The Devil's Wall
Encyclopedia
The Devil's Wall is a comic-romantic opera in three acts, with music by Bedřich Smetana
and libretto by Eliška Krásnohorská
, in their third operatic collaboration. The subtext of the plot is a Czech legend of a sheer rockface that overlooks the Vltava
river, near the old monastery of Vyšši Brod, where the Devil was said to have halted the building of the monastery by damming the Vltava
, which then rose and flooded the site.
Krásnohorská had originally intended her scenario to be serious in nature, a symbolic representation of the conflict between the Church and the Devil. By contrast, Smetana had wanted a less serious treatment. She acceeded to his demands and provided such a scenario, but then Smetana changed his thinking on the story. He reworked the plot such that he turned the young girl, Hedvika, into a surrogate for Lord Vok's late first wife, and the story became more serious in that aspect. As a result of these changes, Krásnohorská and Smetana did not have contact for a year and a half, and Smetana made substantial changes to Krásnohorská's submitted libretto without her input, deleting up to 500 of her original verses.
Smetana completed Act I in March 1881, and Act III in April 1882. The opera was first performed on October 29, 1882, at the Nové České Divadlo (New Czech Theatre) in Prague
. The premiere was not successful, with difficulties including the staging and the wildly conflicting appearance of two singers whose characters were supposed to resemble each other. In spite of the tensions between librettist and composer, Krásnohorská attended the premiere and defended Smetana, to the point of keeping silent on criticism directed towards the libretto, of the changes which she herself did not sanction.
The first UK production was by University College Opera, in London, in February 1987.
Bedrich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music...
and libretto by Eliška Krásnohorská
Eliška Krásnohorská
Eliška Krásnohorská was a Czech feminist author. She was introduced to literature and feminism by Karolína Světlá...
, in their third operatic collaboration. The subtext of the plot is a Czech legend of a sheer rockface that overlooks the Vltava
Vltava
The Vltava is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running north from its source in Šumava through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague, merging with the Elbe at Mělník...
river, near the old monastery of Vyšši Brod, where the Devil was said to have halted the building of the monastery by damming the Vltava
Vltava
The Vltava is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running north from its source in Šumava through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague, merging with the Elbe at Mělník...
, which then rose and flooded the site.
Krásnohorská had originally intended her scenario to be serious in nature, a symbolic representation of the conflict between the Church and the Devil. By contrast, Smetana had wanted a less serious treatment. She acceeded to his demands and provided such a scenario, but then Smetana changed his thinking on the story. He reworked the plot such that he turned the young girl, Hedvika, into a surrogate for Lord Vok's late first wife, and the story became more serious in that aspect. As a result of these changes, Krásnohorská and Smetana did not have contact for a year and a half, and Smetana made substantial changes to Krásnohorská's submitted libretto without her input, deleting up to 500 of her original verses.
Smetana completed Act I in March 1881, and Act III in April 1882. The opera was first performed on October 29, 1882, at the Nové České Divadlo (New Czech Theatre) in 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...
. The premiere was not successful, with difficulties including the staging and the wildly conflicting appearance of two singers whose characters were supposed to resemble each other. In spite of the tensions between librettist and composer, Krásnohorská attended the premiere and defended Smetana, to the point of keeping silent on criticism directed towards the libretto, of the changes which she herself did not sanction.
The first UK production was by University College Opera, in London, in February 1987.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 29 October 1882 (Conductor: Adolf Cech) |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Vok | 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... |
Josef Lev |
| Záviš | 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... |
Betty Fibichová Betty Fibichová Betty Fibichová was a Czechoslovak opera singer and the wife of composer Zdeněk Fibich. The greatest Czech operatic contralto of her day, she enjoyed close artistic partnerships with both Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana in addition to collaborating frequently with her husband.-Biography:Born... |
| Jarek | 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... |
Antonín Vávra |
| Rarach, the Devil | bass | Josef Chlumeckÿ |
| Hedvika | soprano | Irma Reichová Irma Reichová Irma Reichová was a Czech operatic soprano who had an active career appearing in European opera houses during the latter half of the nineteenth century. A dramatic soprano, she was admired for both her musical and acting talent... |
| Katuška | 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... |
Marie Zofie Sittová |
| Michǎlek | tenor | Adolf Krössing Adolf Krössing Adolf Krössing was a Czech operatic tenor, stage director, and actor of both the stage and film. Possessing a smaller voice, Krössing impressed audiences not with his vocal prowess but with his dramatic gifts. A master of improvisation and comic timing, he excelled in character roles... |
| Beneš | bass | Frantisek Hynek |
Discography
- 1960, Zdeněk Chalabala (conductor), Prague National Theatre Chorus and OrchestraNational 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...
; Václav Bednář (Vok Vítkovic), Ivana Mixová (Záviš Vítkovic), 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:...
(Jarek), Milada ŠubrtováMilada ŠubrtováMilada Šubrtová was a Czech operatic soprano who had a lengthy career at the National Theatre in Prague from 1948 through 1991. She was part of an instrumental group of the post-World War II Czech opera singers that was responsible for popularizing Czech opera internationally...
(Hedvika), Antonín Votava (Michálek), Libuše Domanínská (Katuška), Karel BermanKarel BermanKarel Berman was a Jewish Czech opera singer, composer and opera director.- Life :...
(Beneš), Ladislav MrázLadislav MrázLadislav Mráz was a Czech operatic bass-baritone who had an active career in Czechoslovakia from 1943 through 1962...
(Rarach)