Wagner's Valhalla

[max]

...that it was hard to understand why the Nazis venerated Wagner, given that the Ring is based on the premise that not even the gods could break an agreement without bringing the world down around their ears.

This is an old cliche which has no basis in fact but still continues to be accepted as such only because the one top Nazi, Hitler, venerated Wagner. Even Alfred Rosenberg - good Jewish name - the "leading ideologist" of the party understood very well that Wagner was not one of them and that Nazi ideology could not be contained within Wagner's world view as expounded in his music dramas. Furthermore, the top Nazis absolutely resented having to go to the Wagner festivals as ordered by Hitler and spent the money going to beer parlors and popular shows instead - which made Hitler livid when he heard about it. Most high ranking Nazis were actually hostile to Wagner.

Also, from what I recall, as of 1939 Parsifal was no-longer allowed to be performed in Germany and finally the majority of operas that were performed during the period were by Mozart, Verdi and Puccini including a lot of operetta.

There are so many things still accepted as fact in reference to that period (and others) which is in desperate need of revision. Fortunately, much of history is being re-investigated as it must if it is to remain historical and not merely stories based on rumors or perception.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

About opera librettos: I get that most people find Wagner's writing style extremely boring, pompous etc. but the question I have is: Do you think there are any operas that have good or at least decent librettos, that has actually enjoyable writing and don't make you facepalm and shout: "Really, they actually said that?!"

And please note: I am not being hostile or anything. I am genuinely curious.

[jlaurson]

About opera librettos: I get that most people find Wagner's writing style extremely boring, pompous etc. but the question I have is: Do you think there are any operas that have good or at least decent librettos, that has actually enjoyable writing and don't make you facepalm and shout: "Really, they actually said that?!"

And please note: I am not being hostile or anything. I am genuinely curious.

Yes! This one. Amazing libretto.

They were much helped in their compelling, enchanting ways by a libretto so uncommonly good that it merits mention ahead of any other individual ingredient. How Braufels has managed to put together from the original French and Latin 15th century trial documents of Joan of Arc a libretto that makes this distant, far-removed story and its characters not just palpable but riveting for a 21st century audience is amazing. The text is alive, sensitive to modern sensibilities, gives life to its characters, is realistic and natural, taken straight out of life, written off the mouths of actual people, and not at all stereotypically "opera". There was genuine laughter, there were genuinely heartbreaking moments, and the ears were glued to the text—either the always clearly understandable lyrics or the supertitles—at all times, to make sure they wouldn't miss how the story progressed. It was possible to identify with every character, whether the worries were about the 14 black-spotted piglets having died or how to best entrap Joan into making a confession and retraction.

Notes from the 2013 Salzburg Festival ( 5 )
Walter Braunfels • Jeanne D'Arc
The Would-Be Future of Opera at Stake


http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/08/notes-from-2013-salzburg-festival-5.html

[kishnevi]

About opera librettos: I get that most people find Wagner's writing style extremely boring, pompous etc. but the question I have is: Do you think there are any operas that have good or at least decent librettos, that has actually enjoyable writing and don't make you facepalm and shout: "Really, they actually said that?!"

And please note: I am not being hostile or anything. I am genuinely curious.

David's explanation of the Mastersong rules in Act I could be discreetly edited,  but beyond that Meistersinger is actually well written and everything in the libretto is ultimately necessary for the story, even Sachs's notorious speech in Act III acclaiming "German art" against foreign art.   And given that Parsifal is really a psychological drama,  all its long speechifying is rather defensible.     Tristan und Isolde, OTOH,  seriously needed an editor it never got.

And Wagner could make a very witty and sharp point when he wanted to.  Take a look at the very end of Rheingold, with Loge's answer to the Rhinemaidens bewailing their lost gold: it could be applied to most politicians in almost any age of this earth.

Moving beyond Wagner,  most of the more famous comic operas have earned their place in the hall of fame at least in part because of their libretti--think of Marriage of Figaro,  Falstaff, etc.   Otello among the tragedies (some people will tell you it's an improvement on Shakespeare because it drops the first act of the play and telescopes the action even more than the play does). Peter Grimes,  La Boheme.....it often helps to have a composer who was heavily involved in creating the libretto, like Britten and Puccini, and Verdi (although the latter has a few facepalm moments in Trovatore,  Don Carlos, and a few others along the way).

