Saul og David
Encyclopedia
Saul og David is the first of the two opera
s by the Danish
composer Carl Nielsen
. The four-act libretto
, by Einar Christiansen, tells the Biblical
story of Saul
's jealousy of the young David
, taken from the Book of Samuel. The first performance was at Det Kongelige Teater
, Copenhagen
on 28 November 1902. The first UK production was in February 1977 in London by the University College Opera Society.
, recommended the opera should be performed at an early date, alluding to a "highly interesting work, bearing throughout the stamp of an independent gifted artist" who demonstrated "clarity and assurance". The premiere on 28 November 1902 was received enthusiastically, at least by parts of the audience, as more than one reviewer spoke of continued applause by a group of the composer's friends and supporters. William Behrend from Politiken noted that Nielsen "conducted the performance with great assurance and quite natural zeal" but wondered whether the work would attract as much enthusiasm in future productions. Several other reviewers pointed out that it was hardly an opera in the classic sense but was more like an oratorio
with its symphonic treatment, its cool dramatic approach and its large choral pieces.
There were only a few more performances of Saul og David in Copenhagen during Nielsen's lifetime and despite his own efforts to have it performed in Dresden
and Vienna
, it was not until November 1928 that it was staged abroad in Gothenburg
. Nielsen, who conducted the last of the Gothenburg performances, noted in his scrapbook that the reviewers had received it enthusiastically.
The opera is one of Denmark's most important musical works for the theatre but it is difficult to stage as the really dramatic episodes are often separated by longer, less dynamic sequences. The choral scenes are certainly among the opera's highlights. The music, which is both dramatic and lyrical, is free of any late Romantic effects. This might, however, explain why the work has not gained wider popularity.
for the sacrifice to the God of Israel before battle with the Philistines. But Samuel does not come by the appointed time, so Saul performs the sacrifice himself. Moments later Samuel arrives and denounces the king's actions, and pronounces God's curse upon Saul. Though Saul repents, Samuel remains resolute, and Saul falls into despair. Jonathan's friend David soothes Saul with his singing. Michal and David fall in love.
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...
s by the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
composer Carl Nielsen
Carl Nielsen
Carl August Nielsen , , widely recognised as Denmark's greatest composer, was also a conductor and a violinist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age...
. The four-act 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...
, by Einar Christiansen, tells the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
story of Saul
Saul
-People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom...
's jealousy of the young David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
, taken from the Book of Samuel. The first performance was at Det Kongelige Teater
Royal Danish Theatre
The Royal Danish Theatre is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first serving as the theatre of the king, and then as the theatre of the...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
on 28 November 1902. The first UK production was in February 1977 in London by the University College Opera Society.
Background
The music was composed rather slowly over a period of two years, partly in Copenhagen, partly when Nielsen was in Rome on an extended stay between December 1899 and June 1900. Completed in April 1901, the work was submitted to the Royal Theatre for adjudication. The conductor, Johan SvendsenJohan Svendsen
Johan Severin Svendsen was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist. Born in Christiania , Norway, he lived most his life in Copenhagen, Denmark....
, recommended the opera should be performed at an early date, alluding to a "highly interesting work, bearing throughout the stamp of an independent gifted artist" who demonstrated "clarity and assurance". The premiere on 28 November 1902 was received enthusiastically, at least by parts of the audience, as more than one reviewer spoke of continued applause by a group of the composer's friends and supporters. William Behrend from Politiken noted that Nielsen "conducted the performance with great assurance and quite natural zeal" but wondered whether the work would attract as much enthusiasm in future productions. Several other reviewers pointed out that it was hardly an opera in the classic sense but was more like an oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
with its symphonic treatment, its cool dramatic approach and its large choral pieces.
There were only a few more performances of Saul og David in Copenhagen during Nielsen's lifetime and despite his own efforts to have it performed in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, it was not until November 1928 that it was staged abroad in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. Nielsen, who conducted the last of the Gothenburg performances, noted in his scrapbook that the reviewers had received it enthusiastically.
