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1890 The
Musical times and singing-class circular, Volume 31 |
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ALFREDO CATALANI'S OPERA LORELEY The composer
of this new opera is the accomplished and distinguished professor of
composition in the Conservatoire of Milan to which important and envied post
he was elected some years ago upon the death of Ponchielli Professor
Catalani has within the last ten years produced three operas Elda Dejanire
and Edmea each of which in its turn achieved great and deserved success on
the leading Italian stages It was in Elda the first of these works that he
treated the legend Loreley which the author of the libretto Signor d
Ormeville transplanted for that purpose from the Rhine to Scandinavia the
intention of both the composer and the dramatic poet being probably to
present in a novel form a subject which in the shape of songs cantata opera
and otherwise had already been handled by at least a score composers among
whom figure conspicuously Mendelssohn Lachner Schumann Schubert Liszt Bruch
and others Professor Catalani however possesses in an eminent degree the
characteristic of so many great artists and musicians that of never being
satisfied with his own work he was not improbably also moved by a
conscientious scruple that after all Elda the Scandinavian maiden was
something of a travesty of the fascinating Rhenish original who could well
afford to stand on her own merits at all events and albeit Elda had been
accorded a most flattering reception when produced at Turin he withdrew the
opera nor would he rest until he had entirely re modelled and re written it
thus restoring Loreley to her legitimate position In this task he was
assisted by Signor Zanardini the author of the new libretto and the result
is the opera Loreley which was produced at the Teatro Regio of Turin during
the recent winter season Among Italian cities Turin holds from a musical
point of view an almost unique position which is perhaps shared only by
Bologna It is in these two cities that Wagner's operas both in their
entirety and in selections performed at Concerts have long taken root and
are appreciated by earnest intelligent and musically educated audiences
which offer a striking contrast to the more impulsive somewhat turbulent and
frequently uncharitable public of Milan as exemplified by the recent more or
less stormy performances of Bizet's Pecheurs des Perles following upon the
indifferent reception Wagner's Meistersinger at the Scala Hence a genuine
success scored at the Teatro Regio of Turin or the Teatro Comunale of
Bologna is a far more crucial test than an enthusiastic ovation or the
wholesale and hasty condemnation of the Scala In the case of Loreley at
Turin Professor Catalani laboured moreover under the initial disadvantage of
following close upon a very brilliant series of performances of Lohengrin so
much so that the first production of Loreley at which the audience held back
and suspended its judgment was pronounced but a qualified success and it was
only after repeated hearings that the opera vindicated its merits and in the
end achieved a great triumph The principal characters of the opera are five
in number Rudolph Margrave of Biberich bass Anna of Rchber his niece mezzo
soprano Walter lord of Oberwesel tenor Loreley an orphan soprano Loreley G
Ricordi & Co Milan 1890 |
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and Herrmann the warrior bard of the golden
lyre baritone besides a host of choral masses composed ot the Margrave's
retinue bards knights pages archers fishermen peasants nymphs and spirits
The following may serve as a rapid sketch of the drama the scene of which is
of course laid on the banks of the Rhine The first act opens with a pastoral
scene in which fishermen peasants and archers discuss the great event which
is approaching the marriage of Walter and Anna A bevy of old women predict
that the marriage will not be a happy one and that something ominous is
impending they are however silenced by the rest of the crowd which disperses
at the bidding of Herrmann the bard of the golden lyre Herrmann seeing young
Walter approach asks him why on the eve of his wedding he looks so anxious
and depressed whereupon the young lord of Oberwesel confides to the Bard
that he will marry Anna of Rehberg because he has pledged his word but that
for some time he has been deeply in love with Loreley a poor and innocent
orphan girl who returns his love The Bard advises his young friend to
conquer his passion and to be true to his betrothed At this juncture Loreley
herself appears and seeing Walter's agitation wrings from him the confession
that he is pledged to marry Anna and that the wedding day is at hand Loreley
beside herself with anguish and despair clings to Walter who however repels
her and she faints with a shriek and falls to the ground At this point a
violent storm bursts and when the clouds ire clearing the scene reveals a
rocky inlet formed by the waters of the Rhine in which water nymphs and
spirits of the air alternately sing their plaintive strains Loreley sitting
