Julietta
Encyclopedia
Julietta is an opera
by Bohuslav Martinů
, who also wrote the libretto
, which is based on the play Juliette, ou La clé des songes (Juliette, or The Key of Dreams) by the French author Georges Neveux
. The opera received its first performance at the National Theatre, Prague
on 16 March 1938, with Ota Horaková in the title role and Václav Talich
conducting. The UK premiere was in April 1978 in London by the New Opera Company, in an English translation.A new production by the Bielefeld Opera
in Germany conducted by Geoffrey Moull
received eight performances in 1992. James Helmes Sutcliffe remarked in Opera News
on "Martinů's beautiful score" and on his "lyrical, atmospheric music".
Martinů began to prepare a concert work from the opera, "Three Fragments from Julietta", with changes to the original vocal lines, after the opera's premiere, after his return to Paris. However, the outbreak of World War II
interrupted his work, and his own labours on this composition continued until his death in 1959. The score was lost after Martinů's death, until 2002, when Aleš Březina discovered the piano reduction of the score among a private collection of papers. After Březina returned to Prague to have the piano reduction adapted into a full orchestral score, the Czech publishing firm DILIA indicated that a full orchestral score already existed in their archives. Sir Charles Mackerras
conducted the world premiere of the "Three Fragments from Julietta" with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
in December 2008.
Hindle and Godsil have published a psychoanalytical study of the opera and analysed the work in the context of Martinů's life.
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...
by Bohuslav Martinů
Bohuslav Martinu
Bohuslav Martinů was a prolific Czech composer of modern classical music. He was of Czech and Rumanian ancestry. Martinů wrote six symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. Martinů became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic...
, who also wrote the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, which is based on the play Juliette, ou La clé des songes (Juliette, or The Key of Dreams) by the French author Georges Neveux
Georges Neveux
Georges Neveux was a French dramatist and poet.Neveux's first notable work was the play Juliette ou la clé des songes , written in 1927 and produced in 1930...
. The opera received its first performance at the National Theatre, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
on 16 March 1938, with Ota Horaková in the title role and Václav Talich
Václav Talich
Václav Talich was a Czech conductor, violinist and pedagogue.- Life :Born in Kroměříž, Moravia, he started his musical career in a student orchestra in Klatovy. From 1897 to 1903 he studied at the conservatory in Prague with Otakar Ševčík...
conducting. The UK premiere was in April 1978 in London by the New Opera Company, in an English translation.A new production by the Bielefeld Opera
Bielefeld Opera
The Bielefeld Opera is the venue of Städtische Bühnen Bielefeld in Bielefeld, Germany. It is a Dreisparten Haus , offering plays, music , and ballet...
in Germany conducted by Geoffrey Moull
Geoffrey Moull
Geoffrey Moull is a professional conductor and pianist.- Education :Geoffrey Moull was born in London, Ontario, Canada and studied conducting with Kirill Kondrashin, Sergiu Celibidache and Martin Stephani...
received eight performances in 1992. James Helmes Sutcliffe remarked in Opera News
Opera News
Opera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
on "Martinů's beautiful score" and on his "lyrical, atmospheric music".
Martinů began to prepare a concert work from the opera, "Three Fragments from Julietta", with changes to the original vocal lines, after the opera's premiere, after his return to Paris. However, the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
interrupted his work, and his own labours on this composition continued until his death in 1959. The score was lost after Martinů's death, until 2002, when Aleš Březina discovered the piano reduction of the score among a private collection of papers. After Březina returned to Prague to have the piano reduction adapted into a full orchestral score, the Czech publishing firm DILIA indicated that a full orchestral score already existed in their archives. Sir Charles Mackerras
Charles Mackerras
Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan...
conducted the world premiere of the "Three Fragments from Julietta" with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
The Česká filharmonie is a symphony orchestra based in Prague and is the best-known and most respected orchestra in the Czech Republic.- History :...
in December 2008.
Hindle and Godsil have published a psychoanalytical study of the opera and analysed the work in the context of Martinů's life.
Main roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 16 March 1938 (Conductor: Václav Talich Václav Talich Václav Talich was a Czech conductor, violinist and pedagogue.- Life :Born in Kroměříž, Moravia, he started his musical career in a student orchestra in Klatovy. From 1897 to 1903 he studied at the conservatory in Prague with Otakar Ševčík... ) |
|---|---|---|
| Julietta | 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... |
Ota Horáková |
| Michel | 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... |
Jaroslav Gleich |
| Small Arab | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Marie Podvalová Marie Podvalová Marie Podvalová was a Czech opera singer who had a long career at the National Theatre in Prague from 1936-1978. A dramatic soprano who excelled in the Czech repertoire, she garnered particular acclaim for her portrayal of the title heroine in Bedřich Smetana's Libuše... |
| Old Arab | bass | Ludek Mandaus |
| Woman selling poultry | mezzo-soprano | Marie Podvalová |
| Man in fur cap | bass | Ludek Mandaus |
| Man in helmet | 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... |
Jan Konstantin |
| Police officer | tenor | |
| Old man | bass | |
| Grandfather | bass | Ludek Mandaus |
| Grandmother | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
|
| Fortune teller | contralto | |
| Seller of memories | bass-baritone Bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende... |
Jan Konstantin |
| First gentleman | soprano | |
| Second gentleman | soprano | Marie Podvalová |
| Third gentleman | soprano | |
Synopsis
Michel is a traveling salesman who stumbles across a seaside city where none of the residents remember their past. Michel is trying to find a woman whose voice he once heard in the wilderness. After his arrival in the town, he is elected to lead the town. He eventually does find the woman, named Julietta. However, it is not clear whether she is real or a product of his imagination. Eventually, Michel is provoked into shooting Julietta, but because of the ambiguity of the situation, it is not certain if she is dead. Later, at the "Central Office of Dreams", Michel is warned that if he does not wake up to escape the dream, he will be imprisoned in the dream-world forever. At the end of the opera, where the residents again go about their business oblivious to immediate past events, Michel remains in the dream-world.Recording
- SupraphonSupraphonSupraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, it is oriented mainly towards publishing classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.- History :...
SU 3626-2 612: Antonín Zlesák, Zdeněk OtavaZdeněk OtavaZdeněk Otava was a Czech operatic baritone who had a length career at the Prague National Theatre that spanned more than four decades...
, Ivo ŽídekIvo ŽídekIvo Žídek was a celebrated Czech lyric tenor, known for his vivid portrayals of character roles in the operas of Smetana, Dvorák and Janáček.-Early life:...
, Maria TauberováMaria TauberováMaria Tauberová was a Czech opera singer who had an active international career from the 1930s through the 1970s. A lyric coloratura soprano with an excellent technique, she possessed a warm bright voice that was even in all registers. She was particularly admired for her portrayal of Mozart...
; Orchestra and Chorus of the Prague National TheatreNational Theatre (Prague)The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...
; Jaroslav Krombholc, conductor