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SWR2 Musikstunde SWR2 MANUSKRIPT SWR2 Musikstunde Viva la Malibran! - Porträt einer Diva (3) Mit Sylvia Roth Sendung: 24. Mai 2018 Redaktion: Dr. Ulla Zierau Produktion: SWR 2018 Bitte beachten Sie: Das Manuskript ist ausschließlich zum persönlichen, privaten Gebrauch bestimmt. Jede weitere Vervielfältigung und Verbreitung bedarf der ausdrücklichen Genehmigung des Urhebers bzw. des SWR. Service: SWR2 Musikstunde können Sie auch als Live-Stream hören im SWR2 Webradio unter www.swr2.de Kennen Sie schon das Serviceangebot des Kulturradios SWR2? Mit der kostenlosen SWR2 Kulturkarte können Sie zu ermäßigten Eintrittspreisen Veranstaltungen des SWR2 und seiner vielen Kulturpartner im Sendegebiet besuchen. Mit dem Infoheft SWR2 Kulturservice sind Sie stets über SWR2 und die zahlreichen Veranstaltungen im SWR2- Kulturpartner-Netz informiert. Jetzt anmelden unter 07221/300 200 oder swr2.de SWR2 Musikstunde mit Sylvia Roth 22. Mai – 25. Mai 2018 Viva la Malibran! - Porträt einer Diva (3) Viva la Malibran! Porträt einer Diva ... zu der Sie Sylvia Roth begrüßt, guten Morgen! Diese Woche geht es um die Opernsängerin Maria Malibran: Nachdem wir gestern erlebt haben, wie die Diva als Komet am Pariser Opernhimmel aufgestiegen ist, verfolgen wir heute ihre künstlerische Karriere weiter – und werfen dabei auch einen indiskreten Blick auf ihr Liebesleben ... Maria Malibran hat sich zur Pariser Attraktion gemacht: Einzig und allein ihrer Gesangskunst wegen reisen Aficionados aus aller Welt an die Seine – sogar zwei Häuptlinge aus dem Stamm der Cherokees pilgern für einen Opernbesuch von Baltimore nach Paris. Marias Gagen wachsen ins Unermessliche, sie inspiriert Komponisten, Dichter und bildende Künstler zu Werken. Bald werden die Nachbarn neidisch: Nicht nur in Paris, nein, auch in London lechzt man nach Auftritten der großen Stimmvirtuosin. Also erweitert Maria ihren bühnengeographischen Radius. London ist ein begehrtes Pflaster für Virtuosen aller Couleur: Die kulturbesessenen Briten feiern Künstler nicht nur in Opernhäusern, sie reichen sie ebenso gerne bei Musikfestivals umher und laden sie zu gut bezahlten Vorstellungen in ihre Salons. Eine Londoner Saison ist anstrengend, aber lukrativ für die Interpreten – morgens Konzerte, abends Vorstellungen, danach noch ein Auftritt bei einer Privatsoirée ... Nicht „faire de l'art“, sondern „faire de l'ar-gent“ pointiert Marias Schwester Pauline es später – also nicht Kunst machen, sondern Geld. M 01: Charles Edward Horn: Cherry Ripe (1'55) I: Joan Sutherland (Gesang), Richard Bonynge (Cembalo) CD: Vocal Recital Joan Sutherland, Alto / Musical Concepts, ALC 1185, LC 30388 2 Reife Kirschen in den Londoner Straßen zu verkaufen – vom englischen Komponisten Charles Edward Horn vertont, von Joan Sutherland gesungen. Maria wird mit höchster Spannung in London erwartet: Im Alter von 17 Jahren hat man sie an der Themse als vielversprechende Debütantin García erlebt, nun kommt sie vier Jahre später als berühmte Malibran zurück. Im April 1829 singt sie im King's Theatre die Desdemona – und einem dieser Auftritte wohnt auch Felix Mendelssohn- Bartholdy bei. Anfangs reagiert er skeptisch auf das leidenschaftliche Spiel der Malibran – so etwas kennt man im biedermeierlichen Deutschland nicht ... Dann aber ist auch er überwältigt: „Es gibt Stimmen, deren bloßer Ton einen zum Weinen stimmt,“ schreibt er an seinen Freund Eduard Devrient, „eine solche hat sie, und singt damit sehr ernsthaft und feurig und zart, und kann auch spielen. Du solltest sie sehen!