Opera Books
THE OPERA
EDITED BY
ALBERT HILLERY BERGH
VOLUME IV.
1909
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Enna.
August Enna was horn
at Naskov, Denmark, on May 13, 1860. He was the son of a poor man, and
received only the most limited education. In his tenth year the family
settled in Copenhagen. Enna was self-taught in music, and, although at
the age of eighteen he received some instruction in the theory of music,
most of his knowledge of instrumentation was acquired solely through his
own efforts.
In 1883 the composer’s name had become rather well-known through an
operetta called Eine Dorfgeschicte, which was performed in
several small theatres. The next year his first opera, Areta, was
accepted at the Royal Theatre, hut it was never produced. Aglaia,
his second opera, is said to have been destroyed for fuel. Under the
influence of Saint-Saëns and Delibes the Danish composer wrote an
orchestral suite, followed by a Symphony in C minor, which attracted the
attention of Gade, who helped Enna to secure the Aucker scholarship for
composition. This enabled him to study music for a year in Germany.
Enna’s famous opera, Heksen (The Witch), which was mainly
composed during this period, was accepted by the Royal Theatre in 1889,
but, like Areta, was laid aside and forgotten. At the end
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of two years, however, it was “discovered” by Svendsen, the Court
conductor, who was instrumental in obtaining a production for it.
Heksen, the libretto for which was adapted by Alfred Ibsen from
Fitger’s drama of the same name, commanded admiration for the way in
which the composer boldly handled the orchestration, thereby producing
unusual dramatical effects.
Denmark could show very few native productions before 1890. The old
operas Die Kleine Christine (1846) and Konig und Marschall
(1878) were the only important works of the century when, in 1892,
Heksen won its popular triumph in Copenhagen. The following year it
was produced as Die Hexe in Berlin, where it also proved a great
success, and then made the rounds of the principal towns of Germany.
Enna’s first success was followed by Cleopatra, a work begun
with enthusiasm aroused by the warm reception of the previous work. The
recognition awarded Cleopatra was somewhat disappointing on its
first production in 1894, but it soon won its way into popular favor.
Aucassin and Nicolette (1896) and Lamia followed Cleopatra.
These were only’ moderately successful. Enna then conceived the
happy idea of setting to music the fairy tales of Hans Christian
Andersen. The Lucifer-Match Girl (1897), the first of the series,
won instant approval. This opera was followed by others of the same kind,
Die Erbsenprinzessen (1900), Hökerin und Sehornsteinfeger
(1901) and lb und die Kleine Christine (1902). In 1903 he brought
out Der Tod des Antonius.
Enna is practically the only Danish composer who
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may be said to have a reputation outside of his native country.
Opera in three acts by
Enna. Libretto adapted by Alfred Ibsen from Arthur Fitger’s tragedy of
the same name.
Characters: Thalea; Almuth, her sister; Gela, a maid; Edzard, an
officer; Xavier, a Jesuit; Lubbo, a guard; Simon, a Hebrew scholar; the
priest.
Place, Thalea’s estate and village. Time, after the Thirty Years’
War. First produced at Copenhagen in 1891.
Thalea is engaged to Edzard, but believing that her fiancé has
fallen in battle, has given herself up to scientific studies with Simon,
an old Hebrew scholar, so as to obtain a broad view of religion. Thus
she has incurred suspicion in the neighborhood of being an heretic, a “witch.”
Thalea, who no longer thinks of love, does not not allow the above rumor
to disturb her studies. Her sister, Almuth, brings her news of the end
of the war and of the return of the supposedly-dead Edzard. When Edzard
comes, Thalia’s love is rekindled, but he inclines now to the younger
sister, because she looks like the image of Thalea which was in his mind
during his absence. Edzard’s guard, Lubbo, a fanatic, warns his friend
against Thalea, whom he also considers a witch, and wishes his friend
were gone again. But Almuth detains him. Thalea reads Edzard’s thoughts,
but concludes to win him back. Lubbo unites with the Jesuit, Xavier,
against Thalea.
