# Second thread of the Opera In-Depth Project: Die Tote Stadt



## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Korngold and _Die Tote Stadt_ are still relative unknowns in the world of Classical Music. For some people, Erich Wolfgang Korngold was rather a film composer that happened to write some Opera, that a classical composer hired to put music to some movies. That in his oeuvre there is more "corn" than "gold". Or that Korngold sounds like Hollywood movies, instead of Hollywood movies sounding like Korngold.

Those are clichés that somehow are still in circulation, in spite of all evidence on the contrary.

In this thread we will review together Korngold's masterpiece: origins, dramatic and musical aspects, discography,... along with some biographical details and other works examples, particularly his other operas.

Please feel free to post here anything related to the composer or to _Die Tote Stadt_ that you would like to share. For my part, I will start with the genesis of the opera.

As introduction we can listen to the most celebrated piece from _Die Tote Stadt_, the duet _Glück, das mir verblieb_, in the version of Hilde Zadek and Anton Dermota in 1951, under the supervision of Korngold himself:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

_Portrait of George Rodenbach_, by Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer​
Hugues, a young man destroyed by the death of his wife, thinks he has met her again seeing an unknown woman passing in the street, with an amazing resemblance to the deceased. Unfortunately, the copy is far from the original, can't replace his obsession for his wife, and the young man ended up strangling her with a lock from the hair of her dead love.

Belgian writer Georges Rodenbach, born in 1855, based his fame in this brief story, published as _Bruges-la-Morte_, in 1892. The novella was considered as symbolist, then the last trend in France.

Some objects like that hair lock, a kind of erotic relic treasured by the loving husband, are part of those symbols that underpin the story. But the most important reference is of course Bruges itself, the old city with the canals, the mists, the medieval architecture precariously coexisting with the impulse from the Industrial Revolution.... "A place as beautiful as dead, their citizens strolled Bruges without realizing they are just living in an strange and big cemetery", relates a visitor at the end of the 19th century.








​
Rodenbach's original interest was Poetry. According to him, his novels are just 'verses in prose'. This is his evocation of Bruges, in French:

_Chose curieuse : on ne voit jamais tant de vieilles femmes que dans les vieilles villes. Elles cheminent - déjà de la couleur de la terre - âgées et se taisant, comme si elles avaient dépensé toutes leurs paroles..._

Bruges is another character in the novella, the image of death ('toute cité est un état d´âme'), that owns the soul of Hugues, reproaching his infidelity to his dead wife, to his love, to the city itself.

A few years before his death, Rodenbach wrote a small play based on his novella, under the title of "Le Mirage", that was premiered after his death, in 1900, with the same main roles: Hugues, his wife Geneviéve, his servant Barbe and Jane Scott, the dancer resembling Geneviéve, but adding Joris, a friend of Hugues that allows to express in dialogues the inner monologues of the protagonist. It's this play, and not the novella, the material from which the Korngolds will draw the libretto of the opera.

We can read (in French) _Bruges-la-Morte_:

http://users.belgacom.net/rodenbach/brutxt2.htm#deb

Another version of the duo, this time with Richard Tauber and Lotte Lehmann:






Glück, das mir verblieb, // Joy, that near to me remains,
rück zu mir, mein treues Lieb. // Come to me, my true love.
Abend sinkt im Hag // Night sinks into the grove
bist mir Licht und Tag. // You are my light and day.
Bange pochet Herz an Herz // Anxiously beats heart on heart
Hoffnung schwingt sich himmelwärts. // Hope itself soars heavenward.

Wie wahr, ein traurig Lied. // How true, a sad song.
Das Lied vom treuen Lieb, // The song of true love,
das sterben muss. // that must die.

Ich kenne das Lied. // I know the song.
Ich hört es oft in jungen, // I heard it often in younger,
in schöneren Tagen. // in better days.
Es hat noch eine Strophe-- // It has yet another verse--
weiß ich sie noch? // Do I know it still?

Naht auch Sorge trüb, // Though sorrow becomes dark,
rück zu mir, mein treues Lieb. // Come to me, my true love.
Neig dein blaß Gesicht // Lean (to me) your pale face
Sterben trennt uns nicht. // Death will not separate us.
Mußt du einmal von mir gehn, // If you must leave me one day,
glaub, es gibt ein Auferstehn. // Believe, there is an afterlife.

(Translation by Lisa Lockhart)


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Hopefully this doesn't seem like a rude interjection, but can anyone recommend a CD version of this opera for people who haven't heard it yet and want to get acquainted before this thread takes off?

I'm particularily interested in these top four on amazon because they're also available for purchase on iTunes:

1. Korngold: Die Tote Stadt by Erich Leinsdorf (Audio CD - 2009) - Import

2. Korngold: Die tote Stadt by Carol Nebrett, René Kollo, Hermann Prey, Benjamin Luxon and Rose Wagemann (Audio CD - 1991)

3. Die Tote Stadt by Korngold, Chor Der Oper Frankfurt and Weigle (Audio CD - 2011)

4. Korngold - Die tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Leif Segerstam, Katarina Dalayman, Thomas Sunnegardh


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

In 1916 Julius Korngold, Erich's father, meets playwright Siegfried Trebisch, that is thinking on adapting Rodenbach's play "Le Mirage". Trebisch confides to Mr. Korngold that it's an excellent material for an opera libretto, and that composers like Puccini or Leo Fall were already interested.

The Korngolds read the drama and decided to use it for Erich's next opera. They bought the rights to the piece, and hired Hans Müller, that had written the libretto of _Violanta_ to their satisfaction. However, Müller was advancing very slowly, and the Korngolds took over the job, using a pen name to avoid that the many enemies of Julius Korngold, a professional critic of a great influence in Vienna, will attack the opera just to take vengeance.

Julius also suggested to Erich changing the plot, removing the murder of the young ballerina, and replacing it with an oniric scene. In Julius own words: "Instead of the murder of a woman, a sordid story of madness and moral destitution, it was better to offer an open ending, with Paul starting a new life, and finally going over the death of his wife. This gave also to Erich, a good opportunity to exploit his elegiac vein".

Erich started immediately to work in the opera. Very soon Marietta's lied was completed, but unfortunately the Great War started, he was mobilized and the opera was stopped for more than one year. During the summer of 1919, with the provisional title of "Das Triumph des Lebens" (The Victory of Life), Erich completed the last scene and started to orchestrate, until August, 1920, when the opera was finally ready.

This is the best known version of _Glück, das mir verblieb_, with René Kollo as Paul and Carol Neblett as Marietta:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Couchie said:


> Hopefully this doesn't seem like a rude interjection, but can anyone recommend a CD version of this opera for people who haven't heard it yet and want to get acquainted before this thread takes off?
> 
> I'm particularily interested in these top four on amazon because they're also available for purchase on iTunes:
> 
> ...


Of course not, this is one of the objectives of this thread.

Version 1 and 2 are the same, the only difference is the libretto. It's the only complete version of the opera, and the best recommendation.

Number 4 is perhaps the weakest version in the market.

I was present in Frankfurt hearing live version number 3. Vogt is the best Paul ever in my view, Weigle and the orchestra are great, but the rest of the cast are just decent. However, it's a nice recording.

Another good one:










We will review them in depth, but for the time being my recommendation for a first CD of _Die Tote Stadt_, will be Leinsdorf.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

The former child prodigy Erich Wolfgang Korngold was a very respected composer in 1920, when _Die Tote Stadt_ was to be premiered.

He was given the rare privilege of getting simultaneous stages in two cities: Cologne and Hamburg.

In the Rhine the conductor was Otto Kemplerer, and his wife Johanna sung Marietta:


December, 4th, 1920
Cologne
Conductor: Otto Klemperer
Paul: Karl Schröder
Marie/Marietta: Johanna Klemperer
Frank/Fritz: Karl Renner
Brigitta: Katharina Rohr
Stage Director: Fritz Rémond









_Otto Kemplerer_​
In Hamburg, with Korngold himself in the theater, this was the cast:


December, 4th, 1920
Stadttheater Hamburg
Conductor: Egon Pollak
Paul: Richard Schubert
Marie/Marietta: Anny Münchow
Frank/Fritz: Josef Degler
Brigitta: Maria Olszewska
Stage Director: Kurt Loewenfeld









_Anny Münchow_​
It was a big success and there was a tremendous expectation in Vienna, with Maria Jeritza singing Marietta:


January, 10th, 1921
Staatsoper Viena
Conductor: Franz Schalk
Paul: Karl Aagaard Oestvig
Marie/Marietta: Maria Jeritza
Frank/Fritz: Richard Mayr
Brigitta: Hermine Kittel
Stage Director: Wilhelm Wymetal









_Karl Aagaard Oestvig_​
Less than one year later, the opera travelled to the MET, the first German opera to be staged in New York after the Great War:


November, 19th, 1921
Metropolitan Theater, New York
Conductor: Artur Bodansky
Paul: Orville Harrold
Marie/Marietta: Maria Jeritza
Frank: Robert Leonhardt
Brigitta: Marion Telva
Fritz: Mario Laurenti
Stage Director: Samuel Thewman









_Jeritza and Harrold_​
Young Korngold was indeed on top of the operatic world....

This is Marietta's lied sung by one of her first performers, Maria Jeritza:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Here we can find the synopsis of _Die Tote Stadt_, from the New York City Opera:

http://www.korngold-society.org/synopsis2.html

And here the libretto, with an english translation:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Korngold-Die_Tote_Stadt-Libretto-1921.pdf

*DIE TOTE STADT*

Opera in three Acts, opus 12.
Music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Libretto by Julius Korngold and Erich Wolfgang Korngold








*Roles*

*Paul*, tenor: D2 - Bflat3
*Marie (Paul's dead wife)/Marietta (a dancer)*, soprano: B2 - C5
*Frank, Pau's friend*, baritone: D2 - Fsharp3
*Brigitta, Paul's servant*, mezzo: Aflat2 - A4
*Fritz, the Pierrot*, baritone: C2 - Gflat3
*Juliette, dancer,* soprano
*Lucienne, dancer,*, mezzo
*Victorin, the stage director*, tenor
*Count Albert*, tenor
*Gaston, dancer*, mime role​
*Orchestra*

Strings
1 Piccolo 
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
1 English horn
2 Clarinets
1 Bass clarinet
2 Bassoons
1 Double Bassoon
4 Horns
3 Trumpets
1 Bass Trumpet
3 Trombones
1 Tuba
1 Mandoline
2 Harps
1 Celesta
1 Piano
1 Organ
1 Armonio
4 Kettledrums
7 Bells
1 Glockenspiel
1 Xylophone
1 Triangle
1 Tabor
1 Rattle
3 Bass drums
1 Cymbal
1 Wind Machine​
This is a very big orchestra. Though the vocal writing is cleverly arranged to avoid drowning the voices, singers need to have a good projection. Korngold also demand an immaculate classical technique to cope with the score frequent markings.

*Paul*'s role is very difficult to sing. There are fragments for a Hendeltenor, for a Wagner lyrical tenor, for a spinto, for a pure lyrical voice, even for a "tenore di grazia": two B3 with fermata and in _piano_. Also, the part is very long.

*Marietta* is a nice role for a lyric or spinto (with good top notes) soprano, with some staging skills and in good shape for the second Act dance.

*Fritz* is a short role, only fifteen minutes on stage, but is lucky because he will sing the splendid "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen". A sensitive lyric baritone with easy top notes is fine. *Franck* is another baritone with some more weight in the low part of the tessiture, but often it's sung by the same singer.

*Brigitta*, is a mezzo able to reach A4 and sing with the adequate sweetness.

Perhaps the nicest soprano rendition of Marietta's lied, by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf:


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

I think this thread might very well contribute to my warming to this opera- while I have a few recordings of it- I have unfortunately never seen it performed live... to me, much of the music is so exceedingly saccharine, that it drips schmalz just a tad too much... that said, _Mein Sehnen_, is truly delovely... really looking forward to read more, schigolch!


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

The style is indeed convoluted, a little bit serpentine. But we can remember how Korngold was raised with the Secessionists or the music of Strauss. The purity and contemporaneity of this style in the early 1920s is there. Other thing is everyone's personal taste. 

This is one of the best renditions of "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" in my view:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Is there a Korngold style?

In my view, the answer is yes. In the 1920s the critics said Korngold's music was in the middle between Puccini and Strauss. And there is truth in that. Many people listening for the first time to pieces like Marietta's Lied or Paul's monologue in the second scene, are fascinated. They got immediacy, but at the same time there is a complex internal structure and new details can be discovered in every hearing.

*Melody*

"20th century Bel-canto", was the reaction from Vienna critics to _Die Tote Stadt_. The melodic inspiration of Korngold is outstanding, he can suggest with just a few notes any emotion that the young composer would like to transmit. Like Strauss, he preferred long phrases, reaching soon a peak, but delaying the resolution and the climax.

Clearly, in the two songs that take place in the fiction: Marietta's and Pierrot's lieder, melody is paramount. But we find all along the opera melodic details to stress a phrase, to complete the picture of a character,... Also, we can find the great talent of Korngold in the construction of the many motives that fill the score.

*Harmony*

A post-romantic harmony, of great formal complexity, but that reach in the best moments of _Die Tote Stadt_ an aerial quality. Tonality is stretched to its limits, but never abandoned. The young Korngold, at twenty years old, was in perfect command of all the theoretical and practical nuances of the Western practice. Many of the chords in the opera are assonant, but as an expressive resource, not a structural choice.

Korngold likes also to establish associations between roles or emotions and some tonalities. For instance, F-sharp major is used to represent Marietta's dancing, while the farthest tonality, F major, is the choice for the ghost of Marie's apparition. In Paul's mind, the antithesis between pure love and carnal desire.

*Orchestration*

Korngold's orchestra is big, but in accordance with the standard practice of the period. Perhaps the massive presence of keyboards (piano, organ, harmonium, celesta,...) is the most original touch. The different timbre planes that are interacting and forming a complex fabric result in a very personal sound. The Korngold sound.

The major influence in the orchestration are beyond doubt Schreker and Strauss's operas, and especially _Die Frau ohne Schatten_, premiered in 1919.

This is another splendid version of Pierrot's lied:

Mein Sehnen, mein Whänen - Carlo Drago Hrzic - 1928


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Der Ryng des Polykrates / Violanta*

Though _Die Tote Stadt_ is the most celebrated of Korngold's operas, the rest of his lyrical pieces are also very enjoyable.

_Der Ryng des Polykrates_ was written by a seventeen years old Korngold, and was premiered in Munich (in a double bill with _Violanta_), in 1916. It was Julius Korngold who had convinced the theater to offer his son's operas. It's a light comedy, loosely based on Schiller, in which a young, rich and happy married couple is envied by an acquaintance, that remind them of the legend of Polykrates, one king that practiced preventive sacrifices to Poseidon to keep his happiness. The young lovers decide also to sacrifice something: the friendship of the jealous acquaintance.

This is not a masterpiece, not by any means, but it's a nice opera, especially for someone so young. The orchestration is very refined.














Maria Jeritza as Violanta​
_Violanta_ is another story. We are here before a very good opera. Korngold was already nineteen, and those two additional years gave him the matureness to address this new kind of subject. The libretto, by Hans Müller, is also interesting. In 15th century Venice, Simone Trovai (baritone) suffers the indifference of his wife Violanta (soprano), since her sister was seduced by Alfonso, prince of Naples (tenor). Violanta requests Simone to kill Alfonso to save the honor of the family. Finally, Simone reluctantly agrees. Violanta makes an appointment with Alfonso to facilitate the murder, but gets crazy in love with the prince. Simone finds the couple in loving embrace, and stabs Violanta, that dies in his arms.

_Violanta_ was an instant success, and was staged in several cities. There are fantastic melodies, and also boasts the incredible harmonic and orchestration skills of the young Korngold. Of course, we can find traces of the Wagnerian Tristan, of Strauss and even of Zemlinsky's florentine tragedy, but this was a towering achievement for a nineteen years old boy.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Das Wunder der Heliane*









_Lotte Lehmann and Jan Kiepura in the Vienna staging_

After the big hit of _Die Tote Stadt_, the new Korngold's opera was eagerly awaited. The premiere was in Hamburg and Vienna, but, after a short series of performances, it just dissapeared around 1930, and it has been hardly staged since then.

_Das Wunder der Heliane_ is based on a poem from an obscure Romanian writer, Hans Kaltneker, under the title of "Die Heilige (The Saint)". Korngold loved this poem and requested Hans Müller to wrote a libretto.

The plot is as follows: In a distant kingdom, a Tyrant has enslavered the people, but a Stranger appears, bringing back passion and joy. He is arrested, convicted and sentenced to die the next day, in the morning.

