Der Diktator
Encyclopedia
Der Diktator is a tragic opera
in one act with words and music by Ernst Krenek
, his opus 49 and the first of three one-acters (with Das geheime Königreich and Schwergewicht, oder Die Ehre der Nation) which premiered on May 6, 1928 in Wiesbaden
. The score is inscribed with the date of completion, August 28, 1926.
The title character is loosely based on Benito Mussolini
, although the story is not deliberately political; Krenek later described it as "an anecdote from the private life of the 'strong man'. "Only from the irrational does he retreat, not so much out of fear but because he can do nothing with it, he cannot dominate it."
The music is Puccinian in idiom, particularly in its use of the voice, and make extensive use of leitmotives
such as the alternating minor third
triplet first heard in the bass as the war telegram is mentioned that becomes the sole accompaniment to the officer's narrative.
The curtain rises on a terrace between the "Grand Palace" hotel and a sanatorium, overlooking Lake Geneva
. Maria is admiring the summer evening from the hospital, when the Dictator walks a courier out of the hotel, instructing him to deliver a declaration of war. Maria shrinks from his gaze, but he is fascinated. Charlotte comes out, upset at the news: "You already have too many enemies"; he tells her that her fears for him are a form of jealousy and toasts a coming victory while the women join in a trio, Maria complaining about his unbearable eyes and Charlotte singing that when his luck has run out he will be hers again.
All go inside, and the officer is wheeled out, crying for air and light. He tells Maria, who follows, the story of his blinding by poison gas. She promises to avenge him by killing his commander and they sing a duet: "..and these hands, forced to shed so much innocent blood, let me dip them in the blood of the guilty one." (see example below)
The scene changes to an interior. The Dictator orders a visitor to be admitted, dismissing Charlotte's fears- "I have a premonition about her too." Maria enters and, over interruptions, announces her intention to kill him as soon as he can say his prayers, drawing a revolver. "A pity, so soon after I have fallen in love with you", he tells her. Charlotte, who has hidden in sight of the audience, is torn between intervening and waiting to see whether his declaration is only a ruse. The Dictator offers to lower his mask, having found a companion capable of understanding him and expounds his philosophy of victory of the strongest. Eventually Maria declares herself ready to join him and lays aside the revolver. When Charlotte picks it up to kill him, Maria jumps in front and takes the bullet. The Dictator sends Charlotte out and tells the hotel detective
to call the police. The officer enters, having heard the shot, and calls to Maria to lead him to the body. The Dictator is finally overcome with horror and silently flees.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in one act with words and music by Ernst Krenek
Ernst Krenek
Ernst Krenek was an Austrian of Czech origin and, from 1945, American composer. He explored atonality and other modern styles and wrote a number of books, including Music Here and Now , a study of Johannes Ockeghem , and Horizons Circled: Reflections on my Music...
, his opus 49 and the first of three one-acters (with Das geheime Königreich and Schwergewicht, oder Die Ehre der Nation) which premiered on May 6, 1928 in Wiesbaden
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden
The Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden is the State Theatre of the German state Hesse in the capital Wiesbaden, producing operas, plays, ballets, musicals and concerts on four stages. It is also known as Staatstheater Wiesbaden or Theater Wiesbaden...
. The score is inscribed with the date of completion, August 28, 1926.
The title character is loosely based on Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, although the story is not deliberately political; Krenek later described it as "an anecdote from the private life of the 'strong man'. "Only from the irrational does he retreat, not so much out of fear but because he can do nothing with it, he cannot dominate it."
The music is Puccinian in idiom, particularly in its use of the voice, and make extensive use of leitmotives
Leitmotif
A leitmotif , sometimes written leit-motif, is a musical term , referring to a recurring theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical idea of idée fixe...
such as the alternating minor third
Minor third
In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor third spans three semitones, the major...
triplet first heard in the bass as the war telegram is mentioned that becomes the sole accompaniment to the officer's narrative.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 6 May 1928 (Conductor: ) |
|---|---|---|
| The dictator | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
|
| Charlotte, his wife | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
|
| The officer | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
|
| Maria, his wife | soprano | |
| Courier, groom, medical orderly, detective (silent) | ||
Synopsis
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
. Maria is admiring the summer evening from the hospital, when the Dictator walks a courier out of the hotel, instructing him to deliver a declaration of war. Maria shrinks from his gaze, but he is fascinated. Charlotte comes out, upset at the news: "You already have too many enemies"; he tells her that her fears for him are a form of jealousy and toasts a coming victory while the women join in a trio, Maria complaining about his unbearable eyes and Charlotte singing that when his luck has run out he will be hers again.
All go inside, and the officer is wheeled out, crying for air and light. He tells Maria, who follows, the story of his blinding by poison gas. She promises to avenge him by killing his commander and they sing a duet: "..and these hands, forced to shed so much innocent blood, let me dip them in the blood of the guilty one." (see example below)
The scene changes to an interior. The Dictator orders a visitor to be admitted, dismissing Charlotte's fears- "I have a premonition about her too." Maria enters and, over interruptions, announces her intention to kill him as soon as he can say his prayers, drawing a revolver. "A pity, so soon after I have fallen in love with you", he tells her. Charlotte, who has hidden in sight of the audience, is torn between intervening and waiting to see whether his declaration is only a ruse. The Dictator offers to lower his mask, having found a companion capable of understanding him and expounds his philosophy of victory of the strongest. Eventually Maria declares herself ready to join him and lays aside the revolver. When Charlotte picks it up to kill him, Maria jumps in front and takes the bullet. The Dictator sends Charlotte out and tells the hotel detective
Hotel Detective
A hotel detective is a security guard employed by a hotel. Hotel detectives feature prominently in certain noir fiction, especially in the works of Raymond Chandler, and are sometimes referred to as "House Dicks"...
to call the police. The officer enters, having heard the shot, and calls to Maria to lead him to the body. The Dictator is finally overcome with horror and silently flees.