The Trojan War stories are second only to the myth of Orpheus for operatic output across the ages. They cover the wide range of opera, from the sweet baroque saga from Monteverdi (1640) of the Return of Odysseus (Ulysses) to Ithaca after the sacking of Troy, and a few years later Purcell's beautiful Dido and Aeneas (1688) to the massive epic account by Berlioz (Les Troyens,1858) of Aeneas' journey from the sacking of Troy to Carthage, to the comedic retelling just a few years later of the cause of it all - Helen's abduction - as told by Offenbach (La belle Hélène, 1864). And more recently, more questioning of our 'heroes' and their epics.
Following Homer, Monteverdi's opera 'tells how constancy and virtue are ultimately rewarded, treachery and deception overcome'. That humans are puppets is established in the opening of this - arguably the first - opera. 'The spirit of human frailty (l'humana Fragilità) is mocked in turn by the gods of time (il Tempo), fortune (la Fortuna) and love (l'Amore). Man, they claim, is subject to their whims: "From Time, ever fleeting, from Fortune's caresses, from Love and its arrows...No mercy from me!"' They will render man "weak, wretched, and bewildered." And where would Odysseus be without Athena? Synopsis here.
Purcell's opera similarly stresses the frailty of humankind, following Virgil's Aeneid, but its more complicated; he adds evil machinations of the Sorceress and her witches (recognised as representing Roman Catholicism, a common metaphor at the time) in persuading Aeneas to leave Dido, who was seen by commentators as symbolising the British people. Read the debate here.
Berlioz offers a historic epic in which human agency is always plaything of the gods. Troy falls because Cassandra is not believed - we know why she was cursed by Apollo! 'One could say that Les Troyens is not about the love story between Aeneas and Dido, but rather, it's a work about power - political power shaping humankind's history; power that is drawn from a people's destiny.' The opera is explored in detail here.
Here's a fuller reading. 'This operatic epic has many layers of meaning and interpretation. On a superficial level we have the story of the capture of Troy with the deception of the Wooden Horse, democratically voted into the city of Troy. We have the ironic tragedy of Cassandra, cursed with the gift of prophecy, whom no one will believe, although she warns the Trojans of the impending apocalypse to be unleashed from the belly of the Wooden Horse. And we have the love story of Dido and Aeneas, her betrayal by Aeneas, and her tragic suicide. At a deeper level we have the imperialist ambitions of the Trojan, Aeneas, for the conquered Italians to rule the world as the newly formed master race, the Romans. Deeper still is the irony involved in using the music of the suicidal decision to bring in the Wooden Horse – the Trojan March, sacred hymn of the Trojans- as the new national anthem of the Romans. Is not the Trojan Horse a powerful archetype of invasion by deception?' More to think about here.
And was Offenbach just having fun? Wikipedia gives a wonderful account of the reception for his opera then and more recently. And provides this contemporary drawing of the first production: Oreste, Pâris, Hélène and Calchas
What do these stories offer modern opera? That war, its causes and its terrible outcomes are usually portrayed as heroic as well as driven by the gods. To quote a recent paper, Helen is more than a pretty face, her depictions 'bring up questions of how female agency and culpability intertwine in both literature and film, and also how female agency changes and often decreases in the transition from page to screen'. Similarly, the Odyssey is a highly complex tale, and its hero far from perfect.
A fine effort at retelling and rethinking the legend of Odysseus was made in 2015 in a youth opera of stunning beauty and neat, contemporary commentary. 'Since its premiere at The Glimmerglass Festival in 2015, Odyssey has brought Homer’s epic tale to life for young performers and audience members across the country.
The hour-long opera features rollicking choruses, tender ballads, a tango, and a Siren song that conveys“a sense of ageless, timeless beauty” (Opera News). It's available on YouTube, in the version at the other Met - the Museum of Art. Ben Moore composer, Kelley Rourke librettist.
It's one to warm you in winter and help you reflect on your relatively comfortable lockdown!
'This original adventure story is presented in a new musical setting that returns the epic to its roots as a tale meant to be sung (“Sing in me, Muse”). Odysseus faces storms, shipwrecks, monsters, and the gods themselves on his journey home from war and to his wife. Featuring “an ebullient, lyrical score” and a “witty, tightly rhymed libretto,” this Odyssey is “more than just an opera for young audiences … it’s an opera for all ages” (Opera News). Performed in 2017 by members of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, the LiveArts Digital Premiere features visuals drawn from The Met’s stellar collection of ancient Greek art and artifacts.' Here, Odysseus urges the sailors on - and their response is very human!
More to come on Friday....
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