The beautiful and pure wife of the Tyrant, Heliane, go to visit the Stranger, and he fells in love with her. Heliane shows her naked body to him, but they are surprised in the act and the Tyrant wants Heliane to be tried for adultery.

Heliane relates in Court what happened. The Stranger refuses to testify against Heliane. Then the Tyrant offers a knife to Heliane, and asks her to take her own life. The Stranger steals the knife and stabs himself instead.

The Tyrant then challenges Heliane to resurrect the Stranger, if she is still pure. Heliane collapses, and confess she loves the Stranger. She is sentenced to death, but the Tyrant offers to pardon her, if she promises to love him in return. Heliane refuses him, and the Tyrant stabs her. She runs to the corpse of the Stranger, than magically rises from death.

Then the Stranger exiles the Tyrant and bless the people. Heliane and the Stranger go together to Heaven, in love with each other.

The roots of the opera's failure are several: the powerful enemies of Korngold's father, Julius, in the musical circles of Vienna; the premiere of a totally different kind of opera, _Jonny spielt auf_ by Ernst Krenek, that was the greatest box office success of all times in Germany and Austria (two different brands of cigarettes were launched, the popular and cheap "Jonny", and the elegant and expensive "Heliane"); and the opera itself, complex and dark, while the public was expecting another Marietta's lied.

Korngold himself was pretty strong about Heliane, and claimed to his death it was his best work. Difficult to say, I'd prefer _Die Tote Stadt_, but Heliane is worthy of a bigger exposure, beyond a doubt.

There is a nice CD recording:


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

Die Tote Stadt is probably my favourite opera. I have seen it many times around Europe. Sadly, Klaus Florian Vogt cancelled due to ill health and was replaced by the wonderful Torsten Kerl. He was also in every other performance i have seen. Kerl is also in the DVD of this opera and as mentioned in the cd. For me he is the perfect Paul. I would love to hear/see Vogt in the role. I also must mention i love James King in this role - the youtube videos show a pent up emotion and pain that is unequalled anywhere else in my opinion.

My favourite parts are the early scene with Brigitta and Frank where she sings about being alone, then of course -Gluck, das mir verblieb, onto Da bist du ja, Marie, ich wusste es , the tanz leid and then finally O'Freund.

Melodic, melodramatic and heartwrenching all in one. A wonderful melancholic opera with just some of the most beautiful music. It is one of the few operas that i cry during - especially during 'our love was,is and will always be' .....hmm


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

You can hear Vogt singing "O Freund", in 2010:

Vogt - Die Tote Stadt, Finale


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Die Kathrin*

After the failure of _Heliane_, Korngold decided to wrote an opera similar to the "Zeitopern", then in vogue. However, this is not the style in which he feels more comfortable, and also he is always looking more at the past, than at the future. Just at the same time Alban Berg is busy working in _Lulu_.

There are many obstacles in his way: an accident of the librettist, his first travel to Hollywood, the interference of the nazis... However, after the cancellation of the 1938 premiere at Vienna, finally the first staging takes place the following year, at Stockholm. After the Second World War, in 1950, _Die Kathrin_ is performed in Vienna, but it's a complete fiasco.

The plot is very simple. In the summer of 1930 the young servant Kathrin falls in love with a soldier, François. The boy must go to Algeria with his regiment and Kathrin, pregnant, does not receive a single letter.

Years later, Kathrin works in an inn of dubious reputation near the Swiss frontier. Just by coincidence, François, that has deserted from the Army, is hired then as a singer. The owner of the club, Malignac, try to rape Kathrin, but is killed by another girl, Mireille. François declares to the Police he is the author of the fatal shot.

Kathrin is now living in a farm with his son, also named François, and is pretended by the taylor of a nearby village. However, François is released from prison, and appears at the farm, swearing eternal love to Kathrin.

Korngold's talent is not fully apparent in _Die Kathrin_. There are some good passages, of course, but it's clearly inferior to his two great operas, and even to _Violanta_.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Die Tote Stadt
Munich Radio
1952

*Paul* Karl Friedrich
*Marie/Marietta* Maud Cunitz
*Frank* Benno Kusche
*Fritz* Hans Braun
*Brigitta* Lillian Benningsen

*Conductor* Fritz Lehmann

This version comes from a radio broadcast with the orchestra and choir of the Bayerischen Rundfunks. Lehmann gets a good answer from the orchestra, and this is a very analytic performance, with a nice instrumental texture.

Singing is not at the same level, unfortunately. The best one comes from Karl Friedrich, that with limited means is able to offer us a sober portrait of Paul. On the other hand Maud Cunitz, with similar vocal resources, sounds acid and out of tune.

Though the two main roles are the most important, Franck, Fritz and Brigitta are also key to a good performance. In this case, the first scene, of a fascinating beauty, between Frank and Brigitta is sung very poorly, and the rendition of "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen" by baritone Hans Braun is definately second (or even third) rate.

This is recommended only for lovers of _Die Tote Stadt_, though the orchestra is really good.

*Overall: C*


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

Many thanks for posting the clip of "O Freund" with Klaus Florian Vogt. I have to say i found his voice too light (where i loved his Lohengrin). I prefer a beefier tone for Paul - much more like Kerl and James King as mentioned.

Will hunt this new cd down along with the recent released DVD on the dynamic label.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

The vocal writing for Paul is fascinating, but also very difficult.

There are very lirical moments, but also some dense orchestration and the need to be on stage for a long time. I remember one performance of _Die Tote Stadt_, at Liceu, where German tenor Norbert Schmittberg, was unable to finish the opera. His voice just cracked in the Second Act, and he was replaced by Kerl.

Some wagnerian tenors have sung the opera, but the tessiture of the role is very high: it's not only the B3s, there are also many A3, Aflat3, G3... For some you need to sing piano, in other, forte, some dynamics, especially diminuendos,... And many notes are written just there, in the middle of the _passagio_. In the second scene alone, while singing with Frank and his monologue there are 120 notes F3 and above!. And after some fifteen minutes of that, you need to become very lyrical for your first meeting with Marietta, and then Marie's apparition...

What's the right balance between the more heroic phrasing, and the sweetness evoked by the memories of Marie?.

Ideally, we will have a dramatic and a lyric tenor and fused them together. As this is not possible, my best bet would be to use a lyric tenor with stamina.

Historically, Korngold was more pleased by Tauber in the role. In my view, tenors like Völker or Rosvaenge would have been closer to the ideal Paul.

Today, we can get three brackets of singers: the rough one (Gould, and also King in the German video from the 1970s), the intermediate one (Brubaker, Kerl) and the more lyric approach (Vogt).

In my view, the last one is the best approach, as this underlines Paul's complex and very modern personality. Paul is not Siegfried.


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

Does anyone know if Robert Gambill or Endrik Wottrich have sung Paul? I think next to T. Kerl, both of these singers might make good foils for the difficult role.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Die Tote Stadt
Munich Radio
1975

*Paul* René Kollo 
*Marie/Marietta* Carol Neblett
*Frank* Benjamin Luxon 
*Fritz* Hermann Prey
*Brigitta* Rose Wagemann

*Conductor* Erich Leinsdorf

Again the Bavarian orchestra and choir tackle Korngold's beautiful but difficult score. Now, twenty-three years later, they are conducted by Erich Leinsdorf, and again the result is very good. Most centered in the sensuality, in the pure joy of this irresistible music, that the analytical approach of Lehmann, but also a very valid reading, especially in a splendid Second Act.

René Kollo sings an interesting Paul. His main shortcomings are in some poorly produced top notes, and the feeling of listening to an old boxer rambles on his old fights, instead of a man desperately missing his dead wife, in the great monologue of First Act.

Carol Neblett, with similar problems in the top notes, offers a convincing portrait of Marietta. She was coached by Maria Jeritza herself, and is the best Marietta on record.

The first scene between Frank and Brigitta is not really exciting, but later Mr. Luxon compensate in his dialogues with Paul. Hermann Prey's Pierrot lied is a wonderful piece, a reference, though a little bit too slow.

Recommended for all Opera lovers.

*Overall: B+*


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

BalloinMaschera said:


> Does anyone know if Robert Gambill or Endrik Wottrich have sung Paul? I think next to T. Kerl, both of these singers might make good foils for the difficult role.


Not to my knowledge, though I'm not as optimistic as you.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Die tote Stadt

Royal Swedish Opera
1996

*Paul* Thomas Sunnegardh 
*Marie/Marietta* Katarina Dalayman 
*Frank* Anders Bergström
*Fritz* Per Arne Wahlgren 
*Brigitta* Ingrid Tobiasson

*Conductor* Leif Segerstam

This is a live recording, but in acceptable sound.

The Royal Swedish orchestra is not the Munich orchestra, nor Segerstam's reading is close to either Leinsdorf's or Lehmann's. He concentrates too much on the potency, the building of Korngold's sound wall, but misses the details, the many orchestral nuances that made this opera so unique.

Thomas Sunnegardh is imitating Mr. Kollo, but it's far from the original.

Katarina Dalayman is the best part of this recording. The top notes are a little bit throttled, but she does depict Marietta, the young dancer. Not so much, Marie, the dead wife.

Both baritones are barely adequate, but Ingrid Tobiasson's Brigitta is really poor.

The justification for this recording was in its budget price, but with Leinsdorf's being available now also as a budget option, it's not really a good choice.

Not recommended.

*Overall: D*


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Die tote Stadt

Wiener Philarmoniker 
2004

*Paul* Torsten Kerl
*Marie/Marietta* Angela Denoke
*Frank* Bo Skovhus
*Fritz* Bo Skovhus
*Brigitta* Daniela Denschlag

*Conductor* Donald Runnicles

Kerl and Denoke are regulars of the opera, that have been singing, together or separate, several times. Also conductor Runnnicles. This performance from Szalburg are their best achievement.

Runnicles gives us a version more agile, a little bit restless, less romantic that the other conductors. It adapts very well to a superb First Act that to the rest of the opera, but it's a great performance. The Viennese orchestra, as usual, is just fantastic.

Torsten Kerl is a very solid Paul, and this is his best performance in the role. He doesn't have the perfect vocal instrument to sing the role (who has?), it lacks some power and also the top notes are very demanding for him. He uses falsetto sometimes, but in this case taking advantage to introduce an interesting component, something unreal that really mix well with the story and the score.

Denoke's voice is not Marietta's, either, but she manages to produce the notes, they seem to be struggling in her throat, just striving to leave her body... but they are finally released. She is convincing enough in the long oneiric scene.

Skovhus is able to defend the double role of Frank/Fritz, again singing the Pierrot's lied too slow, but his first scene with Daniela Denschlag's Brigitta is really good.

Recommended to all Opera lovers.

*Overall: B+*


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Die Tote Stadt

Frankfurter Opern und Museumsorchester
2009

*Paul* Klaus Florian Vogt 
*Marie/Marietta* Tatiana Pavlovskaya 
*Frank/Fritz* Michael Nagy
*Brigitta* Hedwig Fassbender

*Conductor* Sebastian Weigle

Weigle is an old hand at this opera, having conducted it a few years before, at Liceu. The Frankfurt orchestra is underrated, it's one of the best German orchestras and we can hear why in this recording.

Vogt is the best Paul singing the role today, and this is his only official recording. Maybe it's not one of his brightest days, but it's always a great portrait of the complex and tormented young widower. His uncanny ability to let his voice float in the most lyrical parts of the score is just amazing.

Tatiana Pavlovskaya is a nice singer, but Marietta is a little bit too much for her at this stage in her career. Perhaps her performance would have been worthy of a better judgment in a DVD, as her acting ability was good enough, and the Frankfurt production, quite interesting.

Michael Nagy is a Frankfurt habitué, that sings anything from Wolfram to Papageno to Marcello... and it shows. Hedwig Fassbender was a rather adequate Brigitta.

Recommended to lovers of _Die Tote Stadt_.

*Overall: B-*


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Die Tote Stadt

Orchestre Philarmonique de Strasbourg
2001

*Paul* Torsten Kerl 
*Marie/Marietta* Angela Denoke 
*Frank* Yuri Batukov
*Fritz* Stephan Genz
*Brigitta* Brigitta Svenden

*Conductor* Jan Latham-Koenig

This is a failed production.

To start with, Kerl is singing well, but his acting skills are cruelly exposed. However, Angela Denoke, in a bad day, is singing much worse that in her Szalburg recording, but she carries her acting duties diligently. The supporting cast is uniformly mediocre.

Latham-Koenig, a nice conductor for other works, is here miles away from the right mood to play _Die Tote Stadt_. It really sounds as elevator music, a rather dull accompaniment of the action. The orchestra is not a protagonist, as it should.

But the weakest element is the staging. There are really some details in pretty bad taste as turning Paul's obsession to keep some mementos of his dead wife into an active necrophilia; the progressive bombardment affecting the scenery; the apparition of the infant Korngold to play in the piano Marietta's lied... However, the main issue is the absolute disregard to the spirit of the opera, murdering Frank in the oneiric scene and the suicide of Paul, that is unable to wake from his reverie.

Recommended only for Eurotrash lovers.

*Overall: C*


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

schigolch said:


> Recommended only for Eurotrash lovers.


LOL. Well, I watched this at my local library recently--my first exposure to _Die Tote Stadt_. I agree that Kerl's singing was better than his acting, and that Denoke gave a game performance but didn't produce the nicest tones.

The staging wasn't very attractive or coherent, and certainly not faithful to the original intention. But there were some striking, nightmarish images, and I actually found the bleak ending, emphasizing the opera's darker side, kind of compelling.

Not sure I will need to see this DVD again, but it did make me curious about other approaches to the opera. I guess that much can be said for it.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

That's fine... except there is no darker side to the opera!. 

Both in Rodenbach's novella and play this dark side is pretty apparent... Hugues (Paul) murders Jane (Marietta) in the real world, not in a dream, and there is a strong hint that this was also the doom of Geneviève (Marie). If the Korngolds would have liked to write a 'dark' opera, they have all the elements available at their hands. Instead, they decided to stage a reverie, a kind of epiphany where Paul finds he needs to live his life, and the ghost of Marie needs to die her death. That's why the first title of the opera was "Der Triumph das Lebens (The Triumph of Life)".

Not to forget that the text and the music are narrating exactly that. While Paul is singing this:

_Ein Traum hat mir den Traum Zerstört,
Ein Traum der bittren Wirklichkeit
Den Traum der Phantasie.
Die Toten schicken solche Träume,
Wenn wir zu viel mit_

and the orchestra is playing a motif named "Return to Life", a door that is closing, and another that is opening to... what?. Yes, to life. With hope, with the good things, with the bad things, but a new life for Paul, not a living death, and he accepts Frank's invitation to abandon the Dead City:

_Ich wills, ich wills versuchen ...

(Frank gibt Brigitta ein Zeichen sich mit ihm 
zurückzuziehen und Paul allein zu lassen. Allein 
vor sich hin)

Glück, das mir verblieb,
Lebe wohl, mein treues Lieb.
Leben trennt von Tod,
Grausam Machtgebot.
Harre mein in lichten Höhn,
Hier gibt es kein Auferstehn_

We see Paul killing himself!. This is a divorce between music & libretto versus staging that is just unacceptable, because the stage director is not servicing the opera, but using it as a pretext to tell us a different story, unrelated to the original one. This is what I call 'Eurotrash'.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

amfortas said:


> LOL. Well, I watched this at my local library recently--my first exposure to _Die Tote Stadt_. I agree that Kerl's singing was better than his acting, and that Denoke gave a game performance but didn't produce the nicest tones.
> 
> The staging wasn't very attractive or coherent, and certainly not faithful to the original intention. But there were some striking, nightmarish images, and I actually found the bleak ending, emphasizing the opera's darker side, kind of compelling.
> 
> Not sure I will need to see this DVD again, but it did make me curious about other approaches to the opera. I guess that much can be said for it.


Yes, I had similar impressions, and wrote this for an earlier post:

"This is a difficult opera to sing and stage (lots of strain on the tenor, and the structure of a dream is hard to convey well), and this production is largely successful, since the novel on which it was based, Bruges-la-Morte, is highly symbolic, and so is the staging - therefore, no big problem with some regietheater here because it does make sense to be weird. So far so good, but then, the staging director thought he should change the end, and instead of the redemption at the end as intended by Korngold (and his father, who was the co-librettist with the composer himself, under a pseudonym), decided to have the main character commit suicide. What a travesty!"


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Die Tote Stadt

Orchestra & Choir Teatro La Fenice
2011

*Paul* Stefan Vinke 
*Marie/Marietta* Solveig Kringelborn 
*Frank/Fritz* Stephan Genz
*Brigitta* Christa Mayer

*Conductor* Eliahu Inbal

In this production, Pier Luigi Pizzi is really respecful of the libretto, the music and the intention of the Korngolds. However, it's rather dull and a little bit boring.

