Perelà, uomo di fumo
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Perelà, man of smoke |
| Original title: | Perelà, uomo di fumo |
| Shape: | Opera in 10 chapters |
| Original language: | Italian , French , English , |
| Music: | Pascal Dusapin |
| Libretto : | Pascal Dusapin |
| Literary source: | Aldo Palazzeschi : Il codice Perelà |
| Premiere: | 2003 |
| Place of premiere: | Paris, Montpellier |
| Playing time: | approx. 2¼ hours |
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Perelà, uomo di fumo ( Perelà, man of smoke ) is an opera in 10 chapters by Pascal Dusapin . Dusapin wrote the libretto himself (in three languages in the score: Italian / French / English), which is based on the story Il codice Perelà by the Italian futurist Aldo Palazzeschi . The opera had its world premiere in 2003 in a joint production of the Opéra Bastille and the Montpellier Opera .
action
The mysterious main character, Perelà, is a man made of smoke, created over 33 years in the vent of a fireplace that was entertained by three old women, Pena, Rete, and Lama (the Italian words for "grief", "net" and "blade." "). One day the fireplace is deserted. He gives himself a name from the first syllables of the names of his "mothers" (Pe-Re-La), puts on shoes that keep him on the ground and sets off to a city that he sees on the horizon. On the way, he meets an old woman and one of King Torlindao's guards who take him to the royal court. Everyone there is fascinated by the strange story of its origins and its “lightness”, which they consider a unique gift. He is admired and celebrated so much that the Queen and the King's Minister ask him to draw up a new code of law for their community. A noblewoman, Marchesa Oliva di Bellonda, who had renounced men, falls in love with him. But then his fate takes a turn: an old servant, Alloro, burns himself in the hope of gaining the ease of Perelà. Because of the allegations made by Alloro's daughter, people turn against Perelà and call him a murderer. The Marchesa tries to defend him, but he is sentenced to prison. After a final address, Perelà escapes by taking off his shoes: he blows through the chimney of his cell and becomes a moving figure in the sky.
music
The score calls for a strong orchestra with ample percussion, plus piano, harpsichord and electronically generated sounds. The choir is partially integrated into the orchestra's sound. The opera is essentially composed and extremely differentiated, especially in the orchestral part: from unison to colorful cluster passages, occasionally with parodic sprinkles that briefly quote dance music, blues or Balkan folklore. The vocal parts are largely more conventional, with a declamatory tone predominantly, but with exceptions, such as the part of “Alloro's daughter”, which requires top notes on the edge of singability. The orchestra treatment in particular reveals the influence of his teacher Xenakis , which Dusapin himself is well aware of .
reception
After the premiere, there were no further performances for more than ten years, despite positive reviews of the premiere and the resulting recording. The large orchestra and the rather large ensemble of singers (with only two countertenors) may have prevented the spread. The State Theater Mainz continued the reception story on January 16, 2015, with positive feedback for the work and its performance.
Discography
- Alain Altinoglu (conductor), choir and orchestra of the Montpellier Opera: Perelà, uomo di fumo , 2005, Naive (Harmonia Mundi), mainly in the cast of the premiere.
swell
- English Wikipedia article on the same topic, but the source links there are mostly no longer available.
- Perelà - Uomo di fumo (2001) in the BRAHMS database on IRCAM , accessed on December 30, 2014.
- Perelà. Event information at the State Theater Mainz , accessed on December 30, 2014.
- Review of the recording in the opera world , accessed on January 2, 2015.
- Review of the recording in the nmz , accessed on January 2, 2015.
Individual evidence
- ^ Bernhard Doppler: German premiere of Pascal Dusapin's opera “Perelà” in Mainz. Radio report from January 16, 2015 in the program Conclusion on Deutschlandradio Kultur .
- ↑ Perelà - uomo di fumo "by Pascal Dusapin in Mainz. Deutschlandfunk , January 19, 2015, accessed on January 19, 2015 .
- ↑ Praise and price of insubstantiality. Frankfurter Rundschau , January 19, 2015, accessed on January 19, 2015 .