D'Albert: Tiefland [DVD] [1996]

 

 

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Born in Glasgow in 1864, Eugen D'Albert's musical education in Austria is however one that, based on what is evident in his opera Tiefland (1903), indicates that he is very much a disciple of the Wagnerian school, with even a bit of verismo in his choice of subject and its handling. Apparently Bizet's Carmen was also an influence on the composer, but although there are a few musical leitmotifs that bear the mark of the original Catalan/Pyrenean setting of Tiefland (based on the play Tierra Baixa - The Lowlands - by Àngel Guimerà, also made into a controversial film by Leni Riefenstahl), the influence is more in the subject of romance, passion and jealousy in a bucolic setting leading to tragedy (a hint of Gounod's Mireille in there also) than in the actual musical arrangements.

The poor fool caught in the middle of a romantic entanglement here that eventually stirs killing passions is Pedro, a simple shepherd in the mountains who is offered the hand of the miller's daughter Marta and a place down in the lowland valley by the landlord Sebastiano. Pedro innocently accepts, unaware of the reality of the situation that is known to everyone else in the lord's household. Sebastiano is in debt and needs to marry a rich woman, but that won't happen as long as the knowledge of his affair with Marta is widely known and spoken about. His intention then is to safely marry her off to an innocent fool that she couldn't possibly love so as to keep up appearances of respectability while she remains his "bit on the side".

Musically, Tiefland follows the Wagnerian model, with long solo singing of emotional intensity that purposefully drives the drama forward, with little in the way of conventional arias, duets or choral arrangements, but the music has a strong musical presence and leitmotifs that support the singing and indicate the nature of the characters and their motivations. Matthias Goerne is strongest, both in voice and dramatically, making Pedro's wide-eyed naivety convincing while at the same time showing that he has inner depths and integrity that could indeed draw Marta to rather precipitously fall in love with him. Petra Maria Schnitzer perhaps doesn't look like she has natural gypsy dancer roots, but sings well as Marta. Peter Seiffert doesn't quite have the fullness of tone or the menacing build that you would associate with Sebastiano, but takes on the villain role with some relish and without overplaying.

The staging of this 2006 production at the Opernhaus in Zurich attempts to visually steer the drama away from its obvious models and references, and is thereby quite successful in allowing the piece to stand on its own. Some of the decisions however are quite bizarre - the opening prologue takes place in what looks like a science-fiction laboratory where the announcement of Pedro's engagement takes place in a virtual reality, cleverly assembled on projected screens - but thereafter, up until its reappearance in the final scene, the rest of the production is more naturalistic, taking place however in a lush stately house rather than in any period country exteriors.

The 140 minute opera is spread across two-discs on the EMI Classics DVD. The image is 16:9, the image fine, showing a well-lit stage. Audio tracks are LPCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.0 and DTS 5.0. The sound is a little thin without the low-end, and sometimes a little echoing, but the singing and orchestra can all be heard clearly. Subtitles are in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.

I give this DVD the same number of stars as the only other reviewer on amazon.com.uk, but for different reasons.

There have been five reviews on amazon.com (including mine) and two reviewers quite correctly characterized this as a eurotrash production. The setting of the prologue is a complete travesty as is the setting for the last minute of the opera. The opera proper is set in a "flour mill" which has a patently absurd 21st century office look to it. The costumes and acting of the three officious servants who serve as sort of a chorus to move things along are simply silly. On top of that the story is also fairly silly--Sebastiano, an evil landowner has financial problems which he can solve by marrying a rich heiress. But he has a mistress, Marta, and to make sure gossip about her doesn't derail the marriage he has Pedro, a simple very naive shepherd from the high Pyrenees, marry her--intending all along to keep Marta as a mistress. Pedro doesn't know about the plan and Marta, initially, loathes Pedro. Even so she bends to the will of Sebastiano and marries Pedro anyway. The emotional consequences of the situation begin to be developed about half way through the first act and, despite the rather silly premise of the opera, some genuinely impressive emotions develop, aided by some gorgeous music. Pedro sings a very long and moving aria "Das Fest ist vorbei" at the close of the first act and Marta's feelings toward him begin shifting to love. This is developed further in the second act when Marta recounts to Tommaso (some sort of advisor to Sebastiano) her horrific upbringing and her eventual virtual enslavement by Sebastiano. Tommaso, as a result, tells the heiress of Sebastiano's perfidy, thus foiling that marriage. Eventually Pedro and Marta proclaim their love for one another. When Sebastiano tries to interfere (to take Marta back as his mistress) Pedro fights and kills him. Then Pedro and Marta flee from the flatlands (Tiefland) for the purity of the high meadows of the Pyrenees.

Matthias Goerne's portrayal of Sebastiano's brings out the essence of evilness. Peter Seifert and Petra Schnitzer--husband and wife in real life--as Pedro and Marta are simply splendid in their roles, both in their singing and their acting. Laszlo Polgar is excellent as Tommaso

Why four stars. It is extremely well sung and for the critical parts the characters come "alive" in that their motivations and feelings are movingly expressed. I almost turned it off after the prologue but kept watching because I have long loved the music. About half way throgh the first act I began to appreciate the emotions of Pedro and Marta (and also Sebastiano and Tommaso--and Eva Liebau in the small part of Nuri was very appealing). I would have been far, far happier if it had all taken place in a less bizarre set. But I am happy that even this flawed product does exist and only hope that someday a more conventional production--but sung and acted as well as this one--will make it onto a DVD.

I don't know what the odds are for that--it is produced with some frequency in Germany (and I saw it once there with a "proper" set). But it is rarely performed elsewhere so the market may not exist. It also has the freight of being a favorite of Hitler (though I'm not sure why--possibly because d'Albert's music is influenced by Wagner--but nothing in the plot would seem to appeal to the Nazi psyche). So, if one can ignore the absurd eurotrash scenery, I recommend this DVD. If the eurotrash is too much, there are several recordings of it on CDs.

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