Stefan Vinke is not Paul. He can't sing this role. Wonder why someone, himself included, pretended that he can.

Kringelborn is not in her best form (I've heard her singing a much better Marietta in Madrid), but she at least kind of manage with the score requests and she is a decent actress.

Genz sings Frank... or Fritz... or both, who cares?. Christa Mayer is an average Brigitta.

Veteran conductor Eliahu Inbal tries, but this is not really the best repertoire for La Fenice orchestra.

Recommended to lovers of _Die Tote Stadt_.

*Overall: C*


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

I have to disagree about your review of Kerl and Denoke on both the DVD and the salzburg cd. I actually think they sing their roles terrifically well.

The DVD whilst eurotrash is superb. With a super Tanzleid and dream sequence not to mention the ending where Paul commits suicide and slides down a door with a neon sign saying 'no exit'. Just wonderful, as kerl slides down the door smearing it in blood. I love this DVD. I am a big fan of Angela Denoke and she is wonderful as Marietta.

Listening to Klaus Florian Vogt i just think his voice is too light for this role compared to Kerl.

Just my opinion. I would not hesitate to buy/listen/watch either of these productions.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I haven't said they sung badly. Denoke (a singer I have watched live in the theater in several roles, including Marietta in Vienna) just had a bad day in the DVD in terms of singing. She was much better in the CD.

Paul's voice is what we can read in the score. With so many top notes, and the dynamics markings we do need a very flexible voice. And this is a tortured young man, not unlike an Anthony Perkins' character. We don't need a heldentenor for that. 

About the DVD, one can like it or not. I don't. What we can't deny is that it's totally divorced from the words and the music.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

schigolch said:


> That's fine... except there is no darker side to the opera!
> 
> Both in Rodenbach's novella and play this dark side is pretty apparent... Hugues (Paul) murders Jane (Marietta) in the real world, not in a dream, and there is a strong hint that this was also the doom of Geneviève (Marie). If the Korngolds would have liked to write a 'dark' opera, they have all the elements available at their hands. Instead, they decided to stage a reverie, a kind of epiphany where Paul finds he needs to live his life, and the ghost of Marie needs to die her death. That's why the first title of the opera was "Der Triumph das Lebens (The Triumph of Life)".


This is true so far as it goes, but perhaps does not go far enough.

After all, if the Korngolds really wanted to have no dark side to their opera, they could have dispensed with the killing of Marietta entirely. Instead, we see Paul strangle her with a plait of his dead wife's hair, then exclaim chillingly over her corpse, "Now she's just like Marie!"

And yes, he immediately comes out of his reverie and realizes that it has all been just a waking dream. But for modern audiences at least, the "it was all just a dream" device may ring a little hollow--a way to explore dark subjects and then withdraw to a safe distance while claiming not to have meant any of it. Even the Korngolds, writing their post-Freudian opera, must have been familiar with the notion that a dream betokens a wish. Paul may announce that he is cured. But the fact remains that he has only overcome his fixation on his dead wife by committing a psychic murder of her double.

It's true that, after the dream, he says goodbye to his living death in Bruges. But while the Korngolds intended this moment as an embrace of life, a more skeptical reading of the very same lines may see just the opposite. "Leben trennt von Tod," Paul says-"life separates from death." True enough-but which side of the divide does he choose?

Or take Paul's final words, "Harre mein in lichten Höhn, / Hier gibt es kein Auferstehn," which in one translation reads, "Wait for me in higher sphere - There is no second life down here." The Korngolds surely meant this as Paul's final, gentle exhortation to his wife, telling her to wait for him in heaven and no longer haunt him on earth. But interestingly, the lines could also be read as his announcement that he will soon be joining her, for he himself cannot awaken to a renewed life.

I'm not trying to maintain that this reading is "correct" or what the Korngolds intended. I'm just suggesting that these final moments carry a certain ambivalence that (to me at least) makes the opera even more intriguing.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

And this is your right, as a member of the audience.

However, as a stage director, you need to present the opera just the way it was written, because in this way your are true to the author(s) and, more importantly, true to your audience.

After reading Julius Korngold's memories, a couple of biographies of his son Erich, and some documents for the period, I can assure you that there is no ambivalence at all in the Korngolds collective mind. Just the opposite, they took the conscious decision to avoid any reference to a possible suicide of Paul (remember, The Triumph of Life) and much less to a real murder of Marietta (and of Marie, before her). With the same ground, one can imagine Paul is a serial murderer, a kind of modern Bluebeard that has already killed several blonde wives (all of them resumed in the ghost presence of "Marie") with the help of his accomplice Brigitta, and Marietta is just her next victim.... It makes about the same sense.

And the real problem is not only the text, it's also the music. There is absolutely no feeling of a dead end at all, rather a new life (the "Return to Life" motif) and then the reprise of Marietta's lied.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

In _Die Tote Stadt_'s original score, Korngold did not include the name of any motif. However, as soon as 1922, the first musical analysis of the opera was published by Rudolf S. Hoffmann.

Mr. Hoffmann, in his review, gave name to several motifs, and Korngold agreed that they were indeed well chosen. We will stick to this nomenclature in this series of posts.

*First Act, First Scene*

_BRIGITTA 
Behutsam! Hier ist alles alt,
Und gespenstig.
Bis gestern drang keiner
In diese Stube außer ihm und mir,
Die Jahre durch, die er in Brügge lebt.

FRANK
Und gestern -?

BRIGITTA
Sie sind sein Freund, Herr Frank -
So seis gesagt.
Gestern schien er ganz gewandelt.
Er bebte vor Erregung, schluchzt' und lachte.
"Türen auf!" so sagte er,
"Licht in meinen Tempel!
Die Toten stehen auf!"

FRANK
Dies hab ich nie von ihm gehört,
Sonderbar!

BRIGITTA
Seht- Rosen und Levkojen an den Rahmen
Und an der Türe zu ihrem Zimmer,
In dem sie starb. 
Besonders aber dies Bild hat er schön geschmückt.

FRANK
Ist sie das -? Marie?

BRIGITTA
Ja, das war sie. In dem hellen, weichen Kleide,
Das er so liebte.

FRANK 
Schön -!
Herrgott! Wie leuchtet dies Haar!

BRIGITTA 
Da drunter liegt ein Strähn von diesem Haar.
Flüssige Dukaten, nicht wahr?

FRANK
Er hat es aufbewahrt ? Seltsam.

BRIGITTA
Und hier... 
Kein Fleck, der nicht von seiner Toten spräche.
Er nennts: Kirche des Gewesenen.

FRANK
So lebt er stets ?

BRIGITTA
Bis gestern immer so. Er sagte : "Brügge
Und ich, wir sind eins.
Wir beten Schönstes an: Vergangenheit."

FRANK
Und du, Brigitt ? Erträgst du das ?
Du - eine Frau?
Lockt dich ins Leben nicht hinaus ?

BRIGITTA 
Was das Leben ist, weiß ich nicht, Herr Frank.
Denn ich bin allein. Hier aber, hier ist Liebe, Herr Frank,
Das weiß ich. Und wo Liebe,
Dort dient eine arme Frau zufrieden.

Da ist er._

There is no overture, but just a small prelude of hardly eleven bars. Small but important, as it contains several motifs later developed in the opera. After three chords accompanied with celesta and piccolo, there is "Doom". And then four bars with the violins ascending and "Return to Life":










When Brigitta stars to sing, introducing Frank to the room and their life in Bruges, there is no established tonality, a way to invoke Paul's restless soul. Frank answers and then Brigitta point at Marie's portrait and the motif of "Marie" sound in the strings. Frank retorts while the orchestra is playing another motif, "Long Hair" supported by trumpet and glockenspiel.

Brigitta picks up the room description, this 'Temple of Remembrance" while a wonderful chord in the strings, the organ and the piano, with an almost ecclesiastical touch, is being played.

The final small aria from Brigitta is a real marvel, and it must be sung with a very lyrical mood and reach a beautiful high A in the word 'liebe', and the nice cascade in the harp.

In just five minutes, Korngold introduces us in the opera and establish the atmosphere of the piece.

We can watch the scene using the famous production from the Deutsche Oper that is complete in youtube. Brigitta is Margit Neubauer and Frank is William Murray.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

schigolch said:


> And this is your right, as a member of the audience.
> 
> However, as a stage director, you need to present the opera just the way it was written, because in this way your are true to the author(s) and, more importantly, true to your audience.


This gets into the whole question of the director's role, which is *the* big vexing issue in opera production today, isn't it?

From my perspective, if directors never did anything more than present an opera "just the way it was written," we would never have seen The Ring (or Der Rosenkavalier, or Die Zauberflote) in anything other than exact replicas of the original sets and costumes. Talk about your living death!

As an audience member, I feel that a director has been true to me when he presents a compelling, coherent interpretation of an opera--whether or not it's entirely as the original librettist or composer imagined. I'm fully capable of distinguishing between the composer/librettist's original intention and the director's embellishment--and of appreciating the latter when it presents a familiar work in an intriguing new light.



schigolch said:


> After reading Julius Korngold's memories, a couple of biographies of his son Erich, and some documents for the period, I can assure you that there is no ambivalence at all in the Korngolds collective mind. Just the opposite, they took the conscious decision to avoid any reference to a possible suicide of Paul (remember, The Triumph of Life) and much less to a real murder of Marietta (and of Marie, before her).


I'm certainly interested in the conscious decisions of the Korngolds, the specific vision they had for their opera. But no creative artist completely controls what their work can mean to its various audiences over time. Therefore I'm also interested in responses to a work that may go beyond what its creator intended.



schigolch said:


> With the same ground, one can imagine Paul is a serial murderer, a kind of modern Bluebeard that has already killed several blonde wives (all of them resumed in the ghost presence of "Marie") with the help of his accomplice Brigitta, and Marietta is just her next victim.... It makes about the same sense.


Actually, that's quite brilliant! You should be a director!

And even if *you* don't like the idea, ask yourself this: What is it about the opera itself that led you to come up with it?



schigolch said:


> And the real problem is not only the text, it's also the music. There is absolutely no feeling of a dead end at all, rather a new life (the "Return to Life" motif) and then the reprise of Marietta's lied.


You're assuming that death must evoke a certain kind of music. But over the centuries death has taken on many guises in literature, the visual arts, and music. It's certainly possible to see death itself as a step to an even more vibrant Life.

Again, I'm not maintaining that you or anyone else has to look at Die Tote Stadt in a particular way. We can each decide for ourselves what approaches we find illuminating. And even more fun, we get to argue about it!


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

The stage director has a role, but this role is one of presenting the opera, not inventing one. Because this is the nature of the beast. I, as a member of the audience, can get any vision it makes sense for me (i.e., Paul is a serial killer), but if I do something against the text and the music, the only thing I put on stage is a more or less elaborate lie.

In opera, most of the important decisions have already been taken by the librettist, and the composer. The stage director needs to work within those paramaters, that permit some latitude, but not reinventing the story, because in this way you (usually) creates a divorce between the opera, and what is being represented on stage.

You can be creative enough. Just think on the wonderful staging of _Die Tote Stadt_ by Willy Decker. A perfect illustration, shedding new light on the piece, but fully respectful of the story and the music.

This is the end of the opera, as described by Erich Wolfgang Korngold himself: _"The room is in darkness: the vision is ended. Then, it's dawn and Paul awakes. He sees Marie's lock, intact. Briggita announces Marietta is back; she enters, has forgotten her umbrella. Should she stay?. Paul keep his silence, she smiles, shrugs and leaves. In her way out, she meets Frank. Paul won't ever see Marietta again. The bitter reality has destroyed his dream of eternal love. How far can we adore the dead without destroying ourselves?. Paul will go away from Bruges, from the Dead City. Here on Earth there is no reunion with our departed ones, there is no resurrection"._

I'm not assuming death is invoked by any kind of chance music, and certainly I don't need a tritone to represent evil. But, in _Die Tote Stadt_, there is a careful fabric of motifs. There is a reason why before Paul takes the decision to leave Bruges, we can hear "Return to Life". And why we hear again the melody of Marietta's lied at the end. In the internal logic of the piece, this is crying to us that Paul is leaving, is starting a new life, not killing himself, or stay lost in the ruins of his mind.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

I understand and admire your respect for the composer and librettist's intention, and your insistence that directors honor it. But we do look at things a bit differently, since I'm willing to accept more directorial license. 

Today there are wonderful traditional productions that would have won the approval of the composer and librettist themselves. There are other equally successful productions that take a more unusual approach but still remain true to the basic outline of the narrative. And sometimes there are quite radical productions that depart even more drastically from the original, to the point that perhaps they should be called by some other name--say, a performance piece inspired by the opera. 

In the case of such a radical interpretation (as with a more traditional one), sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. At worst, the production is forgotten and the original opera remains unharmed (it will be given a completely different production somewhere else next week). At best, the director's rethinking may give us an illuminating, even if partial, insight into some key aspect of the original.

There's a broad spectrum of possible approaches. For my part, I try my best to take each production, be it traditional or avant-garde, on its own terms and assess it accordingly. But I certainly understand others who apply more strict parameters.

Hopefully, there will continue to be enough productions of different types to keep us all happy.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Well, I think there is a lot of latitude for the stage director in many operas. Coming back to _Die Tote Stadt_, you can use avant-garde techniques, and do it very well, as in the Decker production I mentioned. And you can use more traditional staging, and just be plain boring, like in the Pizzi production from La Fenice. That's life.

This is the Decker production, by the way:











I certainly take each production by its own sake. That's why I found Inga Levant's staging very disappointing, because instead of illuminating any aspect of the original, even in a partial way, it just runs contrary to the original, and the only thing that gets illuminated in the process is the _regista'_s own mindset. After watching this performance, you are no closer to understand the opera, rather the other way around.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*First Act, Second Scene*

_PAUL
Frank! Freund!

FRANK
Brigitta führte mich in die 
"Kirche des Gewesenen."

PAUL
Des Gewesenen? Nein!

(to Brigitta)

Lauf schnell hinab zum Gärtner,
Hol' Rosen. Zwei Arme voll!
Es soll erglühn hier von roten Rosen.

(to Frank)

Du sahst ihr Bild?

FRANK
Ja, sie war schön,
Und viel hast du verloren.

PAUL
Marie, Marie, dein Atem, deine Augen!
Wie sagst du? Sie war schön?

FRANK
Gewiß.

PAUL
Sie war schön, sagst du?
Sie ist schön! Sie ist! Sie ist!

FRANK
In deiner Phantasie?

PAUL
Nein, nein, sie lebt!
Bald ist sie hier, sie kehrt zurück.
O hör ein Märchen, ein Wunder!
Du Weißt, das ich in Brügge blieb,
um allein zu sein mit meiner Toten.
Die tote Frau, die tote Stadt, 
flossen zu geheimnisvollem Gleichnis. 
Und täglich schritt ich gleichen Weg, 
mit ihrem Schatten Arm in Arm, 
zum Minnewasser, 
auf die Fläche starrend,
ihr teures Bild mit Tränen mir ersehnend, 
den süßen, sanft in sich gekehrten Blick, 
den Schimmer ihres goldnen Haars. 
Und gestern wieder träumt ich am Gitter
von der Entschwundenen, von ihr, Marie. 
Holt mir ihr Antlitz aus der Tiefe, 
hold und rein,
so ganz war sie mir nah, wie einst 
in den Tagen des Glücks - sehnend, liebend.
In meines Schauns Versunkenheit 
schallen Schritte.
Ich horche ...
ein Schatten gleitet übers Wasser 
Ich blicke auf;
vor mir steht eine Frau im Sonnenlicht. 
Frank! Frank! Eine Frau. Im Mittagsglast
erglänzt Mariens Gold Haar, den Lippen 
entschwebt Mariens Lächeln.
Nicht Ähnlichkeit mehr - nein, ein Wunder, 
Begnadigung!
Es schien sie selbst, sie mein Weib! 
Ja, mein lebend, mein atmend Weib! 
Ein Fieber faßte mich nach altem Glück. 
"Gott", schrie ich, "wenn du mir gnädig bist, 
gib sie mir zurück!"
Und heute Mittag sprach ich sie, 
bebenden Herzens, zweifelswund und 
der Wunder größtes:
Mariens Stimme klang aus ihrem Mund!

FRANK
Im öden Brügge eine Unbekannte?

PAUL
Ich weiß nicht, wer sie ist,
Lud sie zu mir in meine Einsamkeit.
Und sie Kommt, und in ihr kommt
Meine Tote, kommt Marie.

