Prof. Manuel Marquez-Sterling discusses the
Compact Disc recording of Meyerbeer's L'etoile du nord (Wexford
Festival, 1996, released 1997)
Prof. Manuel Marquez-Sterling at Halévy Bicentennial Celebration, New York April, 1999
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Catherine -- Elizabeth Futral, soprano
Peter -- Vladimir Ognev, bass
Prascovia -- Darina Takova,
soprano
Danilowitz -- Aled Hall. tenor
Wexford Festival Chorus
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland
Conducted by Wladimir Jurowski
The following are my reactions upon hearing the recently released CD version of Meyerbeer's L'etoile du nord as staged at the Wexford Festival in October, 1996.
For one new to opera, opportunities abound to experience the thrill of hearing great pieces of music for the very first time. But it is not usual for me, a fan of opera for fifty years, to hear a masterpiece that was buried and abandonned for more than a century. L'etoile du nord is just such a masterpiece of such pure musical delights that after hearing it for the first time, it is inevitable to ask:
Why didn't Meyerbeer write more opera comique?
Why in the world has L'etoile been slumbering in oblivion?
How come this wonderful piece is not in the repertory of many opera houses?
The story is a pure fantasy involving the courtship and conquest of Catherine by the Russian Czar Peter the Great. The action begins in a small village in Finland where the Russian Peter, is disguised as a ship's carpenter, and Danilowitz is disguised as a pastry chef selling his pastries. Peter and Catherine, a local vivandiere, first declare their love. The courtship is interrupted when Catherine's brother George is conscripted to the Cossack army, and Catherine, disguised as her brother, takes his place so that he, George, and his new bride Prascovia may be together. After a series of intrigues, Catherine, who goes mad believing that Peter has abandonned her, is restored to reason by Peter's reconstruction of her Finnish village where they first met.
The overture itself is exhiliarating and symphonic in form, capturing and developing the major melodic themes of the entire score. The National Orchestra of Ireland, as conducted by Wladimir Jurowski, captured both the nuances of the many sound layers and the overall grandeur of the larger themes. For here, Meyerbeer has displayed a keen sense of symphonic development. What initially begins as a soft pizzicato of simple answering heartbeats is mastererfully orchestrated into a dissection before swirling off in unexpected but deliciously pleasing musical sequences, a la Beethoven. The second theme, which, unlike the first, is a wonderfully romantic and catchy melody, is suddenly introduced and developed to its full splendor. The two seemingly unrelated themes are magically recapitulated and conjoined in a smashing coda. This is indeed a wonderful example of Meyerbeer's brilliant orchestrations making the overture more than worthy to stand on its own as a concert piece.
In the opera, Meyerbeer cleverly uses the genre of Opera Comique to meld Rossinian vocalisms and elegant French charm. In his uniquely Meyerbeerian fashion, the fluid melodic line is restrained and attenuated so that the harmonies, counterpoint and the entire scaffolding of the larger opera is never lost. Hearing the opera is like watching a gorgeous Byzantine mosaic, with every piece catching the light in its own unique way, but without sacrificing the effect and impact of the entire picture. The themes of the overture and Act I cleverly foreshadow their musical development in Act III.
The March that ends Act II is so reminiscent of the French Revolution and Napoleonic in style that it brings to mind not only armies, but the masses of people moving and acting in a manner depicted in so many lithographs of the times. This typifies another great trait of Meyerbeer: utilizing and shaping the music to capture the period, by clever and uncommon use of varied instruments, including the chorus itself to mimic instruments and the use of stage bands to "move" the music from its moorings in the pit. Meyerbeer once wrote that in order to capture the mood, he did not necessarily borrow the music of the era; it was something he created by virtue of a feeling that was undefinable (I call this genius, of course). Les huguenots is a perfect example of Meyerbeer's unique ability to instill, through music, the sense of the period. From the very beginning the listener has the overwhelming feeling that 16th century mood has been recreated in the music. There, the music captures the great contrasts between the Catholics and the Lutherans. Likewise, in Le prophete, the musical atmosphere serves up the dourness of Protestant puritanism. These are the lessons learned from Meyerbeer by the astute and gifted Verdi.
Outstanding in the cast of the Wexford Festival recording was the soprano Elizabeth Futral, who as Catherine, was nothing short of spectacular, with a rich warm tone displayed throughout the opera, right up to its vocally demanding final "mad" scene in Act III, with pyrotechnics on a par with Dinorah's "Ombre Legere." To all those who complain that there are no singers today capable of singing Meyerbeer, I say, here is a young Meyerbeerian soprano who is capable of performing a restored Dinorah to great success in the next decade.
Vladimir Ognev as Peter was a disappointment, especially playing against Ms. Futral. However, Aled Hall was a surprisingly spry and comically gifted Danilowitz. Darina Takova as Prascovia and the rest of the very large cast were more than adequate for the occasion.
I must admit that I am not entirely happy with the notes by Ronald Crichton which are defensive and all too typically phrased as an apology for Meyerbeer's supposed shortcomings. However, he makes one very interesting comment. Meyerbeer, he wrote, is presented here "with a gentle wit, an enviable skill in matching catchy tunes to personable characters and a lyric dramatist capable, as few others, in putting on stage a winning combination of all that makes opera a life enhancing experience. As practitioners of the epic gesture have failed, who knows, those with a smile may succeed in restoring Meyerbeer's good name."
Oh! how I thank our good Giacomo! With L'etoile du nord, he gave me a couple of hours during which I was able to relax, lettting my mind wander on the wings of his luscious music.
Manuel Marquez-Sterling
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