia-Fen Wu (Mary), Justin Hopkins (Saint Peter).
Video; live from the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.
Video stream at Operavision.
Web links
- Piano reduction, Vienna 1932. Digitized in the Internet archive
- Raphael Lübbers: Detailed table of contents on Musirony
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Matthias Brzoska : The blacksmith of Gent. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater . Volume 5: Works. Piccinni - Spontini. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1994, ISBN 3-492-02415-7 , pp. 650-652.
- ^ Peter Franklin: Schmied von Gent, The. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i stages of the city of Bielefeld : The blacksmith of Gent. Program for the 1992/1993 season.
- ↑ network information of Universal Edition , accessed on 15 January 2018th
- ↑ Joachim Lange: A snack in front of the heavenly gate. Review of the Chemnitz performance. In: Online Musik Magazin, accessed on January 16, 2018.
- ↑ Peter P. Pachl : Full of clout, but unredeemed: Schreker's “Der Schmied von Gent” in Chemnitz. Review of the Chemnitz performance. In: Neue Musikzeitung from January 31, 2010, accessed on January 16, 2018.
- ↑ Josef Oehrlein: Bloody Colonial History . In: Opernwelt , March 2020, p. 4.
- ↑ Le retour en forge de Franz Schreker. CD review (French) on forumopera.com , accessed on January 15, 2018.
- ↑ Work information and video stream at Operavision, accessed on May 9, 2020.