FRANK
Hör, Paul, 
du wagst gefährlich Spiel.
Du bist ein Träumer,
Bist ein Geisterseher.
Ich seh die Dinge, seh die Frauen
So wie sie sind.
Willst du zum Herrn dich über Tod und Lebe
Schwingen? Ein lebend Sein zur Puppe
Des Verstorbenen zwingen?
Bescheide dich! Zu lang warst du allein,
Dein Blut murrt gegen diese Trauer.
Seis drum, umarm eine schöne Frau,
Doch Tote laß mir schlafen.

PAUL
Ich will den Traum der Wiederkehr vertiefen,
Will sie durch diese Türe schreiten,
Den Raum durchleuchten sehn,
In dem ihr holder Duft noch schwebt,
Der Rhythmus ihres süßen Wesens webt.
In ihr die kommt, kommt Marie, Kommt meine Tote.

FRANK
Du schwärmst für ein Phantom!
Zu rechter Zeit
Hat diese Reise mich zu dir geführt.
Mein Freund, dein tief Gefühl Hat dich verwirrt.
Dein tief Gefühl muß dich auch heilen.
Ich geh, doch bald kehr ich zurück.
Das Trugbild weicht,
Der Nebel wird sich teilen. _

Paul enters impetuously, almost spitting his lines, with several G3 in _forte_. He is excited, and he hardly greets his friend Frank, that he has not seen in years.

The motif of "Doom" just takes us to an insinuation of the "Marie" motif: 'Wie sagst du? Sie war schön?', and then the passionate Paul answer himself, 'Sie war schön, sagst du? Sie ist schön! Sie ist! Sie ist!', culminating in an A3. And then, introduced by "Return to Life", Paul starts his fantastic monologue.

He is living in a miracle, a fairy tale, while the orchestra is preparing the carpet for the soliloquy, with the melancholic timbre of the English horn, doubled by the clarinet and the bass clarinet, while the kettledrums sound in the distance, like the beating from Paul's heart.

The monologue is based in two motifs. One is "Marie" but the other is its subtle transformation into a more sparkling version, "Marietta"'s motif. In some chords supported by the celesta, Paul revises his life in Bruges with Marie, their walks by the waters of the small Minnerwasser lake, with his wife and with the ghost of his wife. Korngols is marking slower and slower _tempi_, reaching the climax in the sweet evocation of Marie's name, sung by the tenor in a G3 in _pianissino_, caressed by the clarinets and the cellos, in the warn tonality of G-flat major. This is a touching moment, full of an ineffable sadness.

Then the clarinet stars a modulation to G major, the orchestra takes speed and the motif of Marietta is introduced. For a brief instant, the voice and the orchestra challenge each other and Paul must sing several Gsharp3, while telling Frank how happy he is to find Marie again.

Frank express his skepticism, while Paul continues with the trip to the top notes in his tessiture. Introduced by the trumpet, Frank calmly advised Paul to be realistic, using a new motif: "Warning". Finally, he retires with the same music that accompanied Paul's entrance at the beginning of the scene.

We can hear Torsten Kerl:






This passage is usually cut:

Holt mir ihr Antlitz aus der Tiefe, 
hold und rein, 
so ganz war sie mir nah, wie einst 
in den Tagen des Glücks - sehnend, liebend.​
Sometimes, when the tenor is really demanded, there are other cuts too, as we can realize hearing the version of a too mature James King:


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

I was not entirely sold on the Levant video either, though not for exactly the same reasons. I've heard good things about Decker's production, and the clips you've posted make me even more interested. If it were to come out on DVD, perhaps you and I would agree on it as a clear first choice.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Could we get today, in 2011, a recording of _Die Tote Stadt_ that will be selected as the first choice in a TC poll?.

In my view, yes, we can.

The most important role, Paul, will be sung by *Klaus Florian Vogt*. He has sung the role several times in the theater, to great success, and there is a clear progress since I heard him at Liceu, in 2006, until his performance in Madrid last year, with intermediate stops in Vienna and Frankfurt, among other places. He is in my view mainly a lyrical, but with enough (just enough) stamina to sing the role. In the theater, he must be cautious and space his performances of the opera, but in studio we can expect an excellent result. We will need to reinforce the more dramatic singing, but his voice is perfect to transmit the passionate side, the doubts, the vulnerability of the young (he is supposed to be around 35 years old) Paul.

Paul's monologue - Vogt

As Marie/Marietta, *Renée Fleming*. The voice is just ideal for the role, it will adjust like a glove. Also, she has been singing Korngold's arias with very beautiful results. In the theater, her age and her tendency to deploy an excess of sugar will be problems to solve. In this studio recording we can aspire to perfection.






Singing both Frank and Fritz we will hire *Gerald Finley*, with experience in the opera, and perhaps in his best years as a baritone.






In the role of Brigitta, *Daniela Denschlag*, and one of the best German conductors of our times, *Christian Thielemann* (that knows the opera since the year 2004) leading the *Wiener Philharmoniker* orchestra.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

In this podcast:

http://handelmania.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=265380

there are eleven versions of "Glück, das mir verblieb", sung by Beverly Sills, Maria Jeritza, Stephanie Sundine, Emily Magee, 
Marilyn Zschau, Ilona Steingruber, Ellen Faull, Stella Roman, Angela Denoke, Carol Neblett and Eileen Farrell.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

_














_

Forming part of the opera's plot, there is a procession of Beguines. What were exactly those "Beguines"?.

Towards the end of the 11th century we have the first documents about the existence in Flanders and Brabant, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, of women living alone or in small communities, whitout pronouncing sacred vows, and helping the poor, the sick... At the beginning of the 13th century, those congregations, that there were more numerous, received the name of Beguines.

They were no nuns. Any Beguine could, if she wished, marry and have children, keep property, live with her sisters or at her own home...

Lacking a Rule, each community tended to create its own patterns. Generally, there was a single congregation in each city, except in the biggest.

As so many other orders, secular or religious, the Beguines were accused of heresy and witchcraft... The Reformation also started to undermine the Beguines, that preserved their faithfulness to the Roman Church. After the French Revolution, and the occupation of Flanders by the French troops, many of them just dissapeared.

Only in the cities of Leuven, Ghent and Bruges there were still some Beguines until the Second World War. The procession in the opera was then one of the last remaining traces of a movement with almost one thousand years of age.

Melitta Muszely and Rudolf Schock sing "Glück, das mir verblieb":


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*First Act, Third and Fourth scenes*

_PAUL
Nur deiner harr ich, niemals Verlorne!
Wer kann ihn denn verstehen,
Unsrer Seelen tief geheimnisvollen Bund?

Du Überlebendes von ihrer Schönheit,
So wirst du wieder hold erstehn?
So werd ich wieder
Schimmernd auf weißer Stirn
Das Goldgelocke leuchten sehn?

PAUL
Rosen, so ists recht!

BRIGITTA
Gnädger Herr, verschleiert, eine Dame.

PAUL
Und du sagst es nicht?
Führ sie herein.

BRIGITTA
Herr Paul, bedenken Sie, die Welt...

PAUL
Wenn du mich liebst, schweig und gehorche!

PAUL
Marie! 
Noch einmal saug ich deine Züge, In mich ein.
Ich sehe dich ... ich fühle dich...
Jetzt, Gott, jetzt gib sie mir zurück! _

After Frank's exit we hear again "Return to Life" while Korngold crush mercilessly the top notes of his tenor, and he request him to sing 'with emotion, impassioned'. The orchestra dilutes itself and the singer must undress before us Paul's soul. The tonality is Gflat major but the end is a disonance, at the top of the tessiture, and sung in _piano_.

_Tempo_ is speeded up with the arrival of Brigitta and the roses, supported by the strings in _forte_. Marietta is at the door, and Paul orders his servant to bring her to the room. Brigitta's small rebellion show is she is jealous, but Paul manipulates the poor woman into obedience.

Once alone, and with the motif "Love", Paul stretched his vocality to the limit. Under motif "Marie" he escalates from Fsharp to A and to Bflat3. The orchestra takes a seemingly infinite time to solve a chord and then the motif of "Marietta" explodes.

This is a very demanding fragment for Paul, and there are usually some cuts in performance.

Here we can watch the scene from 5:45, with the extremely difficult lines

_Du Überlebendes von ihrer Schönheit,
So wirst du wieder hold erstehn?
So werd ich wieder
Schimmernd auf weißer Stirn
Das Goldgelocke leuchten sehn?​_
cut:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

The three main influences in Korngold's life as a musician were his father Julius, Alexander von Zemlinsky and Gustav Mahler.

*Julius* detects the precocious talent of Erich. He gets the child to attend the famous teacher Robert Fuchs's class, and Fuchs confess to Julius that his son is the best student he has found in all his life.

Julius, a good friend of *Mahler*, also presents his child to the composer. After a couple of hours with the boy, Mahler declares him a genius. On his side, Erich will always love Mahler's music.

Advised by Mahler, Erich continues his education with *Zemlinsky*, with whom he will develop an instant rapport and will name him as "the ideal teacher".

The first pieces composed by Erich, barely eleven years old, are an immediate success. The ballet _Der Schneemann_ is premiered in 1910 at the Vienna Opera House, with the emperor Franz Joseph attending. Everybody salutes the birth of a new Mozart and a worthy competitor for Richard Strauss.

Not only a composer, the young Korngold is also a great piano player. At fifteen, with the publication of the _Schauspiel Ouvertüre_ and the _Sinfonietta_, he is already well known in all Europe.

However, Erich's greatest interest is Opera. _Der Ring des Polykrates_ and _Violanta_ are very succesful, and singers like Jeritza, Lehmann, Tauver, Piccaver, Selma Kurz,...are performing those pieces all accross Austria and Germany. The first bars of _Violanta_, with this sound world of diffuse harmonies and long melodic phrasing, foreshadow the career and the style of Korngold, who is now leaving his adolescence behind, entering his youth as an established composer at an age as early as Mozart or Rossini.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

_PAUL
Wunderbar!

MARIETTA
Ja, wunderbar, ich staune selbst,
Weiß selbst, kaum, was mich hergelockt.
Gar dringlich wußten Sie zu bitten,
Und jetzt kein Wort des Danks, kein Gruß?

Recht schön bei Ihnen,
Sie sind Wohl reich?

Und Rosen!
Sie glühen rotem Feuer gleich!

Noch immer steif und stumm?
Wie das nach Brügge paßt!
In dieses tote Nest mit seiner düstern Starre!
Auch hier ists dumpf wie in einer Gruft!
Uff, ich ersticke.

Doch mich kriegt ihr nicht unter!
Ich bin vergnügt, und liebe daß Vergnügen,
Lieb tolle Freuden, lieb die Sonne!

PAUL
Die Sonne lacht in diesem Haar...

MARIETTA
Und hier bescheint sie Bilder schöner Damen.

Die Galerie der Fraun, die Sie geliebt?

PAUL
Der Stimme Silberglanz,
Der Schultern melodisch Neigen.

MARIETTA
Den Mantel fort.

Bin ich nicht schön?

Schöner als die?

PAUL
All das war schön, Sie sinds!

Bei Gott, ihr Kleid,
Die gleiche Farbe, fast der gleichebSchnitt.

Zu diesem Kleide paßt ein alter Shawl,
Der hier verwahrt ist.
Darf ich ihn um die schönen 
Schultern hängen?

MARIETTA
Sie wollen mich noch schöner? Gut!

MARIETTA
Wie weich die alte Seide!
Sie macht so wohlig schauern,
Zum Spiegel, rasch! Zum Spiegel!

PAUL
Marie!

MARIETTA
Marie? Ich heiße Marietta.

Was haben Sie?

PAUL
Nichts, nichts...
Verzeihn Sie ... ich bitte, verzeihn
Sie...

Und, nehmen Sie noch das.

MARIETTA
Die Alte Laute?
Sie sind wohl Maler, brauchen ein Modell?

Nun, zu der alten Laute
Gehört ein altes Lied.

PAUL
Wie, Sie singen?

MARIETTA
Erträglich, sagt man,
Wenns auch mein Fach nicht ist.
Und Trauriges am liebsten
Wohl weil ich sonst so übermütig bin. 
Soll ich?

PAUL
Ja, bitte.

MARIETTA
Nun, hören Sie.

Gluck, das mir verblieb,
Rück zu mir, mein treues Lieb.
Abend sinkt im Haag
Bist mir Licht und Tag.
Bange pochet Herz an Herz.
Hoffnung schwingt sich himmelwärts.

PAUL
Wie wahr, ein traurig Lied.

MARIETTA
Das Lied vom treuen Lieb,
Das sterben muß.
Was haben Sie?

PAUL
Ich kenne das Lied.
Ich hört es oft in jungen,
In Schöneren Tagen...
Es hat noch eine Strophe,
Weiß ich sie noch?

Naht auch Sorge trüb,
Rück zu mir, mein treues Lieb.
Neig dein blaß Gesicht,
Sterben trennt uns nicht.
Mußt du einmal von mir gehn,
Glaub, es gibt ein Auferstehn.

MARIETTA
Das dumme Lied,
Es hat Sie ganz verzaubert.

GASTON
Was soll es, daß du säumig bist!
Hab dich ja heut noch nicht geküßt.

Diridi, diridon, schön Marion.

MARIETTA
Ah, horch,
Da singt man andre Liedchen,
Singt aus anderm Ton, 
nicht sentimental.
Gaston ist's, wie er drollig singt!

GASTON
Nicht gilt der schönste Tag mir gelebt,
Wenn im Arme du mir nicht gebebt,
Mir im Arm nicht gebebt.

GASTON, JULIETTE, LUCIENNE
Diridi, diridon, schön Marion.

MARIETTA
Bravo! Bravo!

PAUL
Die Leute, Brügge,
Man darf Sie hier nicht sehn.

MARIETTA
Er geht mit Juliette et Lucienne,
Schlingt Arm in Arm,

Un denkt an Marion!
Die Freunde sinds,
Die vor der Probe bummeln.
Auch ich muß ins Theater.

PAUL
Sie.

MARIETTA
Nun ja, wir spielen hier.
Bin Tänzerin.

PAUL
Sie, Tänzerin?

MARIETTA
Gewiß, mein werter Griesgram!
Ich komm aus Lille und tanz in Brügge!
Erstaunt Sie das?

O Tanz, o Rausch!
Lust quillt aus mir,
Braust in mir,
Jagt den Puls
Und dehnt die Nüstern.
Der Wink der Hand,
Des Fußes Scham
Verbergen den Wunsch
Und verraten ihn lüstern.
Ein Dämon erhitzt mich,
Beherrscht misch, besitzt mich.
Toll und toller schwillt der Reigen,
Faßt mich Taumel im Beugen und Neigen!
Heiß kreist das Blut mir,
Erglühn die Triebe.
O Tanz, o Rausch!
Ich tanz die letzte Glut,
Ich tanz den letzten Kuß der Liebe!

Und jetzt, mein Herr,
Tanz ich in die Probe.

PAUL
Nein, Marietta!
Geh nicht von mir,
Gib Dauer dieser Stunde Traum!
Vom Himmel bist du mir geschenkt!
Erloschnes Glück flammt auf
Und reißt mich dir entgegen!
Marietta! Marietta!

MARIETTA
Wie stürmisch! Macht der Tanz
Dem düstern Herrn so heiß?

O Tanz, o Rausch!

MARIETTA
Oho, das bin ja ich!
Der selbe Shawl!
Wen spiel ich da?

PAUL
O lassen Sie, 's ist eine Tote.

Sie mahnt...

GASTON
Diridi, diridon, schön Marion!

MARIETTA
Ah, Gaston.

PAUL
Sie müssen in die Probe, Marietta ...

MARIETTA
Ah, Er ist gut, Er schickt mich fort!
Ja, ich muß in die Probe, werter Herr...

GASTON
Diridi, diridon, schön Marion.
Was soll es, das du säumig bist?
Hab dich ja heut noch nicht geküßt.

MARIETTA
... Tanz die Hélène in "Robert le Diable"

Mein Zauber, rasch scheint er verflogen,
Ein anderer wirkt stärker ...
Nun, mir recht,
's ist höchste Zeit, muß fort.

Die mich lieben, wissen mich zu finden.
Es gibt ein Wiedersehen im Theater.

PAUL
O Traum der Wiederkehr, entweiche nicht!
In dir, die kam, kam meine Tote,
Kam Marie ...

Marietta!

Marietta! _

Shocked again by the striking resemblance between Marietta and his dead wife, Paul cries "Wunderbar!" (wonderful). Then we hear a long intervention by Marietta, that is a perfect portrait of the young woman. She uses quick phrasing, imitating spoken language, but with an aesthetics different from 'sprechgesang', never liked by Korngold. The composer called this singing style, 'Konversationstil'. In the meanwhile, the orchestra is describing the emotions raging in Paul.