On the evening previous to her marriage to Edzard,
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Thalea asks her sister to cheer her by singing. Almuth loves Edzard, but
when he confesses his love for her she thinks of her sister and
tears herself from his embrace. Just then Thalea comes in, and, finding
Almuth greatly excited, forces her to confess her love. Thalea,
nevertheless, defies fate and clings to Edzard, who, on his part, seems
determined to keep his early promise to marry Thalea.
Meanwhile, Xavier has aroused the people against the “witch,” so
that when Thalca, with her wedding company, reaches the church door and
hesitates, at the last moment reflecting that she is destroying her
sister’s happiness, the people think that for other reasons she dare not
enter the house of God, loudly cry “Curse her! The witch to the flames!”
Edzard motions the people away, and Thalea, throwing her bridal finery
at Almuth’s feet, swoons. As the people again threaten her when she
revives, a priest protects her with a Bible, but Lubbo demands that she
take an oath upon it. When Thalea haughtily refuses to do this, Lubbo
stabs her. As she dies, she unites the hands of Edzard and Almuth.
Opera in three acts
with Prologue by Enna. Libretto adapted by Einar Christiansen from Rider
Haggard’s novel.
Characters: Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt; Harmaki, the last of the
Pharaohs; Sepa, high-priest; Charmion, his daughter, in the service of
Cleopatra; Schafra, an Egyptian prince; Iras, Cleopatra’s slave.
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Place, Alexandria. Time, about 40 B. C. First produced at
Copenhagen in 1894.
In a subterranean vault the high-priest, Sepa, welcomes Harmaki as
the only legitimate king of Egypt, declaring that Cleopatra is only a
wild offshoot from the royal line, who favors the Greek customs to the
neglect of her own, and that Harmaki shall free the land from her and
make it happy again. Harmaki says he is ready to do so. At a motion from
Sepa a curtain parts at the rear, disclosing a throne room. Sepa tells
the people his plan. They do homage to Harmaki as their king, whereupon
the crown, sceptre and scourge are presented to him.
The first act shows the garden before Cleopatra’s palace, with a
view of the sea. Charmion, who is in agreement with the conspirators,
dreams of the future king. Sepa and Harmaki approach her, and after Sepa
encourages each of them he departs. Charmion and Harmaki are mutually
attracted, and form a conspiracy against the Queen. When the sun sets,
Cleopatra enters with her retinue, and Charmion introduces Harmaki to
her as a “star-gazer and soothsayer.” The latter interprets a dream for
the Queen with the idea of arousing her patriotism. She desires to
attract him, and Charmion, in dismay, notices that he is not able to
resist her charm.
Harmaki is then seen in his star tower. Herealizes that he is in
love with the Queen, and prays to Isis to give him strength to resist
her. Charmion brings him a list of the condemned, and he finds
Cleopatra’s name among them. He shudders and does not want to stain his
hand with her blood, but Charmion urges him to
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stab the Queen when they are alone after the next night’s festivities.
When Cleopatra seeks him that night, Charmion conceals herself and sadly
witnesses how he yields to the Queen’s charms. Heagrees with Cleopatra
to return, and the next night read the Queen’s future in the stars.
After Cleopatra’s departure, Charmion reproaches him angrily, and he
admits that he loves the Queen. In despair, Charmion leaves him.
The third act begins with a ballet in the Queen’s palace. Cleopatra
ends the festivities, and sends for Harmaki to explain to her the star
chart. While talking to her, he passes his dagger along her back, but
cannot summon courage to strike her. She notices his strange conduct and
sings to him, trying, with all her arts, to ensnare him. Yielding, he
falls in her arms, when suddenly she seizes the dagger concealed on his
person, and scornfully casts him aside. As he is about to strike, Sepa
and the other conspirators are led into the hall in chains, and they
bitterly accuse Harmaki of betraying them and their cause. In contempt,
Cleopatra throws his dagger to him, and has the prisoners removed. When
Charmion gives herself up as a conspirator, Harmaki thrusts the dagger
in his own breast, and Charmion swoons over his corpse.
Last updated April 19, 2007