on the edge of the famous rock which bears her name broods revenge and
appeals to the spirits for power to punish her faithless lover and they
promise to endow her with irresistible beauty which will allure and entrap
him if she will swear to wed the Rhine She swears and throws herself into
the arms of her bridegroom the river immediately afterwards re appearing on
the rock in transcendent beauty clad in a star spangled garment of flaming
red The second act introduces Anna the promised bride joyous and happy
preparing for the wedding The marriage procession is formed and on its way
to the chapel passes along the terrace of the Margrave Rudolph's castle from
which the Loreley rock can be seen Suddenly a stroke of lightning disturbs
the procession Walter turning towards the fatal rock sees Loreley in all her
beauty bidding him to come The fascination is irresistible He leaves his
bride the procession breaks up in consternation the bride faints away in
horror and despair the Margrave and the Bard vow vengeance but Walter in a
trance follows Loreley who after alluring him along the banks of the river
suddenly plunges and disappears in the water The third and last act opens
with the funeral procession of Anna who could not survive her grief and
despair Walter having learned her sad end is present to pay her his last
tribute but is indignantly repelled by the mourning Margrave and his retinue
Forsaken by all he is on the point of taking his own life when Loreley once
more appears on the rock He sees her hastens to her she comes to meet him
The sweet remembrance of their first love once more unites them and she
falls into his arms when the nymphs rise out of the water to remind her that
she is no longer on earth but herself a nymph wedded to the Rhine Walter
seeing all hope gone throws himself into the river and Loreley realising her
awful fate sinks lifeless on the rock The dramatic action which is all the
more effective because it is concentrated in three acts instead of being
spread as is often the case in the operas of the day over four and even five
may be said to recall here and there scenes from such operas as Puccini's Le
Villi Lort zing's Undine and even Tannhauser but reminiscences such as these
might be multiplied indefinitely and they spring up naturally and
necessarily in every work treating of a kindred subject The libretto by
Signori d Ormeville and Zanardini is one of undoubted dramatic and poetical
merit and has furnished Professor Catalani with ample opportunity for
displaying his powers as a lyrico dramatic composer As such he has a
pronounced tendency to write in the minor key which imparts to his
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style a peculiarly plaintive often mournful
character but this too is strictly in harmony with the subject of Loreley
and is moreover relieved by the refined taste the abundance of pathetic
melody and the scholarly workmanship in which he excels These constitute
indeed the most prominent merits of the score and go far to make up for an
occasional want of dash and impassioned grandeur Among the most noteworthy
features of the score may be mentioned the graceful prelude of the opera
constructed on the leading theme of the second scene of the first act viz
Loreley's appeal to the nymphs and her vow to wed the Rhine the duet for
tenor and baritone Walter and the Bard in the first act the duet between
Walter and Loreley Da che tutta mi son data all ebbrezza dell amor and the
second scene Loreley's vow already referred to In the second act may be
noticed more especially Anna's air mezzo soprano Amor celeste ebbrezza e
pena the Ave Maria the
wedding march and the grand Finale which in the sudden appearance of Loreley
during the marriage procession and Walter's betrayal of his bride marks the
climax of the opera This concerted piece is an excellent specimen of
polyphonic writing and is only somewhat marred by the long harangues of the
Bard a tedious and superfluous personage whose part might with advantage be
curtailed or dispensed with The third act is decidedly the best so far as
musical structure and originality of treatment are concerned This applies
more particularly to the funeral march for chorus and orchestra which marks
quitea new departure from the beaten track of similar compositions to the
graceful and fantastic dance of the nymphs though this seems a contradiction
in terms which has already been separately produced at orchestral concerts
and to the final duet between Walter and Loreley in which the fantastic and
poetical subjects which it is meant to portray are admirably blended The
opera was most efficiently conducted by Signor Mareschori one of the leading
Italian conductors of the day who contributed in an eminent degree to the
success which attended its production in Turin where only the other day he
was presented with a handsome testimonial by the spirited and enterprising
Committee of the Teatro Regio anxious to attest their recognition of his
services in bringing the winter season to a close with two such masterworks
as Lohengrin and Loreley CPS |
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