When Marietta dressed herself with Marie's shawl, we can hear the "Doom" motif, and then "Return to Life" and a cry from Paul, 'Marie!'... 'No, my name is Marietta'.

Paul presents and old lute to Marietta and the best known piece in the score, and also one of the most beautiful, is about to begin: 'Mariettas Lied zur Laute'. The song takes place in the fiction, and is just a refrain repeated several times, with a dialogue between the characters. The refrain is introduced by the orchestra, with a chord in the celesta, while the flutes doubling the violas, in an splendid imitation of the chords Marietta will be playing in the lute.

The melody is simple but of a devastating beauty, presented in the strings. The rythm is moving from 4/4 to 3/4 and back.










This same music is inscribed in the headstone of Erich Korngold and his wife Luzi's grave.

Korngold repeats several times the marking of _rubato_ (langsam), that is crucial to give this melody the elegiac tone required by the composer. In a recital, however, can be sung as a slow waltz, associated to a dying, evanescent feeling. The soprano must be able to reach a Bflat4 in _piano_.

In the central part we have other melodic theme, presented by Paul:










The song was established in the tonality of Bflat major, but when Paul invokes the "in jungen, in Schöneren Tagen" (in past, more beautiful days ...), we move to Dflat major, with a modulation using Aflat minor, in a fugitive, but magical moment.

Paul's spoken intervention: "Es hat noch eine Strophe: weiss ich sie noch?" (It has another verse - how did it go?), was not included in the original score. It was performed by Richad Tauber on stage in Frankfurt, in 1922, and Korngold liked it so much, that he added it to the score for the revised version.

After this intervention, we return to Bflat major and the second stanza, where the voices of both singers are united in a lyrical moment, in a perfect chord of Bflat.

A frivolous exclamation by Marietta breaks the magic and we hear some deliberately vulgar lines in Aflat major, sung by Gaston from the street.










Marietta explains to Paul that she is a dancer, and starts a frenzied chant, that represents her temperament, as the beautiful and quiet 'Glück, das mir verblieb' symbolizes Marie's nature. In 3/4 and Emajor, with the motif of "Marietta" in the strings, the two harps and the glockenspiel, Korngold use a furious cromaticism to give us a feeling of dizziness, of hectic passion. Paul, torn between fascination and repulsion, reacts when the relic of Marie's lock is found by Marietta, and demand her to respect it, in a gloomy chord, and the motif of "Death".

Again, Gaston's song from the street interrupt. The orchestra picks up the carefree music, but veiled by chromatic notes in the strings, warning of an impeding crisis.

Marietta informs Paul that she is acting in a performance of Meyerbeer's _Robert, le Diable_, whose tune is introduced by Korngold in the piccolo and the xylophone. The young dancer suspects there is in the house a seductive power as strong as hers, and leaves while Paul cries out, frustated, her name.

Let's hear part of the scene in the Strasbourg DVD version, with the infant Korngold himself playing the piano, and Marie's remains being removed from her tomb: 






And in a more restrained fashion:


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

" Marietta breaks the magic"- that's *so* , her! Poor Paul... I do feel for him...


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

We can read in Maria Jeritza's memories (published in 1924 . As Jeritza's herself said: "Why should an artist wait until her career is ended to write her reminiscences?" ) that, preparing with Korngold the premiere in Vienna, she commented to the composer that she was very happy to sing a role with two sides as different as Marie and Marietta.









_Maria Jeritza in the 1920s_​
Of course, Korngold pointed out to Jeritza that the rol contains in fact three different sides: the young and coquettish Marietta of the First Act, the ghost of Marie, the perfect woman, Paul's impossible dream and the lustful Marietta, of overwhelming carnality, created by the subconscious of Paul in the Second and Third Act.

But, what is the real nature of Marietta?. We hardly know anything about the young girl, beyond she is a dancer and full of life, and the suspicion that she feels attracted to Paul. But maybe the key here is a third name, this Marion, this "schön Marion" invoked in the cheerful and simple song of Gaston.

A great version of Marietta´s Lied in the voice of Pilar Lorengar:


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## Gualtier Malde (Nov 14, 2010)

Excellent job so far, thanks!

If I understand it correctly, these threads are designed for posterity and will be carved in stone after due discussion, so one very minor comment:



schigolch said:


> Paul presents and old lute to Marietta and the best known piece in the score, and also one of the most beautiful, is about to begin: 'Mariettas Lied zur Laute'. The song takes place in the fiction,


I don't know what exactly you meant here, but this ("fiction") sounds confusing to me, especially since _Marietta's Lautenlied_ is of course _not_ part of Paul's dream. (Maybe you wanted to say that the lyrics of the song are not acted out on stage, but such is the nature of songs.)


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

No, what I mean is that in Opera usually the characters are singing, of course, but this is a representation of speech. On the other hand, in Marietta's Lied both characters are really singing in the fiction, not speaking.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Preparing the cast for a performance of _Die Tote Stadt_, on top of the most important decision, Paul and Marietta, we need to choose: one or two baritones for singing Frank and Fritz, the Pierrot.









_Richard Mayr as_ Fritz.​
Korngold was happy with both solutions. In the three first stagings a single baritone (Hamburg - Josef Degler, Cologne - Karl Renner, Vienna - Richard Mayr) was employed. It was already in 1921, at Karlsruhe, where two baritones were first used: Karl Kamann and Rudolf Beyrauch. Later, there were also two baritones in the MET performances, and since then we have had both solutions on stage.

My personal feeling is for using a single baritone. In the first place, it gives more relevance to the role, and so we can try to lure a better singer. Also, it favours identifying both characters as one and the same, as suggested by the libretto and many stagings.

On other roles, it's also common practice that the same tenor will sing the lines of Gaston in the First Act, and Victorin in the Second. During Pierrot's lied, the eight sopranos accompaniment is sometimes changed, and is Juliette alone that doubles the melody.

Bo Skovhus singing Pierrot's Lied:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*First Act, Sixth Scene*

_MARIE
Paul... Paul...

PAUL
Da bist du ja, Marie, ich wußte es.

MARIE
Bist du gewiß,
Hältst du mir noch die Treu?

PAUL
Ich halt sie dir.
Nie schwandest du aus diesem Raum.

MARIE
Drum nahm ich auch nicht mein Haar mit,
Als ich fort mußt,
Ließ dir den goldnen Schatz,
Den du so geliebt.

PAUL
Ich weiß, ich weiß...

MARIE
Mein Haar stirbt nicht,
Es wacht in deinem Haus.
Unsre Liebe war, ist und wird sein.

PAUL
Du bist bei mir, bists immer, ewig.
Bist es in dieser toten Stadt,
Du tönst in ihren Glocken,
Steigst aus ihren Wassern...

MARIE
Und doch wirst du vergessen,
Was neben dir nicht lebt und atmet.

PAUL
Die andre, die Andere,
Nur dich seh ich in ihr.

MARIE
Da ich dir sichtbar, liebst du mich.

PAUL
Ich lieb nur dich.
Sag, daß du mir vergibst.

MARIE
Du liebst mich doch ...
Unsre Liebe war, ist und wird sein.

PAUL
Unsre Liebe war, ist und wird sein...

PAUL 
Ewig Geliebte, warum seh ich dich nicht mehr?
Warum ist mirs, als könnt, ich's nicht mehr?

MARIE
Gehe ins Lebe, dich lockt die andre,
Schau, schau und erkenne...

PAUL
Marietta! _

After Marietta's departure Paul is very agitated. Suddenly, he hears his name whispered in a sweet and ghostly voice. It's a vision of Marie, his dead wife. "Solemn and mysterious", is what Korngold requires here, using the "Vision" motif:










This scene is quite a challenge for the soprano, that has to move quickly from the previous dance by Marietta, to sing 'molto legato' and slowly going up her tessiture to play Marie's ghost.

Soon, in the line 'Und doch wirst du vergessen' Marie introduces a new motif, "Bruges":










the dead wife singing the dead city.

Then comes Paul's reply, where in the high Aflat in 'Die Andere...' the tenor should transmit almost a plea, an apology to Marie for being trapped by the young and sensual Marietta. Marie, in F major, forgives Paul, with a beautiful wink to Brigitta's first scene ballad, writing again an A4 in the word 'Liebe'. The orchestral fabric is slowly melting away while husband and wife swore each other eternal love, with a chord in the harmonium closing the phrase.

The cadenza in Bflat major switch with a chromatic glide to Bflat minor: 'like a solar eclipse, like a light in the darkness', in the words used by critic Christopher Palmer in a nice review on the NYCO's staging, back in 1975. The light is, again, "Marietta"'s motif, that is finally expelling from the scene the ghost of Marie.

In this point, to close the First Act, Korngold allows two different options. If we want to make a break between the First and the Second Act, there is an ending with 94 bars making up Marietta's ghostly dance, a king of obscene and vulgar waltz, in a fast _tempo_, giving a clear contrast with the sublime music of the Vision. Then Paul cries again 'Marietta!', and the First Act is finished.

However, if there is no transition between First and Second Act, Marietta's ghostly dance is removed, as well as the first 45 bars of Second Act, a small prelude joining together several motifs from the First.

We can hear below the scene in the voices of James King and Karan Armstrong:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

As explained in the post above, we need to decide at the hour of staging _Die Tote Stadt_, if we are going to include the cut at the end of the First Act, or not.

Both options are endorsed by Korngold, and the opera is wonderful one way or the other, but personally I wouldn't go for the cut.

_Die Tote Stadt_'s lenght is about 126' with the cut, or around 134' with everything included. The most frequent choice is to make the cut, and then introduce an interval just after Fritz sings "Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen", or at the end of Second Act.

The problem is that the roles of Marietta and, especially, Paul, are quite demanding and one interval only is possibly not enough. I would bet for playing all the music written by Korngold and introduce two intervals, each one of around 20', between the three Acts.

In this way we will get something like:

First Act: around 45'
Interval 1: 20'
Second Act: around 49'
Interval 2: 20'
Third Act: around 39'​
The show will take close to three hours, that is not a crazy thing, we will listen to the full score and we will even give some respite to the singers.

Renée Fleming singing "Glück, das mir verblieb" from a recital at Teatro Real, Madrid, the year 2004:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

One of the most interesting non operatic aspects of _Die Tote Stadt_ is the different connections with the world of cinema, that we can find in its subject, its characters, the later work of Korngold in Hollywood,...

After the tragedy of the Great War, suffered by many European countries, but especially by Germany, on account of its defeat, there was a veritable obsession with negating death, with bridging the abyss between living and dead.

Of course _Die Tote Stadt_ is part of this obsession, as it was a movie being shot at the same time of the opera. This is Fritz Lang's *Destiny* (Der Müde Tod), a 1921 film very liked by Korngold.

After the death of his husband, a young woman, in desperation, drink a potent poison. Then she meets Death, that offers her to give back his husband if she can save at least one of three lives of young people in love that are about to die. The woman goes to Arabia, Italy and China, where she fails to fulfill her mission. Finally, she descover there is only one way to really meet again with his love and she surrenders herself to Death.






A man obsessed by the death of his young wife, arranged his life around the memories of the deceased... This is the basic plot of _Die Tote Stadt_, but also of one fascinating movie by François Truffaut, _*La Chambre Verte*_.

This is a dark piece, understated, with a strange, almost unreal atmosphere. It was premiered in 1978, with Truffaut himself and Nathalie Baye acting. Though the film soundtrack comes from music composed in the 1930s by Maurice Jaubert, in a wicked wink by Truffaut, we can use the score of Korngold for _Die Tote Stadt_, and it will blend seamlessly in the movie, such is the agreement in the approach, including the impossibility o living again the past, introduced by an arson in the film, or by Paul's dream in the opera.






But, inevitably, the movie many people will think about after watching _Die Tote Stadt_, is of course _*Vertigo*_, by Alfred Hitchcock, based in a novel by the French writers Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac: _D'entre les morts_.

Bernard Herrmann's soundtrack arguably is the best in his career. Ironically enough, the script was pretty similar to the most famous opera of his little valued Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Outside the soundtrack world, Herrmann did not get any real breakthrough. His only opera, his most cherished work, _Wuthering Heigths_, was even less successful than Korngold's last opera, _Die Kathrin_.

It was inevitable that sooner or later, an stage director will dress Marietta like Kim Noval, and Paul like James Stewart. This happened in 1988, in Düsseldorf, and it was done on Günther Kramer's watch.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

_Vertigo_--great, great film, and definite parallels to the opera in its story of a man whose obsession with his dead beloved causes him to latch on to another woman who resembles her. You could definitely play up the parallels between the two works in a production of _Die Tote Stadt_. Aside from having Paul and Marie/Marietta look like Scottie and Madeleine/Judy, you could make Brigitta up to look like Barbara Bel Geddes's devoted, long-suffering character Midge, and have Frank/Fritz resemble Tom Helmore's villain Gavin Elster.

Not sure if San Francisco could ever qualify as a "dead city," but no analogy is perfect.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

You bet Mr. Kramer used also the Barbara Bel Geddes's look for Brigitta... on second thought, this look will be about perfect for Brigitta in _any_ staging.

Not sure about Frank/Fritz, though.


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

amfortas said:


> Not sure if San Francisco could ever qualify as a "dead city," but no analogy is perfect.


that made me smile


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Second Act: first and second scenes*

_MARIE'S VOICE 
Gehe ins Leben, dich lockt die andre, 
Schau, schau und erkenne.

PAUL 
Was ward aus mir? 
Ihr Haus umschleich ich, 
Gequält von Angst, Sehnsucht und Reu, 
Was ward aus mir?

Verstumme, dumpfer Glockenchor, 
Schwarz stürzt der Klang sich in die Nacht. 
So weintet ihr Glocken, als man sie begrub, 
Num mahnt ihr mein Gewissen. 
O sprecht mich los, ihr Beichtiger aus Erz! 
Ich koste bittere Freuden, 
Grausam zwiespältige Lust.

War das kein Licht, 
Ein doppelt Schattenbild? 
Stets fürcht ichs, 
Umfang ich selbst sie nicht 
In diesem Haus. 
Sie fehlte im Theater. 
Seh ich sie nicht, 
Faßt Sehnsucht mich nach ihr, 
Und sie zu sehen, bange ich nicht minder.

Da hebt es wieder an 
Das Glockenlied, 
Und bohrt sich tief ins Herz. 
O sprecht mich los, ihr Beichtiger aus Erz!

Faßt dich ein Schauer mit mir, müde Stadt? 
Es stöhnen deine altern Bäume, 
Des Wassers Seufzer brechen sich 
An den jahrhundertalten Grachten, 
Gespenstig raunst du Unheil!

Brügge, fromme Stadt! 
Einst war ich eins mit deiner Keuschheit, 
So wie du eins mit meiner Toten warst. 
Nun trag ich Unrast des Begehrens 
In die Stille und Versunkenheit deiner Nacht.

PAUL 
Brigitta!

BRIGITTA 
Ich geh zur Kirche 
Mit meinen Klosterfrauen.

PAUL 
Daß wir uns trennen mußten!

BRIGITTA 
Ich floh die Sünde, blieb der Toten treu.

PAUL 
Auch ich verriet sie nicht, 
Trotz jener Frau.

BRIGITTA 
Mein schlichter Sinn versteht das nicht. 
Sie Leiden schwer, ich weiß. 
Ich will für Ihre Seele beten.

PAUL 
Die alte treue Magd, 
Ach, daß ich sie verlor!

PAUL 
Wohin? 
Frank, du?

FRANK 
Du wartest hier auf sie.

PAUL 
Ich wart auf sie mit Schmerz und Scham.

FRANK 
Laß ab von ihr!

PAUL 
Ich kann nicht mehr. 
Mich zogs zur Seele meiner Toten 
Und ich verfiel dem Leib der Lebenden.

FRANK 
Laß ab von ihr!

PAUL 
Wie seltsam du das sagst!

FRANK 
Du passest nicht zu ihr, 
Der du zwischen Tod und Leben teilst. 
Sie will die volle Liebe 
Und das volle Leben, 
Das sie durch alle Fenster ihres Körpers 
Und ihrer Seele strömen läßt!

PAUL 
Des sündgen Körpers und der sündgen Seele!

FRANK 
Und doch, weil sie so 
Ganz heißes Leben ist, 
Im Lachen ihrer Schönheit, 
Erhöhet sie das Leben. 
So wie wir nur im Traume fliegen, 
Fliegt sie mit wachem Sinn, 
Zwingt uns als Pierrots ihr zu Füßen, 
Und Colombine tanzt 
Uns lacht die Sünde weg, 
berauscht und...

PAUL 
Und, hat auch dich berauscht?