The opera is one of Denmark's most important musical works for the theatre but it is difficult to stage as the really dramatic episodes are often separated by longer, less dynamic sequences. The choral scenes are certainly among the opera's highlights. The music, which is both dramatic and lyrical, is free of any late Romantic effects. This might, however, explain why the work has not gained wider popularity.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast 28 November 1902 (Conductor: Carl Nielsen) |
|---|---|---|
| Saul Saul -People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom... , King of Israel |
bass baritone | Niels Juel Simonse |
| David David David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary... , a shepherd |
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... |
Vilhelm Herold Vilhelm Herold Vilhelm Christoffer Herold was an operatic tenor, voice teacher and theatre director... |
| Michal Michal Michal was a daughter of Saul, king of Israel, who loved and became the wife of David, who later became king of Judah, and later still of the united Kingdom of Israel.... , Saul's daughter |
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... |
Emilie Ulrich |
| Jonathan David and Jonathan David and Jonathan were heroic figures of the Kingdom of Israel, whose covenant was recorded favourably in the books of Samuel. Jonathan was the son of Saul, king of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and David was the son of Jesse of Bethlehem and Jonathan's presumed rival for the crown... , Saul's son |
tenor | Peter Cornelius Peter Cornelius (opera singer) Peter Cornelius was a Danish opera singer. He made his professional opera debut at the Royal Danish Theatre in 1892 as baritone in the role of Escamillo in Georges Bizet's Carmen. He was a member of that theatre until his retirement from the stage in 1922. In 1899 he began performing tenor roles... |
| Samuel, prophet of Israel | bass | Müller |
| Abner Abner In the Book of Samuel, Abner , is first cousin to Saul and commander-in-chief of his army... , Saul's captain |
bass baritone | Helge Nissen |
| Abishai Abishai (Bible) Abishai was the eldest son of Zeruiah, sister of the Biblical King David. His name means father of a gift. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel , and a military leader under David.... , David's companion |
treble Boy soprano A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term boy soprano is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily... or soprano |
Margrethe Lindrop |
| Witch of Endor Witch of Endor The Witch of Endor, sometimes called the Medium of Endor, was a woman who called up the ghost of the recently deceased prophet Samuel, at the demand of King Saul of the Kingdom of Israel in the First Book of Samuel, chapter... |
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... |
Elisabeth Dons |
| Chorus: Israelites and soldiers | ||
Act 1
Saul and his army await the arrival of Samuel at GilgalGilgal
Gilgal is a place name mentioned by the Hebrew Bible. It is a matter of debate how many of the places named Gilgal are identical.-The Gilgal associated peacefully with Joshua:...
for the sacrifice to the God of Israel before battle with the Philistines. But Samuel does not come by the appointed time, so Saul performs the sacrifice himself. Moments later Samuel arrives and denounces the king's actions, and pronounces God's curse upon Saul. Though Saul repents, Samuel remains resolute, and Saul falls into despair. Jonathan's friend David soothes Saul with his singing. Michal and David fall in love.
Act 2
Abner interrupts David, who is singing for Saul, and announces the challenge of the Philistine champion Goliath. Saul promises Michal's hand to whoever can defeat Goliath. David undertakes the challenge and succeeds. Saul immediately becomes jealous of the adulation David receives, and David flees to escape the king's anger.Act 3
David and Abishai come upon Saul's camp when all are asleep. David takes Saul's spear and water container to show he has been by the king but has not harmed him. He shouts from the hilltop to arouse the camp and pleads for reconciliation, but this is forestalled by the arrival of Samuel, who before dying anoints David the new king of Israel. Saul's jealousy flares again, and David flees with Michal.Act 4
Saul and Abner prevail upon the Witch of Endor to raise Samuel's spirit from the dead. Saul beseeches Samuel for help against the Philistines, but Samuel declares that God has abandoned Saul, that Saul and all his sons will die before the day is out. Battle ensues, and Jonathan is mortally wounded. Saul despairs and falls on his sword. The people acclaim David as their new king, but David is heart-broken by the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.Recordings
- Unicorn RHS 343/5: Boris ChristoffBoris ChristoffBoris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer...
, Willy Hartmann, Elisabeth SöderströmElisabeth SöderströmElisabeth Anna Söderström CBE was a Swedish soprano, who performed both opera and song. She was particularly well known for her recordings of the lead soprano roles in the three Janáček operas Jenůfa, Káťa Kabanová, and The Makropoulos Affair, all of which received Gramophone Awards...
, Alexander YoungAlexander Young (tenor)Alexander Basil Young was an English tenor who had an active career performing in concerts and operas from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. He was particularly admired for his performances in the operas of Handel, Mozart, and Rossini.In 1953 he performed the role of Tom Rakewell in the...
, Michael Langdon, Kim Borg, Bodil Gobel, Sylvia Fisher, Mogens Berg, Kirsten Buhl-Moller; Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; John AlldisJohn AlldisJohn Alldis was an English chorus-master and conductor.After his education at Felsted, Alldis studied as a choral scholar under Boris Ord at King's College, Cambridge, from 1949 to 1952....
Choir; Jascha HorensteinJascha HorensteinJascha Horenstein was an American conductor.Horenstein was born in Kiev, Russian Empire , into a well-to-do Jewish family; his mother came from an Austrian rabbinical family and his father was Russian....
, conductor (sung in English) - Chandos 8911(2): Aage Haugland, Anne Gjevang, Christian Christiansen, Jurgen Klint, Kurt Westi, Peter Lindroos, Tina Kiberg; Danish National Choir; Danish National Symphony Orchestra; Neeme JärviNeeme JärviNeeme Järvi is an Estonian-born conductor.-Early life:Järvi studied music first in Tallinn, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich, among others...
, conductor (sung in Danish, 1990)
Sources
- Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
- Nielsen – Saul & David, libretto of Chandos recording 8911(2), including notes by Jack Lawson, secretary of the Carl Nielsen Society of Great Britain (Chandos, 1990)