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Take a look at the very end of Rheingold, with Loge's answer to the Rhinemaidens bewailing their lost gold: it could be applied to most politicians in almost any age of this earth.

Agreed, I think it is one of the highlights of the opera. And agreed about the rest of your post as well. I know many practically unknown operas that have amazing music but are not part of the main repertoire because of awful libretto. For ex. Rachmaninoff's The Miserly knight or Strauss's Die Liebe der Danae.

[Florestan]

About opera librettos: I get that most people find Wagner's writing style extremely boring, pompous etc. but the question I have is: Do you think there are any operas that have good or at least decent librettos, that has actually enjoyable writing and don't make you facepalm and shout: "Really, they actually said that?!"

And please note: I am not being hostile or anything. I am genuinely curious.

The most no-nonsense libretto I know is Carmen.

[knight66]

Jeffrey listed the  ones I was thinking of with the Mozart and Verdi masterpieces. The libretto to Berlioz les Troyans is pretty good. Janacek librettos make perfect sense and are appropriately dramatic. My personal favourite is Peter Grimes. Another opera for adults is Salome, which is not in every day naturalistic language, but is a heightened poetic approach from Wilde's play in French and translated into German.

Wagner provides a lot of insights in his libretto, but areas are turgid and repetitive. I would have been in favour of scissors, but now, I don't like the standard cuts that for instance are still used in Tristan.

Mike

[TheGSMoeller]

Lyric Opera of Chicago's performance of Parsifal by Richard Wagner will be streaming live on WFMT this Saturday night (Nov. 9th) at 7:00 Eastern/6:00 Central at www.wfmt.com

More info can also be found here at Lyric's website including a short video introduction from Sir Andrew Davis, Renee Fleming and Anthony Freud.

[TheGSMoeller]

A video from the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Parsifal...

https://www.youtube.com/v/bj0p-Zxu7CY#t=78

[TheGSMoeller]

Parsifal was amazing. I've always enjoyed The Ring Cycle, but but seeing, and hearing in its entirety for the first time, Parsifal has really boosted Wagner and his importance in opera and music in my mind. Parsifal is 4 hours of music that stays consistent with its themes and motifs, its pacing and most of all, the emotionally charged story.

[Brahmsian]

Parsifal was amazing. I've always enjoyed The Ring Cycle, but but seeing, and hearing in its entirety for the first time, Parsifal has really boosted Wagner and his importance in opera and music in my mind. Parsifal is 4 hours of music that stays consistent with its themes and motifs, its pacing and most of all, the emotionally charged story.

The Prelude to Parsifal, along with the Good Friday Music scene, are pure gorgeous music.

[jlaurson]

http://www.listenmusicmag.com/composer/wagner-the-revolutionary.php

Wagner the Revolutionary

REBELLION, MA NON TROPPO!

[TheGSMoeller]

My brother, who plays in the Lyric Opera of Chicago, sent me this link. He had mentioned to me Lyric was discussing a future Cycle...

[Karl Henning]

FWIW, WCRB played the Valkries' Galumph this morning (it was Erich Kunzel & the Cincy Pops, so came a passage where they really schlumphed into the galumph).  A genuinely weird item to program two mornings before Christmas.

[Sergeant Rock]

FWIW, WCRB played the Valkries' Galumph this morning...A genuinely weird item to program two mornings before Christmas.

I don't know...Hojotoho, hojotoho has a rather festive ring, doesn't it? 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Hah!  Right you are, dear fellow.

[Cato]

FWIW, WCRB played the Valkries' Galumph this morning (it was Erich Kunzel & the Cincy Pops, so came a passage where they really schlumphed into the galumph).  A genuinely weird item to program two mornings before Christmas.

Undoubtedly from this CD:

[asin]B000003CUY[/asin]

Such things are usually not known to have any subtlety in their interpretation!   

[Karl Henning]

Exactly.  Will not fault The Bugger of Bayreuth for that . . . .  0:)   

[Brahmsian]

Exactly.  Will not fault The Bugger of Bayreuth for that . . . .  0:)   

Perhaps you meant The Bahhumbugger of Bayreuth?   

[Karl Henning]

Hah!