FRANK 
Laß ab von ihr! 
Geh heim, zu deiner Toten!

PAUL 
Ich warte hier auf sie

FRANK 
Du darfst nicht.

PAUL 
Ich darf nicht? 
Und warum nicht?

FRANK 
Weil... ich ihrer harre!

PAUL 
Wie, du?

FRANK 
Auch ich bin ihr verfallen, 
Und betrügt sie dich, 
Seis mit mir!

PAUL 
Was sagst du?

FRANK 
Räum mir den Platz, Unseliger! 
Fort, siehst du nicht? 
Den Schlüssel gab sie mir.

PAUL 
Her den Schlüssel!

FRANK 
Ich bin dein Freund nicht mehr._

In the first bars of the Second Act we find again motifs from the former Act, including "Vision" and "Return to Life". Suddenly, the voice of Marie reappears, with the same line that closed the First Act, in the same tonality, accompanied by the organ. After Marie's line, the orchestra retakes control and it's in this moment when the merging of the two Acts occurs, if the continued version is played.

The score placed us at Bruges, at the Dead City. We hear the tabor in the distance, while the strings and the low winds crackled. Then, flutes, clarinets, violins and harps appear. The brass perform a modulation from Fsharp minor to Fsharp major. The motif of "Doom" and "Bruges" are superimposed in winds, piano and celesta. And then again, the bells.

With a beautiful and lyrical phrase Paul starts a brief monologue, using a new motif: "Mercy". He enters in a dialogue with the orchestra, denser and denser. The trombone accompanies the last words of Paul.

Paul sees Brigitta in the procession of Beguines. The harmonium and the low strings accompany the voice, then the violins unfold the chords of "Love" while Brigitta answers back to Paul. The scene ended and change very quickly. Paul is finding in his dream all the characters from the First Act. Violins and winds introduce us in Bruge's night.

This scene is based on the motif of "Warning", associated to Frank. While he compares himself with a Pierrot and Marietta with Colombine, the dissonance has the same effect of a heavyweight punch. The trumpets in sordine accompany Paul, he must reach several G3 and A3, while Frank should sung up to an F3. In _fortissimo_ the orchestra underlines the moment Paul seizes the key of Marietta's house from Frank. The motifs of "Bruges" and "Doon" close the scene, and then after some quiet bars, a new motif, "Whistle".


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

In 1930 Vienna's newspaper _Neues Wiener Tagblatt_ organized a survey, with a massive response, on the twelve best Austrian artists of the times. The results were published August, 15th, and they were also endorsed by the critics of the journal.

Some votes were to composers like Franz Léhar or Richard Strauss, disqualified because they were not actually Austrian. The same happened with Max Reinhardt. This was the final list:


1º Karl Schönherr, playwright
2º Artur Schnitzler, playwright
3º Anton Wildgans, playwright and poet
4º *Wilhem Kienzl*, playwright and Wagner's biographer, composer of Austria's national anthem.
5º Josef Hofman, architect
6º Anton Hanak, sculptor
7º *Erich Wolfgang Korngold*, composer
8º Hermann Bahr, playwright
9º *Julius Bittner*, composer
10º Karl Franz Ginskey, poet
11º Klemens Holzmeister, architect
12º *Arnold Schönberg*, composer

As well as showing the great love of the Austrian citizens for their playwrigths, we can also understand the high consideration they have for Korngold, the first composer to be named, and also the youngest person in the list.

Julius Bittner, today almost forgotten, but then a well known composer, especially for his opera _Das Höllisch Gold_:






very popular in Austria, was placed in the list before Schönberg. Alban Berg was not even able to make the list, though _Wozzeck_ has been premiered five years before.

Funny enough, Schönberg was pretty angry... but not for being the last one in the list, rather just because he was considered. . In his view, he was an artist that was working in advance of his time, and realizing he has a certain popular appeal, were not good news for him.

In 1945, just before he died, Julius Korngold mentioned this survey in a letter to his son Erich, in a moment where Schönberg's reputation among the critics was at its highest but Erich's own merits were dismissed by those same critics, after his work for Hollywood, that Julius hated. The senior Korngold died as embittered as Erich's will, twelve years later.

One of the best pieces by Korngold, the Violin Concerto in D Major:


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

schigolch said:


> they have for Korngold, the first composer to be named


as an aside: I would definitely consider Kienzl a composer... in fact, at the time, he was probably at least as highly regarded in Austria as Korngold. Der Evangelimann was a roaring success in the German-Sprachraum...especially Austria, as it is set there. He was also popular in Germany, as he adored Wagner's music and his first wife was a famous Wagnerian soprano (Lili Hoke). Seven years after the Tagblatt article, the City of Wien honored Kienzl with the "Ehrenring". He composed 10 operas.

This is not to minimize the regard Austrians had for Korngold, at the time, which is indeed notable.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Yes, of course Kienzl is also a composer. I even put his name in bold letters, but then I made a mistake: I wanted to say "the high consideration they have for Korngold, the second composer to be named".


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

schigolch said:


> Yes, of course Kienzl is also a composer. I even put his name in bold letters, but then I made a mistake: I wanted to say "the high consideration they have for Korngold, the second composer to be named".




btw: Korngold's violin concerto is looooovely! I'd recommend the Shaham (DG) recording; it reminds me of the equally looooovely Goldmark Concerto (1st).


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Second Act, third scene*

_ALL
Schäume, schäume 
Tolles Tänzerblut. 
Aller Schranken ledig - 
Träume, träume 
Dich auf Wasserflut 
Nach Venedig.

VICTORIN 
Und dies die Piazzetta, 
Wo sie wohnt, Marietta.

COUNT 
Famose Mise-en-scene! 
Hoch Victorin!

VICTORIN 
Und hoch der gräfliche Mäcen!

COUNT 
Bedenkt

JULIETTE 
Brügge - kein Geschrei!

COUNT 
Polizei -

LUCIENNE 
Die betet - 
Die Kunst ist frei !

ALL 
Die Kunst - ist frei !

VICTORIN 
Doch bei Fest und Tanz, 
Ohne sie kein Glanz, 
Die Göttliche, 
Unersättliche, -

COUNT 
Ja, bei Fest und Tanz, 
Ohne sie kein Glanz, 
Stets vergnügte, 
Stets besiegende, besiegte, -

VICTORIN

Die mit allen Phrynen 
Und Kolombinen 
Und Phyllis 
Und Willis 
Um die Wette 
Bezaubernde Mariette.

FRITZ 
O Mond, vernimm die traurge Litanei: 
Mit wem brach sie mir heute wohl die Treu? 
Das Herz der Unbeständigen 
Ist nimmermehr zu bändigen.

VICTORIN / COUNT 
Ja, bei Fest und Tanz, 
Ohne sie kein Glanz, 
Stets vergnügte, 
Stets besiegende, besiegte, -

LUCIENNE / JULIETTE 
Du guter, du treuer, dummer Pierrot,

FRITZ 
O Mond, vernimm die traurge Litanei: 
Mit wem brach sie mir heut die Treu?

LUCIENNE / JULIETTE 
Fehlt dir nicht Gaston irgendwo? 
Sie und der Wohlgelenkge, 
Ach, sie treiben arge Ränke. 
Ha, ha, ha, ha !

VICTORIN 
Stören wir verliebte Spiele, 
Scheuchen wir sie auf vom Pfühle. 
Nach der Wasserpromenade 
Frommt die artge Serenade. 
Plum, plum, plum, plum…

ALL

Höre, Reizende du, 
Höre, silbernen Lautenklang - 
Deine Getreuen, 
Die alten und neuen, 
Sie schmachten schon lang! 
Führts doch den Reigen 
Zu tollem Genießen - 
Höre den Sang! 
Komm zu versüßen, 
Komm zu den Deinen, 
Lasse den Einen, 
Höre den Sang! 
Komm zu gefallen, 
Schenke dich Allen!

MARIETTA 
Ich komme, ich komme zu den Meinen, 
Ja, ich komm zu gefallen, 
Laß' den Einen, 
Schenk mich Allen!

ALL 
Marietta! Hoch!

LUCIENNE 
Wo warst du, Marietta ?

MARIETTA 
Hatt' heute keine Lust zu proben - 
Ging mit Gaston aufs Land.

JULIETTE 
Und er, dein Freund, der Düsterling - ?

MARIETTA 
Bin durchgebrannt. 
Man will doch einmal atmen.

VICTORIN 
Herr Graf Albert, ein Freund 
Der Kunst aus Brüssel. 
Lud uns zu Wein und leckrer Schüssel.

MARIETTA 
Schön, kleiner Graf ! 
Was kannst du sonst !

COUNT 
Lieben!

MARIETTA 
Brav so. Machs nur recht toll ! 
Gibts Sekt ? 
Wollt ihr bei mir gedeckt ? 
Doch nein - hier draußen - das ist neu!

COUNT 
Die Kunst ist frei.

JULIETTE 
Schon fängt sie ihn mit einem Blick.

JULIETTE / LUCIENNE 
Kehrst du zu uns zurück?

MARIETTA 
Schach Brügge! 
Und Schach der dumpfen Lüge! 
Und nun Musik! 
Ein nicht zu heiter, nicht zu traurig Stück. 
Musik, die wie im Tanz sich wiegt, 
Sanft lockend durch die Mondnacht fliegt, 
Ganz leise rührt und verführt. 
Pierrot auf ! Du triffst es fein ! 
Ein Deutscher bist du, bist vom Rhein!

FRITZ 
Da Ihr befehlet, Königin, 
Fügt sich Pierrots treuer Sinn.

FRITZ 
Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen, 
Es träumt sich zurück. 
Im Tanze gewann ich, 
Verlor ich mein Glück. 
Im Tanze am Rhein, 
Bei Mondenschein, 
Gestand mirs aus Blauaug 
Ein inniger Blick, 
Gestand mirs ihr bittend Wort 
O bleib, o geh mir nicht fort, 
Bewahre der Heimat 
Still blühendes Glück - 
Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen, 
Es träumt sich zurück… 
Zauber der Ferne 
Warf in die Seele 
Den Brand 
Zauber des Tanzes 
Lockte, ward Komödiant, 
Folgt ihr, der Wundersüßen, 
Lernt unter Tränen küssen.

8 SOPRANOS 
Ah, Ah!

FRITZ 
Rausch und Not - Wahn und Glück: 
Ach, das ist Gauklers Geschick… 
Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen, 
Es träumt sich zurück, 
Zurück, zurück…

MARIETTA 
Bravo, guter Pierrot, 
Darfst mich küssen. 
Und dir Victorin die Hand - 
Für Sie, Herr Graf, die andere -

MARIETTA 
Wenn ich winke, wie sie packen !

MARIETTA 
Und was dir bleibt! - Der Nacken - 
Trollt euch, Faune! 
Nun bin ich erst recht in Laune. 
Tanzen will ich - staunt Bagage ! - 
Tanzen will ich - ohne Gage. 
Lust quillt aus mir, 
Braust in mir, 
Und verbrennt mich! 
Ich fehlte bei der Prob heut als Helene - 
Nun, mach ich in «Robert der Teufel » 
Jetzt meine Szene.

VICTORIN / COUNT 
Ein toller Einfall, den ich lobe !

VICTORIN 
Ich halte mit ! 
Das Kloster, die Beleuchtung passen. 
Vortrefflich !

FRITZ 
Ich hol das Segeltuch als Totenlaken.

VICTORIN 
Gut! Du bist Robert!

LUCIENNE / JULIETTE 
Wir sind die auferweckten Nonnen -

VICTORIN 
Und lockt mit Grazie zu Erdenwonnen.

FRITZ 
Hier das Segeltuch !

MARIETTA 
Dort hängt der Zauberzweig.

VICTORIN 
Und diese Bank hier sei der Sarkophag!

MARIETTA 
Helene streckt sich drauf als Leiche -

VICTORIN 
Und pfeife ich das Stichwort der Musik, 
Erwachst du aus dem Todesschlaf.

MARIETTA 
Verführ als auferstandne Tote 
Robert, das Schaf.

Ich wills nicht fehlen lassen ! Los !

PAUL 
Halt ein! Du eine auferstandene Tote? Nie !

MARIETTA 
Du bists! - Kommst grade recht! 
Du bist der richtige Robert -

Narr!

PAUL 
Halt ein !

VICTORIN 
Zurück von ihr!

COUNT 
Zurück!

FRITZ 
Die Hand von dieser Dame!

MARIETTA 
Laßt nur, Bajazzi, laß es, Gräflein, laß es sein - 
Mit dem werd fertig ich allein. 
Geht! Geht nach Haus! 
Adieu, adieu ! 
Das Fest ist aus.

Genug getollt. Ruh will der Kai.

Herr Graf, es gibt ein Wiedersehn…

THE OTHERS 
La, la, la, la… _

A new scene, modulating to F major, with chords in the harps and vigorous _pizzicati_ in the strings. We hear voices in the night, and the orchestra introduce the motif "The Merry Company", with sounds like a kind of polka:










We hear the characters chatting, while the orchestra accompanied in the flutes, and the harps, with the tabor and again the _pizzicati_ in the strings. Then, the oboe introduces a song in praise of Marietta.

Victorin and the Count speak with Fritz, the Pierrot, that sings a brief hymn to the Moon. The answer of Victorin ends in a purely rythmic phrase: plum, plum,.. with eight basses from the choir offering a melancolic echo, the murmur of the city of Bruges answering to the Merry Company.

"Marietta" motif introduces the dancer, in a brilliant A major. Marietta looks tired of Paul, but surreptitiously her words are accompanied by the motif of "Love". Then, Marietta asks Fritz, in the lyric tonality of B-flat major, the gift of a song.

The lied of Pierrot, one of the highlights of the opera, is about to begin. In the tempo of a "slow and sentimental vals", Pierrot starts to sing this beautiful rondo:










As we can see Korngold request to sing _rubato_, marks the _portamenti_, there are also _tempo_ markings practically in each bar... We hear a sweet melody, but also pervaded with a subtle irony. The baritone must produce some high F and G flat in piano. Near the end, a mysterious choir of eight sopranos, maybe the answer of the city of Bruges to Fritz, drove us to the piece climax, with the last "zurück" an almost imperceptible _pianissimo_.










After Pierrot finish his lied, the orchestra retakes control with a lively dance underlining Marietta's words. Then Victorin whistles the motif of Resurrection in _Robert le Diable_, and Paul, shocked to see Marietta and her companions making fun of a dead woman, interrupts the dance. The Merry Compay retires, and some bells are fading away while a long high E sounds in the violins.

We can easily find the whole scene in the James King version available in youtube, let's hear now Pierrot's lied in the voice of Stephan Genz:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

_Wine label inspired in_ Die Tote Stadt, _by Valentino Monticello_​
After firing Hans Müller, the Korngolds decided to write themselves the libretto of _Die Tote Stadt_. However, to prevent attacks from the many enemies of Juluis, they signed with the alias of Paul Schott.

When the opera was premiered in Vienna, the newspaper 'Wiener Allgemeine Zeitung', published that the real writers were Julius Korngold and Hans Müller. The following day, Erich Wolfgang Korngold sent a letter to the editor claiming Schott was a living person, that was in fact busy writing the libretto of his next opera.

In this autobiography, published in 1942, Julius Korngold insisted in the story about Schott. It was indeed a well guarded secret, and only in 1975, with the performances at the NYCO, that Erich's sons finally revealed that their father and grandfather were indeed the librettist.

_Du Bist mein Traum_, a piece written by Korngold in 1931 for the operetta "Das Lied der Liebe", sung by Richard Tauber:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Of all the productions I know of _Die Tote Stadt_, my favourite is Willy Decker's. It was premiered in the Festival of Szalburg, in the year 2002, and since then it has been staged also in Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, London, San Francisco...

The most difficult thing about staging _Die Tote Stadt_ is how to manage the long oeneric scene, that goes from the end of the First Act, to the middle of the Third. Decker's happy idea was to split Paul's character in two: a man still dreaming in his armchair, while his _alter ego_ is suffering all kind of ups and downs in the background. In this way, the audience is always reminded that there is nothing real, that we are just witnessing Paul's nightmare.

Those are some brief thoughts of Decker about _Die Tote Stadt_:

_"Bruges is not a real place, rather a poetic image. Is not just scenery for a dream, it's the dream itself".

"Paul is not enthralled by Marietta's beauty, but by her resemblance to Marie. She doesn't love the real woman, but the living picture of the dead one".

" Marietta's attractive is quite carnal, very solid, very real"

"Paul tries to keep some balance between dream and reality, but his obsession get the best of him. Like Orpheus, he wants to rescue Euridice from the shadows. But he is not descending to Hades, only to the depths of his own subconscious.

