Humperdinck konigskinder
Hem / Kultur, Media & Underhållning / Humperdinck konigskinder
It is not Wagnerian bombast. He sings the entire role with the sensitivity of a lieder singer. The music proceeds in its warm and lyrical way, very occasionally rising with some power. Hella is a girl’s name in Greek, meaning ‘successful’ or ‘holy’, and Stadt is German for ‘town’; also, Hellas is the Greek name for Greece. The costumes are 19th century-ish, mostly white or grey-white-beige, with an occasional splash of colour or a black coat.
In the first act, the tree provides shelter for the love of the young couple; in the second, it presides over the activity in the town; in the third act, set in winter, it sheds its leaves. Tenor Daniel Behle as the King’s son also sounds ideal. Violinist Camille Joubert, dressed in black male evening attire, strolls on stage to play her instrument.
But, and it is a big but, Humperdinck gives no truly memorable melodies to any member of the cast.
Our final work is Humperdinck’s setting of three poems by Heinrich Heine titled “The Pilgrimage to Kevelaer” which tells the story of a mother who takes her dying son to the shrine of the virgin in Kevelaer to pray for a miracle that does not come.
Although the stories may be unhappy, you’re sure to find Humperdinck’s music incredibly moving, so we hope you’ll join us this Sunday afternoon.
There are no soaring love duets, for example. Doom-laden drum beats accompany the music: very, very effective.
Is the music Wagnerian? Kai Ruutel is a wonderfully wanton Innkeeper’s Daughter.
Marc Albrecht manages to bring out a glowing intensity inherent in Humperdinck’s luminous score. They are aided by a sonically resplendent recording which shows what an excellent venue the Dutch National Opera is to record in.
Ultimately, while there are a few points where I part company with Loy’s production, for the most part this is the most decisive attempt to render Humperdinck’s last important opera with the faithfully and with the seriousness it deserves.
At several moments in the score, a solo violin rises above the voices and orchestra. When she says she can’t because of the witch’s spell, he doesn’t understand, gets upset, and leaves without her.
What follows is a series of mishaps brought about by meddling by a broom-maker (Heinrich Weber) and a Woodcutter (Andreas Kohn), and even the kindly Fiddler (Dietrich Henschel) can’t intervene to save the King’s Son and the Goose-Girl in the end.
The cast is joined by the Munich Boys Choir and Bavarian Radio Chorus as well as the Munich Radio Orchestra, and the conductor is Fabio Luisi.
We’re continuing with music by Humperdinck after the opera beginning with his Piano Quintet in G major, the second or adagio movement being a tribute to the memory of Humperdinck’s sister Ernestine who passed away at the age of 17.
I wonder whether the librettist had elements of recent Greek history in mind. Many have heard Hänsel und Gretel, and surely have admired its melodic fecundity and the complete appropriateness of the music and the libretto. The first one on Decca features a somewhat ugly production of this melancholy fairy-tale that is only partly brightened-up by the high-octane singing of Jonas Kaufmann as the King’s Son.
This new production from Amsterdam is an altogether more winning affair by Christof Loy. Loy and his design team have managed to keep relatively faithful to the libretto demands, but do so with a modern, relatively spare design esthetic. The villagers, however, fail to see this potential in the young couple. A continuous curved wall embraces the set comprising a hut and a giant linden tree, present all the time.
It was successful at the Met, running for 39 performances through 1914 with Geraldine Ferrar as the “Goose-Girl” in all 39. He’s in disguise as a huntsman as he looks for adventure before taking on his royal duties. That is not because it ends sadly, but because it lacks true memorability.