At the turn of the century there was quite a tradition of rich financiers
with artistic inclinations funding their chosen composer - perhaps the best
known being Lord Howard de Walden whose gloomy libretti based on Welsh legends
he financed Holbrooke to set. But Albéniz preceded them, albeit by
only a few years. Albéniz lived in London for some four years in the
1890s where he met Francis B Money-Coutts, the heir to the Coutts banking
empire, who financed him in return for his setting a series of Money-Coutts's
libretti - indeed there was a formal contract. There were three of these
operas:
Henry Clifford (1893-5),
Pepita Jiménez (1895)
and
Merlin, whose libretto was published in 1897 and was composed
1897-1902.
The Prelude was given several performances when Albéniz was still
writing the opera, but otherwise it has only had three hearings before this
recording. A fully sung piano run-through in 1905, a truncated revival in
Spanish in 1950 and its concert premiere, in English, in 1998 which lead
on the present recording. The booklet is fascinating for the blow by blow
account of how the score was reassembled and researched for the revival -
it is wonderful that we still have such skilful enthusiasts willing to devote
the thousands of hours and the not inconsiderable cost that go into such
revivals. It was certainly worth the effort on this occasion.
The first act tells the familiar story of the boy Arthur pulling the sword
from the stone, thus identifying himself as the chosen King, and ending with
Morgan le Fay, Mordred and their followers singing their defiance at this
turn of events, before all sing a patriotic verse to end the act on a triumphant
note. With its use of plainsong at appropriate moments in the church scenes
it has been hailed as pioneering, but in fact is a vigorous and musically
inventive act which succeeds because of its taught construction and the headlong
momentum which never lets up.
The second act opens at Tintagel Castle. Arthur tells Merlin of his love
for Guenevere, but Merlin recognises Guenever as a threat, and he is determined
to discredit her. Morgan, Mordred and Sir Pellinore are brought in, the defeated
in their insurrection against Arthur. He pardons them, but Morgan le Fay
is already plotting again and has realised she has to eliminate Merlin to
reach the King.
In the third Act we stray further from the well-known story. Arthur sings
of may time and Guenevere, and Merlin determines to intervene. But first
(like Wotan) Merlin needs gold and plans to take it from the gnomes. To achieve
this he calls Nivian and her companions to dance. Presumably it was the demands
of the theatre at that time that demanded dances of Saracens and gnomes in
the third act, and their music take us much nearer to the Albéniz
of Iberia and an idiom we all know. Nivian then dances seductively
for Merlin who is aroused and she persuades him to let her hold his magic
wand (no guffaws in the back row, please). Naïvely she does not realise
she now holds all Merlin's power as he enters the cave to raid the gnomes'
gold. Nivian seeking freedom from the gnomes and Merlin unwittingly invokes
Merlin's power and seals the cave, and Morgan le Fay reflects on the power
of innocence to undo the most powerful magic. This rather contrived end gave
Albéniz the opportunity for some dramatic music, but it is the least
convincing part of the opera.
The weakness of the work is, as may be expected, Money-Coutts's libretto.
Not in structure or unnecessary wordiness, indeed the plot moves with commendable
swiftness, by an author who seems au fait with the demands of the
stage, but because of its arcane language. This includes such delights as
"be forgotten the scathe and domage/each of us twain has done the other!"
and "Orgulous boys with spite so dreadly/dare to say what they list to say!"
Merlin is sung in the original English, with a strong cast. Domingo is vocally
tremendous as King Arthur, projecting his rôle and crowning the ensemble
in truly heroic style. His English is remarkably good, but his slight accent
is compounded by all the other slight accents from most of the cast, which
reinforce the antique words when they would be best played down. Virile choral
singing and strong orchestral playing, vivdly and realistically caught, all
add to the success of this revival. In short, a triumph. The 125-page booklet
is an exemplary production, itself a useful contribution to the literature
of a work that has been accorded little scholarly coverage. We are given
the text in English, French and Spanish, and this is one of those operas
where it is essential to have the libretto because some of it is difficult
to follow, especially towards the end of the third act.
Writing in the booklet to champion the music, the conductor, José
De Eusebio announces baldly "Albéniz's opera Merlin is destined
to become part of the major international operatic repertoire". His is a
passionate and committed advocacy. Well Merlin certainly goes with
a swing and there are few musical longeurs. But whether so old fashioned
a plot would find favour on the international stage today is difficult to
say, though I must say I would love to see it. It is the perfect CD opera,
and especially on the first disc this is a recording one will constantly
dip into. Do try it.
Fonte: Lewis Foreman - Musicweb