"Orpheus returns from the Hades without Euridice. Paul returns from his dreams without Marie. But in his imagination, in his claustrophobic visions of obsessive remembrance and possesive holding, that shows the reality of Death has not been accepted, Paul finally can liberate himself from his past, and let Marie to die a true and irrevocable death"_

Marietta's lied from La Fenice DVD:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

That Willy Decker production looks amazing. Let's hope it comes out on DVD.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

There is a DVD recording from the Liceu ready since the year 2006. However, some issues have been delaying the launch and it seems now pretty unlikely.

The picture of Marie, omnipresent, is from this wonderful painting by John Singer Sargent: _The Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer_


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Second Act: Fourth scene*

_MARIETTA 
Du machst mir eine Szene -? 
Spürst mir nach -

PAUL 
Verlogen und verderbt bist du - 
Wirfst zuchtlos dich und schamlos weg - 
Nahmst mir sogar den Freund - 
Du hältst mit Frank!

MARIETTA 
Das ist nicht wahr!

PAUL 
Er selbst gestand es - kurz zuvor. 
Hier - 
Dies entriß ich ihm !

MARIETTA 
Nun - wenn dus weißt - 
Was gibt dir Rechte über mich? 
Ich tu, was mir gefällt.

PAUL 
Du - hüte dich!

MARIETTA 
Du bist grotesk.

PAUL 
Erniedrigt hast du mich mit deiner Niedrigkeit, 
Betrogen meinen Traum.

MARIETTA 
Dann geh - ich halt dich nicht.

PAUL 
Und glaubst du, Elende, ich liebte dich ? 
Dein Fleisch begehrte ich, 
Dein wissend Liebkosen! 
Niemals liebt ich dich - 
Ich liebe eine Andere.

MARIETTA 
Die jagte dich doch fort ? 
Wer hielt es aus mit dir ?

PAUL 
Schweig oder hör, was dich zerschmettert ! 
Vernimm mein grauenvoll Geheimnis! 
Ich küßte eine Tote in dir. 
Liebkost in deinem Haar nur das der Andern - 
Erlauscht in deiner Stimme nur die ihre - 
Fühlt, dich umarmend, nichts als ihre Haut, 
Nur ihre Wärme, ihren Duft. 
Nur sie allein liebt ich - 
In dir liebt ich nur meine Tote!

MARIETTA 
Verdammt - das Bild - dein totes Liebchen?

PAUL 
Wags nicht - sprich nicht von ihr 
S' war meine Gattin! Eine Heilige ! 
Du gleichst betörend ihr, 
Bist ihr unwürdig Ebenbild! 
Begreifst du nun, was du mir warst ? 
Ein Nichts, ein leerer Schatten 
Für meine ewig, heiß Geliebte? 
Wie hasse, wie veracht ich dich, 
Die meinen edlen Schmerz, 
Den reinen Wahn mir hat beschmutzt! 
Ich bin gesunken, tief gesunken ! 
Doch nun hab ich mich wieder, 
Hab abgerechnet, bin befreit - 
Erlöst bin ich ! Ja, erlöst ! 
Wir zwei sind fertig !!

MARIETTA 
Du leidest, 
So wild du mich beschimpft hast, 
Du dauerst mich. Was ist geschehn ? 
Du übertreibst. Man stellt mir nach. 
Ich seh nicht übel aus, hab heißes Blut. 
Bin jung - bin jung ! 
Ich bin vergnügt und liebe das Vergnügen. 
Bin Tänzerin, gehör der Welt an, 
Und brauch den Rausch für meine Kunst. 
Was willst du denn? Du undankbarer! 
Hab ich nicht glücklich dich gemacht? 
Gehöre ich nicht dir ? 
Mein Leib, deß Duft dich so berückt, 
Mein Haar, das deine Hand durchwühlt -

PAUL 
Ja, ja!… Der Duft, das Haar…

MARIETTA 
Siehst du, ein wenig liebst du mich doch -!

PAUL 
Nein, nein, ich begehrte dich -

MARIETTA 
Und willst mich nun nicht mehr -?

PAUL 
Laß mich - laß mich - 
Schändlich entweiht hab ich der Toten Recht! 
Hielt ich auch fern dich ihrem Heime, 
Hab ich sie schon in deinem Haus entweiht. 
Und was du mir gabst, was du mir gewährt, 
Grausam hat es holden Traum mir zerstört

MARIETTA 
Nichts ist zerstört, nichts ist geschehn, 
Du belügst dich selbst. 
Ersehnten Traum, ersehntes Glück - 
Genossest dus nicht süß und warm?

PAUL 
Brügge, entweiht hab ich dich und sie.

MARIETTA 
Gab ich dirs nicht und keine andere ? 
Winkt es dir weiter nicht in meinem Arm? 
Du bist verdüstert, armer Freund, 
Dem schwarzen Wasser gleichst du hier, 
Für das der bleiche Mond kaum scheint. 
Mich aber liebkost der weiße Strahl, 
Wie mir erst recht die Sonne hold.

PAUL 
Brügge, entweiht hab ich dich und sie.

MARIETTA 
Und selbst so reich beschenkt zum Lebensmahl, 
Schenk ich dir Mondessilber, Sonnengold! 
Sieh ins Gesicht mir, das du so geliebt - 
Dein ists! Und dein mein Aug, 
Und dein zu heißer Stund 
Der durstge, lustgeschwellte Mund -

PAUL 
Dein Mund - dein Mund -

MARIETTA 
Hier, hier, nimm und trink!

MARIETTA 
Willst du noch fort von mir, 
Mich opfern deiner Toten?

PAUL 
Betörend Weib, 
Bin dir verfallen, 
Unlösbar… 
Gibst mir den Rausch…

MARIETTA 
Des Lebens und der Liebe Macht 
Sie halten dich 
An mich gekettet… 
Unlösbar… 
Schlürf den Trank 
Der höchsten Lust, 
Den süßen Rausch, 
Vergessenheit.

PAUL 
Verlaß mich nicht - ich liebe dich… 
Geh nicht von mir!

MARIETTA 
So sprich : 
Wen küssest du in mir ?

PAUL 
Nur dich, nur dich -

MARIETTA 
Weß Haar liebkosest du?

PAUL 
Das deine, nur das deine -

MARIETTA 
So komm -

PAUL 
Zu dir, zu dir !

MARIETTA 
Nein, nicht zu mir ! - 
Ich will dich fortan ganz ! 
Im Hause der Toten such ich dich auf, 
Zu bannen das Gespenst für immer! 
Ich will zu dir ! 
Zum erstenmal zu dir!

PAUL 
Wohin du willst - 
Gib mir den Trank, 
Gib mir Vergessenheit, 
Den süßen Rausch!

MARIETTA 
So komm 
Und trink Vergessenheit 
Im süßen Rausch! _

In this scene, Paul and Marietta are the only protagonists. They start be reproaching each other, Paul with some elaboration, Marietta in anapaests.










Then Paul, since 'Schweig oder hör' begins a lenghty intervention, with the harmony fluctuating, without establishing in any given tonality. The motifs of "Marie", "Vision" and "Love" can be heard. From an Aflat when he mentioned the sanctity of Marie in 'S' war meine Gattin! Eine Heilige !', Paul's vocal line moves between high G and high A, to finish in a high Bflat in _fortissimo_, 'Wir zwei sind fertig'.

esde [199] Paul se lanza a un amargo reproche, la armonía fluctúa entre modos menores y mayores, sin acabar de establecerse. Los motivos de Marie, Visión y Amor se suceden. Desde un LA bemol cuando menciona la santidad de su esposa muerta en [201], "Die Heilige", la línea vocal de Paul se mueve entre el SOL y el LA agudo para acabar en un SI bemol en fortissimo, "Wir zwei sind fertig".

With Marietta's intervention, a kind of calm is restored. We can hear the Flutes and the clarinetes, while Marietta sweetly sings in Eflat major. She is a dancer, and she loves pleasure. The violins introduce the motif of "Reconciliation"










In 'Ja, ja!… Der Duft, das Haar…' Paul is trying to resist Marietta's charms, using the motif "Love". But everything is in vain. Also with "Love" Marietta sings some wonderful high A. Paul finally gives up and ask the mouth of his lover, "dein Mund..., dein Mund", while the orchestra celebrates Marietta's victory with a _tutti_ on the motif of "Bruges", before inmersing in an ethereal atmosphere.

The voices of both singers are slowly melting together, until they come together in another high A, while the orchestra link the motifs of "Life" and "Marietta", in A major.

This is the end of the scene, as sung by King and Armstrong:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Less than one year before his death, in spite of being deeply hurt by the indifferent reception to his last works, especially _Die Kathrin_, in Europe, Korngold started to plan what would be his sixth opera. As the basis for the libretto he selected a novella by Austrian writer Franz Grillpazar, "Das Kloster bei Sendomir". (The Monastery of Sendomir).









_Portrait of Franz Grillpazer_​
The plot was quite straightforward. Two men arrived by chance to the Monastery of Sandomir, and had to pass there the night. An old monk tell them the story of Count Starchensky, that entered the Monastery thirty years before, after murdering his wife, Elga, because she was unfaithful with a distant cousing, Oginsky. The following morning, before their departure, the monk confess he is Count Starchensky.

Korngold was thinking on a short opera, about 90 minutes longs. A rather usual voice casting with Starchensky being a baritone, Elga a soprano, Oginsky a tenor and the Visitors a tenor and a baritone, respectively. Of course he will write the opera in his trademark postromantic style. He also played with other idea that was in his mind for a number of years:

_We no longer have to lean on Puccini, Verdi or Mascagni. Producers have realised that public taste has risen and we are now conducting a test which will eventually lead to the writing of entire modern operas for the screen. When that day comes, composers will accept the motion picture as a musical form equal to the opera or the symphony…_

He wanted to compose a "television opera", at the manner of Gian Carlo Menotti's 1951 piece _Amahl and the Night Visitors_. Unfortunately, death comes before he could even start writing the score.

Rosette Anday sings Korngold's Sterbelied, accompanied by the composer himself at the piano:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Third Act - First Scene*

_MARIETTA 
Dich such ich, Bild ! 
Mit dir hab ich zu reden !

Schön bist du und gleichst mir - 
Sag, gleichst du mir noch ? 
Sag, wo ist deine Macht ? 
Zum zweitenmal starbst du, 
Du stolze Tote. 
An mir, an mir, der Lebenden 
Liebesnacht! Ihr, die ihr abgeschieden, 
Brecht nicht den Frieden, 
Drängt nicht ins Leben, 
Laßt und holdes Nehmen und Geben! 
Laßt uns, die wir atmen und leben, 
Die wir leiden und streben 
Laßt und die springenden Bronnen, 
Laßt uns die Stürme, die Sonnen und Wonnen. 
Laßt uns das trunkne Getriebe 
Von Lust und von Liebe!

CHILDREN CHOIR 
O süßer Heiland mein, 
Einst werd ich um dich sein.

In deiner Liebe Hut 
Werd ruhen ich so gut.

MARIETTA 
Kinder sinds. Sie sammeln sich 
Zur heiligen Prozession 
Und rufen mit des Lebens Wort 
Mich von der Toten fort.

CHILDREN CHOIR 
Einst sagst du : Komm zu mir 
Ins selige Revier, 
Zu blühn am Himmelsrain 
Ein leuchtend Blümelein.

MARIETTA 
Der Kinder Sang - er schwingt und schwillt, 
Bestärkt des Lebens Drang._

The last Act opens with a brief prelude. We keep hearing the motif "Marietta", in C major, in restless variations, that transmit the passionate nature of the night's embrace. The _tempo_ speeds up and the orchestra, in _fortissimo_, salutes the appearance of Marietta.

'Dich such ich, Bild!', the trumpets and the trombones underline the arrogance of the young dancer. Marietta challenged the dead Marie, while the English horn and the clarinets play the motif "Vision". Then Marietta's voice unburdens in a lyrical outburst, 'Lebenden Liebesnacht'. Korngold wanted this monologue to be a kind of mirror image of Paul's monologue in the First Act.

In a master stroke of irony, while Marietta is ordering the dead to leave alone the living, a choir of children in procession answer her praising Eternal Life, 'O süßer Heiland mein'. We are walking with the children into the heart of Bruges.










Then in 'Kinder sinds. Sie sammeln sich' the violins introduce a very beautiful melody, that Korngold will use again some years later, in the wonderful aria "Ich ging zu ihm", in his opera _Das Wunder der Heliane_:










A chord in D minor and the motif "Doom" are driving us to Paul's entrance and the beginning of the second scene.

Here is the first scene:






and the aria "Ich ging zu ihm" if someone would like to check the reference:


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## Yashin (Jul 22, 2011)

I was lucky enough to see the Decker version a few times in Holland and Barcelona, both times with Torsten Kerl. I do hope it comes out on DVD since it was not always easy to appreciate what was going on in the theatre -depends on where you are lucky/unlucky to sit-especially in Barcelona.

However, it was a fairly simple staging and 'not a lot' happened, just lots of large portrait photos/pictures, a chair. There have been others since which have looked good such as the one in Helsinki that someone else showed pictures of in another thread.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I think many things do happen on stage in Decker's production. 

However, it's true that if you don't have a full vision of the back of the stage, you are missing a lot of the action.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Korngold, after the box failure of _Das Wunder der Heliane_, was a man with a family to care for, and his first responsibility was to procure a good living for his children, Ernst and George. He decided to park Opera for the time being, and revise the operetta _Eine Nacht in Venedig_, as well as starting a career as conductor.

Then he met the celebrated director and _impresario_ Max Reinhardt, while working on a set of performances of _Die Fledermaus_, in Berlin. Both artists went along well and, some years later, Reinhardt invited Korngold to Hollywood, to prepare an adaptation for the screen of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. Erich, that was working in yet another opera, but in some financial trouble, accepted.

Erich's work is to arrange Mendelssohn's music, composing some transitions and brief motifs to adjust the piece to the movie duration. The film is a failure in the box office, but Hal Wallis, Warner Brothers's musical department chief, is very happy with the professionalism showed by Korngold. As a token, he once went and asked to an editing specialist, with his heavy German accent: "How long is a foot", "12 inches", answered the condescending technician. "No, no, ... I mean, how long it takes on the screen". "Well, around 2/3 of a second"... "Good, this is just the first two bars of Meldenssohn's scherzo...".









_Korngold family arriving to the US_​
Erich decided to come back to Europe, but the situation was getting worse and worse, especially in Germany, after Hitler was named Chancellor. Korngold was a Jew, and he wass very worried about his family. When he received an offer from Wallis, he immediately accepted it and the Korngolds boarded an ocean liner to start a new life in the US.









_Erich Korngold in his first years in Hollywood_​
When Erich arrived to Hollywood, there was a change in the manner the industry perceived the music in the movies. In the first years of sound cinema, except in musicals, no great deal of effort went to the 'background music'. However, the many possibilities to underline the action and feelings being showed on the screen, were soon obvious enough.

Korngold and other pioneers of the movie soundtrack, composers like Max Steiner of Alfred Newman, will create a new sound, a new genre, similar to a symphony or a tone poem, but with different traits.

The first work or Erich was supposed to be a movie with opera stars like Tauber or Ponselle, but this movie was never shooted, and he started with a musical: "Give us the night", with a libretto by Oscar Hammerstein and Gladys Swarthout and tenor Jan Kiepura in the starring roles:

Give us the night

But the great success came with the soundtrack of "Captain Blood", premiered in 1935, an action movie directed by Michael Curtiz, with Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and Basil Rathbone:

Captain Blood

For this movie Korngold wrote a sort of overture, "Main title", that sounds while displaying the initial credits, with the motifs that will later be used. Those motifs are being inserted and developed along the movie. All Erich's soundtracks will follow this technique. In a movie of around two hours, the typical Korngold soundtrack will be between 45 minutes and 1 hour length.

After "Captain Blood", Wallis offered an exceptional contract to Korngold, the best ever in a Studio where _'the Producer don't want good music, he just wants music for Thursday'._. For the next twelve years, Korngold needed to work in a couple of movies every 18 months. This is the complete list of soundtracks composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold:


Give us the night (1935)

Captain Blood (1935)

Hearts Divided (1936)

The Green Pastures (1936)

Anthony Adverse (1936) - Oscar

The Prince And The Pauper (1937)

Another Dawn (1937)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) - Oscar

Juarez (1939)

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)

The Sea Hawk (1940)

The Sea Wolf (1941)

King's Row (1942)

The Constant Nymph (1943)

Between Two Worlds (1944)

Devotion (1946)

Of Human Bondage (1946)

Deception (1946)

Escape Me Never (1947)

Then, in 1955, he worked in Wagner's biopic, "Magic Fire", directed by William Dieterle. It was his last work for the movie screen.

