The Berlin Staatsoper 1966 Le Prophète -

The Berlin Staatsoper 1966 Le Prophète -- Review

World Reports -- Opera 1966

Meyerbeer's Le Prophète in Berlin

In the year 1891, the 100th anniversary of his birth and almost 30 years after his death, Meyerbeer's main works were still in the standard repertory of the world's bigger opera houses. Only after 1918, and especially after 1945, did the performance figures fall off. Today he is almost forgotten as a composer, in spite of occasional successes such as L'Africaine in Berlin in 1950 or Le Prophète in Zurich in 1960. Can his works really be revived? The splendour of certain scenes would seem to support the possibility -- and the effect of his influence in the works of Waggner, Verdi and Richard Strauss can be clearly seen. But two things are needed which are lacking today: the huge virtuoso voices for which he wrote and the upper middle class audiences ready for stage illusions.

The production at the German Opera was underaken by the Czech born Bohumil Herlischka, who lives in West Germany, and has been fighting for years for a new approach to presentation in opera: his Katerina Ismailova in Dusseldorf, Der ferne Klang in Kassel and Carmen in Frankfurt are more stylized than even Wieland Wagner's work! The idea of presenting Le Prophète as a sort of dialogue between the work itself and an 1850 Paris first night audience is an absurdity in the spirit of Maurice Bejart. The stage is revealed with wings and a wind machine on the right; on the left we see the boxes filled with elegant ladies and gentlemen showing off their fine clothes during the intervals. A theatre official, dressed like a master of ceremonies at the time of Molière, shows them and the cast to their places. Annabelle Bernard is allowed to sing a cavatina which has usually been cut.

Herlischka now proceeds to unfold the action in two periods of time: the Anabaptist middle ages and the French Second Republic. In this way, the idea is that Meyerbeer's historical misrepresentation will be canelled out by Herlischka's anti-illusionist device. Realistic 16th century equipment is used to increase the absurdity. The villainous Count Oberthal is borne along on a battering ram, armoured like some of his men; the trio of Anabaptists appears on the horizon like a silhouettte. The strangest effect of all comes in the fourth act, the great coronation scene at Münster Cathedral. Instead of Gothic pillars Herlischka uses 13 sparkling metal revolving towers, appearing in changing order, while all kinds of demons and dwarves occupy the stage as in Hieronymus Bosch's "Purgatory." They are hardly disturbed by the great procession of John of Leyden (his real name was Beuckelzoon: as "King of Jerusalem" he had 15 wives and was hanged in 1536 at Münster). In the famous bacchanal in the last act these disgusting creatures re joined by symbols of lust in the form of Offenbachian can-can girls and big-breasted maenads, until the final explosion unites them all in death.

In the face of so much spectacle, the serious elements, such as the changing relations between John and his mother Fidès and his fiancée Berthe, fade into the background. At times they are parodied, especially when the main singers step forward to sing their arias and duets to the boxes, and blow kisses to the elegant audience. Through this parody the whole form of grand opera and the aesthetic attitude of Meyerbeer disappears. It is all too ably and imaginatively done. But the conscious shock of Herlischka's biting and blasphemous criticism is only too often attended by by an unconscious shock, due to lack of good taste and weak dramaturgical effect. Attention is kept riveted on the stage mainly by Teo Otto's magically beautiful sets and Katherine Sieverding's inexhaustible album of fine costumes.

And the sound effect? Heinrich Hollreiser extracted from the orchestra every nuance of orchestration in Meyerbeer's score (shortened, and in the ballet ections, rearranged). Walter Hagen-Groll ha injuected precision and polish into the chorus. Of the three main parts, only that of Berthe was satisfactorily cast. Annabelle bernard had a wonderful evening, supremely confident in lyrical and virtuoso passages. James McCracken has the right voice for the heroic tenor part of John but he made heavy weather of it and was rather muddy in the upper register. Alessandra Warfield was unable to deal satisfactorily with the wonderful contralto part of Fidès, once sung so triumphantly by Sigrid Onegin. She has neither the depth nor the coloratura control necessary for this part. The trio of Anabaptists was well taken by Otto Heuer, Tomislav Neralic and Peter Laggers. Nora Vesco, Falco Kapuste, Silvia Keelheim and Klaus Beelitz were the stars of the ballet, trained by Gert Reinholm. Gerhard Bohner danced an ecstatic dance macabre. Gert Heruth, as the theatre official, endured with smiles the many boos. The audience showed its displeasure several times and berlin's opera season now contains a highly interesting, if artistically doubtful, new piece.

H.H. Stuckenschmidt

Related articles on this site:

Overture to Le Prophète -- remarks of Prof. Dr. Matthias Brzoska for Bochum World Premiere Concert Nov. 27, 1998 (added October 20, 1998 English/Deutsch)

Le Prophète -- Commentaire de l'opéra d'après l'enregistrement d'Henry Lewis par Jean-Philippe Dartevel (en français)

Comments on the Vienna Staatsoper performance of 1998 by Stephen Agus

Review of Le Prophète in London Times, July, 1849

The story of Le Prophète, with audio clips (.wav) by Stephen Agus

MFC Discography

Newly found music for Le Prophète performed at Essen concert Nov. 30, 1997, lecture of Prof. Dr. Matthias Brzoska (contains actaul page manuscripts)