Korngold was one of the great soundtrack composers of all time. Arguably, the greatest. Some of his soundtracks are very good pieces of music, "Robin Hood", "Juarez", "Anthony Adverse",... My favourite, however, is the splendid "Between Two Worlds":


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

This is a very good documentary about Korngold:










And this an excellent biography:










In German, Julius Korngold remembers his own life and his son's, in Vienna:










And this is another good biography:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Hitler's ascent to power in Germany was a serious blow for Art. Of course, compared with the rest of atrocities, it seems a minor issue, but in a musical forum, and talking about a Jewish composer in the 1930s, it's worth a mention.










The big surge in creativity after the end of the Great War, that was really already there since the last years of the 19th century, created many artistic movements. To nazi chieftains most of those movements and their works of art were disgusting, and the designed a name for them: "Entartete Kunst" (Degenerate Art).

In Music, any work by Jewish composers like Schreker, Schönberg, Zemlinsky, Korngold,... was considered "degenerate". But also the work of 'Arians' like Alban Berg or Anton Webern.

While the Second Viennese School emerged unscathed from the nazi attack, the reputation of Schreker or Korngold never really recovered. Today, we are happily revising the work of these two major Opera composers, alongside others whose music was prosecuted and removed by an immoral aggression. A brutal attack that physically murdered others like Schulhoff, Ullmann, Krasa,...

We are very far away now for those bloody years. But even now, and in England, the stigma of the "degenerate music" is still alive:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/arts/376391/part_3/good-humour-bad-taste.thtml

*Schreker - Der Ferne Klang*


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

schigolch said:


> We are very far away now for those bloody years. But even now, and in England, the stigma of the "degenerate music" is still alive:
> 
> http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/arts/376391/part_3/good-humour-bad-taste.thtml


An interesting (and amazingly mean-spirited review). The most striking thing to me is that he never even attempts to define "degenerate" art or explain how Korngold's opera falls under that category.

But I suppose that's the beauty of such sweeping generalizations--they don't *have* to mean anything.


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## Siedler (Aug 3, 2011)

This thread is wonderful! Especially thanks to Schigolch for your in-depth replies. 
I love this opera - in fact it's one of my favourites. I'm glad I've been able to experience it a year ago at the Finnih National Opera with a great cast and production (it's going to be released on DVD, I don't know why it's taking so long though?). The production was directed by the artistic director of the Royal Danish Opera, Kasper Holten (I think his Ring is available on DVD). Absolutely no eurotrash here, actually pretty faithful to the libretto (and no alternative endings!) and very beautiful.

My favorite part of the opera must be the end of Act I: first the sublime Marietta's lied motif sung/played by Marietta's ghost/solo violin and then the sudden change of the mood to the feverish waltz!


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## Siedler (Aug 3, 2011)

Yashin said:


> However, it was a fairly simple staging and 'not a lot' happened, just lots of large portrait photos/pictures, a chair. There have been others since which have looked good such as the one in Helsinki that someone else showed pictures of in another thread.


 Yes, yes, it was me! I can vouch for this production as I stated in the previous reply. I especially liked the beginning of the second act when the blinds of Paul's room disapear and we get to see a "three dimensional" skyline of Bruges.
Here's a review btw: http://www.musicweb-international.com/SandH/2010/Jul-Dec10/korngold2611.htm


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I also look forward to a DVD being released. It seems the opera was broadcasted in Finnish TV but I have been unable to get a copy.

In the musicweb review, a good one, there is a small mistake. Maria Jeritza did not sing Marietta at the premiere in Hamburg. That was Anny Münchow. Jeritza sung the role in Vienna (and later, in New York).


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Korngold's reputation as a composer is growing again. But there were two major obstacles in the way.

First, of course, his work as a soundtrack composer for Hollywood. He was really great doing this, and some of those soundtracks are as good as his orchestral pieces.

Curiously, Korngold was criticized because he was not orchestrating his music for the movie screen (Hugo Friedhofer was doing this, mostly), but this was just standard practice in the Hollywood of the period. Almost no composer, except for Bernard Herrmann, was orchestrating his own soundtracks. Clearly enough, though, Korngold already proved as a young man that he was the equal of any composer at the hour of orchestrate a piece.

The other obstacle was his indifference to avant-garde music. Korngold always used his trademark postromantic style (this 'last breath of Viennese Romanticism, that will for always live in our hearts', as saluted by one of the few critics loving Korngold), and never even considered using any avant-garde technique. Today, we can enjoy at the same time the music of Schönberg, Webern, Berg, Krenek,... and that of Schreker, Strauss, Korngold,.. but in the 1950s there was a division line between the 'chosen' and the 'pagans'. A ridiculous situation, but relatively frequent in the history of Art.

Not that Korngold himself was innocent of partisanship. This was his opinion, in 1952:

_I believe that my newly completed symphony will show the world that atonality and ugly dissonance at the price of giving up inspiration, form, expression, melody and beauty will result in ultimate disaster for the art of music_

Let's hear this "newly completed symphony", written in F sharp major:


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Third Act: Second scene*

_PAUL 
Du hier -?

MARIETTA 
Als ich erwachte, warst du fort -

PAUL 
Mich trieb's in die Straßen, 
Die Andacht und Gebet erfüllt.

MARIETTA 
Und ich hatt Langeweile ohne dich. 
Da stieg ich ins untere, 
Ins interessantre Stockwerk, 
Besuchte deine Tote -

PAUL 
Fort von hier! Fort, fort !

MARIETTA 
Empfingst du selber mich nicht hier, 
Das erste Mal?

PAUL 
Ja, damals. 
Doch heut -

Komm fort!

MARIETTA 
Nein, ich bleib da. 
Sehn wir doch auch den Umzug besser hier.

PAUL 
Komm - ich beschwöre dich!

MARIETTA 
Den kleinsten Wunsch versagst du mir ! 
Vergißt so rasch du, was du schwurst -

PAUL 
O schweig -

MARIETTA 
Die Menschen! 
Das ist nicht Brügge heut, die tote Stadt. 
Die Menschen!

PAUL 
Was fällt dir ein ! 
Wenn man dich säh!

MARIETTA 
Schon wieder! 
Schämst dich noch immer meiner!

PAUL 
Ich öffne halb - stell dich zur Seite - 
Gedeckt durch mich -

MARIETTA 
Nun will ich gar nichts sehn !

PAUL 
Sei klug ! Sei gut !

Doch ich vergaß der Lichter, 
Die landesüblich.

MARIETTA 
Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen, 
Es träumt sich zurück. 
Im Tanze gewann ich, 
Verlor ich mein Glück. 
Im Tanze am Rhein, 
Bei Mondenschein, 
Gestand mirs aus Blauaug…

Lieb sang er das, mein Pierrot, 
Ja, der brennt lichterloh !

PAUL 
Der fromme Zug!

MARIETTA 
Laß mich zufrieden! 
Behalt Sie, deine fromme Maskerade!

Wie fade! 
Bleib du in deiner Loge - ich sing mir eins

Was soll es, daß du ferne bist ? 
Hab dich ja heut doch noch nicht geküßt. 
Diridi, diridon - Gaston !

Gaston, Gaston! Zu ihm, zu ihm!

PAUL 
Du schweigst und bleibst mir, wo du bist !

CHOIR
O süßer Heiland mein, 
Wir, deine Kindelein, 
Geleiten treu und gut 
Dein kostbar heilig Blut.

PAUL 
Die Kinder sinds an der Spitze. 
In ihren schimmernd weißen Kleidchen 
Umtrippeln sie ein schneeig Osterlamm, 
Komm und schau! 
Statuen jetzt und Kirchenbanner, 
Von Mönchen vor sich hergetragen.

CHOIR 
Pange lingua gloriosi 
Corporis mysterium.

PAUL 
Nun die historische Gruppe!

Patrizier stellen sie dar, von Brügge, 
In alten Prachtkostümen. 
Erwacht sind zum Leben alle Straßen. 
So komm doch, Marietta! 
Komm und schau!

PAUL 
Ein flutend Meer von goldnen Meßgewändern! 
Und zwischendurch, Blutstropfen gleich versprengt, 
Das Chorhemdrot der Sängerknaben, 
Die Weihrauchfässer schwenken, 
Den heilgen Duft kredenzen 
Berauschend wogt die farbge Flut. 
Und unter schwankem Baldachin 
Der Bischof trägt den goldnen Schrein, 
Den kleinen Dom, besetzt mit Edelstein. 
Inbrunst ergießt sich durch die Straßen. 
Des Glaubens selig süße Frenesie 
Zwingt alles auf die Knie !

CHOIR 
… Mysterium corporis, corporis…

MARIETTA 
Du bist ja fromm!

Ja, wer dich liebt, der muß teilen 
Mit Toten und mit Heilgen. 
Ich aber, hör mich, ich will dich gar nicht - oder ganz!

Geh, laß das Schaugepränge! 
Komm, setz dich zu mir. Dann bin ich wieder gut. 
Wie hübsch dir die Verklärtheit steht ! 
Küß mich, mein Junge.

PAUL 
Nicht jetzt - nicht hier -

MARIETTA 
Gerade jetzt - gerade hier -

PAUL 
Der fromme Zug - er dringt herein ins Zimmer -

MARIETTA 
Du siehst Gespenster. 
Das macht der Moder dieses Raums, 
Dein dumpfer Aberglaube -

PAUL 
Aberglaube? Nein, kein Aberglaube. 
Mein Glaube ist die Treue, 
Mein Glaube ist der Liebe ewge Weih. 
Und heilig dieser Glaube! 
Er weiht diesen Raum, 
Und erfüllet ihn mit selgem Traum. 
Und unsichtbar erbauet ragt mir ein Altar, 
Vor dem sich niederwirft 
Mein Schmerz um die, die war.

MARIETTA 
Und wieder die Tote - 
O, wie du mich erniedrigst ! 
Sie schläft doch und fühlt ja nicht 
Untreu, nicht Liebe. 
Ich aber lebe, 
Fühl die Kränkung. 
Ich gab mich frei - dir - 
Sie war deine Gattin, 
Lebte geborgen - 
Ich kam aus der Gosse, 
Getreten, gehöhnt!

Und der Erste, der Lieb mich gelehrt, 
Er wars, der mich zerstört'… 
Ich litt, ich stritt, ich wagt, gewann, verlor - 
Rang unter Qualen mich empor - 
Die Zähne biß im Trotze ich zusammen, 
Entwand mich einer Hölle Flammen, 
Sprengte kämpfend das verschlossne Tor 
Zum Garten lichter Lebenslust, 
Errang mir an mich selbst den Glauben… Glauben…

Soll - darf die Tote ihn mir rauben?

PAUL 
Rein war sie, rein - 
Vergleich dich nicht mit ihr -

MARIETTA 
Du Heuchler! Vor wenig Stunden noch, da hast du 
Mein Laster angebetet 
Und ihrer Reinheit nicht gedacht ! 
Und wenn ich will, 
Liegst wieder du zu Füßen mir, 
Mir, ja mir, die du unrein schiltst,

PAUL 
Verruchte, schweig und geh!

MARIETTA 
Gierst nach geschmähter Lüste freier Macht, 
Stöhnst nach wild durchraster Liebesnacht. 
Und teilst mich mit den Pierrots, 
Mit deinem Freund und jedem ersten Besten 
Der mir gefällt…!

PAUL 
Verworfne, fort von hier, 
Fort aus dem geweihten Raum -!

MARIETTA 
Nein! Narr ! Narr ! 
Ihr weichen? - Nie ! 
Zum Kampf mit ihr!

Und offnen Augs, Weib gegen Weib, 
Heißatmend Leben gegen Tod! 
Bin ich nicht schön, 
Strafft Jugend nicht der Glieder Pracht ! 
Nehm ichs nicht auf mit ihr,

Mit diesem gemalten Schemen -?

PAUL 
Schweige und laß das !

MARIETTA 
Bin ich nicht schön, 
Und macht mich meine Kunst nicht stark ?

Und hebt sie mich nicht über blasses Abbild 
Von dem, was war ?

PAUL 
Laß das und geh!

MARIETTA 
Wo steckt ihr Zauber 
In dieser öden Trödelkammer -? 
Ich werde mit ihm fertig 
Ich schwörs - ich schwörs -

Ah, was ist das ?

PAUL 
Rühr das nicht an -! 
Das ist geheiligt - !

MARIETTA 
Ihr Haar?

Gewiß, gewiß, ihr Haar! 
Laß mich vergleichen - 
Tot ists und ohne Glanz. 
Ist meins nicht seidiger, nicht weicher ?

PAUL 
Nimm dich in Acht - ! 
Mein Heiligtum - entweih es nicht - !

MARIETTA 
Der tote Tand - ein Heiligtum? 
Du phantasierst ja !

PAUL 
Gib her - gib her - 
Das Haar - es wacht und droht -

MARIETTA 
Du schenkst mir das - nicht wahr?

PAUL 
Das Haar - der goldne Schatz, den sie mir ließ - 
Es wacht in meinem Hause - 
Es wacht und rächt - ! 
Nimm dich in Acht - !

MARIETTA 
Ich tanz die letzte Glut der Liebe, 
Den letzten Kuß - 
Ich tanz des Lebens siegende Macht.

PAUL 
Gib oder stirb !

MARIETTA

Nein! - Nein - ! Du tust mir weh - 
Du bist verrückt -

MARIETTA 
Ah!

PAUL 
Jetzt - gleicht sie ihr ganz - 
Marie! _

The orchestra accompanies the dialogue between the two lovers, the violins sounding violently when Paul asks Marietta to leave: 'Fort von hier! Fort, fort !'. The dancer wants to watch the procession from Paul's, under the motif of "Procession":










The musical idea of using the tritone so often in the processional choir, is pretty impacting.

Paul looks worried with the presence of Marietta by the window, and she retort with a reminiscence of the Pierrot's song, but with a denser and somber orchestration. Sound avances now like an irresistible mass, with the low winds playing motif "Procession" in a dark C minor, with support from the celesta and the glockenspiel.

The procession is approaching, the children sing and all the orchestra converges in an A flat major chord.

While Paul starts 'Die Kinder sinds an der Spitze' the flutes and the ascending _glissandi_ in the harps provide an incorporeal feeling to the Choir singing in Latin. This monologue sounds like an oasis to the senses. The tenor launchs his voice up to the high B in '…alles auf die Knie'. The orchestra accompanies using the motifs of "Piety" and "Bells". This is a very difficult part for the singer.

The Choir is getting away singing '… Mysterium corporis, corporis…', and then Marietta broke the spell with an ironic sentence, underlined by the xylophon. She approaches Paul like a demon, while the harps, the violins and the flutes go with her, and the motif of "Brugges" reappears in the strings. The winds attack like the trumpets from Judgment Day, and Paul, again in the top part of this tessiture, demands Marietta his lost composure. Then he starts an arioso, with the orchestra in counterpoint.

Then Marietta in 'Und wieder die Tote' tries to bewitch again Paul, again climaxing her singing in a high A. But Paul denies her, he is obsessed about Marie's purity, under a tender touch from the lute of Marietta. The sopran, furiously provide some _canto di sbalzo_ from A flat high to E flat low in 'Mir, ja mir, die du unrein schiltst'. We are remembered of Strauss's opera, particularly _Die Frau ohne Schätten_. Paul says goodbye to Marietta, but she don't want to part. The living woman defies the dead one, unfolding all her charms.

When she discover Marie's hair, _tempo_ speeds up, the strings introduce the same phrases of the First Act, when Marietta found Marie's portrait.










While the motif of the "Dance" is playing, Marietta sings her own motif, "Marietta" with a high A, everythings accelerates into a chord in F flat major. Paul sings 'Gib oder stirb !' and forces down Marietta. The winds and the strings give us the motif of "Death", Marietta cries in desperation. The motif of "Doom" appears in the violins while kettledrums, low strings and piano are playing "Brugges" in a gloomy B minor.

The silence of Death.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

In my view, Carol Neblett has been the best Marietta on record. She sings the character with a combination of sensuality and tenderness that renders the young dancer almost irresistible. We can hear her Marietta in the Leinsdorf's recording, but also live in some performances from the New York City Opera.

During her career, also benefiting from her attractive figure, her big and lovely voice, together with some reasonable acting abilities, she was often praised by the critics and very well liked by audiences worldwide. We can listen to her Minnie and her Vitellia:











However, she also sung some below average Toscas, Aidas or Normas. After some years in the limelight, she practically disappeared from the stage, being still young.

On one side, she sung too many roles, in too few years. Also, she had some drinking problems, and one of her children died in a traffic accident. She was not able to overcome all of those issues, and now, in her sixties, she is a voice instructor.


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