“ Derart schwärmerisch berichtet Mendelssohn nach Deutschland, dass seine Eltern sich Sorgen machen, er verliere womöglich sein Herz an die Diva. Doch als auch Mendelssohns Vater Abraham einige Zeit später Malibran erlebt, ist er nicht minder hingerissen: „Welch ein Strömen, Sprudeln, Brausen von Kraft und Geist, von Laune und Übermut, von Leidenschaft und Esprit, welche Keckheit und Sicherheit der Mittel,“ schreibt er seiner Frau nach Berlin. „Sie liebte, schmachtete, ruderte und trommelte mit so wunderbarer Sicherheit, mit so übermütiger Beherrschung (...) aller ihrer unerschöpflichen Mittel, dass man wirklich von ihr sagen kann: Sie sang Lieder ohne Worte, sie sang Gefühle, Stimmungen, Situationen.“ Trotz ihres stattlichen Pensums an Auftritten – „faire de l'ar-gent...“ – knüpft Maria in England zahlreiche Freundschaften. Eine besonders innige pflegt sie zur Familie des Pianisten und Komponisten Ignaz Moscheles: Der schwärmt in seinem Tagebuch von Malibrans Virtuosität, ihrem „musikalischen Genie“ –und widmet eben diesem Genie ein klingendes Denkmal: In seiner Komposition „Bijoux à la Malibran“ übersetzt er Marias vokale Feuerwerke in perlende Klaviermusik. 3 M 02: Ignaz Moscheles: Fantaisies dramatique sur des Airs favoris. Biijoux à la Malibran, op. 72 Nr 4 (3'50) I: Michael Krücker (Klavier) CD: Pastels MA 9709829, LC 05057 Hommage an die Verzierungskunst Maria Malibrans: Die „Bijoux à la Malibran“ von Ignaz Moscheles; der Pianist Michael Krücker spielte uns einen Auszug daraus. Doch was für ein Mensch pulsiert hinter den Verzierungen und Koloraturen, hinter den zahlreichen Bühnenfiguren, die Maria Malibran verkörpert? Ganz eindeutig eine Frau mit einem ungewöhnlichen, mutigen, geradezu modernen Charakter: Sie liebt Ausritte, je wilder, desto besser – „Maria singt wie ein Engel und reitet wie ein Teufel,“ frotzeln die Freunde. Wenn ein Kutscher nicht schnell genug fährt, verfrachtet sie ihn ins Wageninnere und übernimmt die Zügel selbst. Sie läuft gerne in Männerkleidern umher, ist eine exzellente Schützin und schlagfertige Fechterin. Frauenrechtlerinnen bewundern ihre unerschrockene Persönlichkeit, Männer zeigen sich eher schockiert. So etwa beschwert der biedermeierliche Komponist Otto Nicolai sich über Marias „freies, fast männliches Benehmen“ und spottet: „Sie mag wohl auf dem Theater von angenehmerer Wirkung sein, denn da ist ja Ungeniertheit eine Bedingung der vollkommenen Kunstleistung.“ Kurze Zeit später ist er dann aber so hingerissen von Maria, dass er ihr einen Heiratsantrag macht. Sie ist gebildet, spricht fünf Sprachen, verschlingt Bücher aus allen Epochen der Weltliteratur. Immer trägt sie einen Zeichenblock bei sich: Bei Proben portraitiert und karikiert sie ihre Opernkollegen in flüchtigen Skizzen – und manchmal entwirft sie auch ihre Bühnenkostüme selbst. Sie besitzt eine derart schnelle Auffassungsgabe, dass sie ein Stück am Morgen lernt und es am Abend singt – wobei sie selbstverständlich nicht nur ihre eigenen, sondern auch alle anderen Partien einer Oper beherrscht, die Klavierbegleitung mit eingeschlossen. Rossini jedenfalls resümiert: „Sie übertraf (...) alle Frauen, die mir begegnet sind, durch ihre geistige Überlegenheit, ihr breit gefächertes Wissen und ein rasantes Temperament, von dem man sich nicht die geringste Vorstellung machen kann.“ 4 Und noch eine Fähigkeit besitzt sie, die zu ihrer Zeit eigentlich nur Männern zusteht: Sie komponiert. M 03: Maria Malibran: Les Brigands (2'30) I: Katherine Eberle (Gesang), Robin Guy (Klavier) CD: From a Woman's Perspective, Vienna Modern Masters, 5788-82005-2, LC 02872 Ein Überfall, der Blut, aber auch Gold einbringt: Zwei Räuber auf frischer Tat vertont – „Les Brigands“, eine Komposition von Maria Malibran, gesungen von Katharine Eberle, begleitet von Robin Guy am Klavier. Die meisten von Maria Malibrans Kompositionen entstehen zum Zeitvertreib. Es sind Gelegenheitsminiaturen, während der Proben aufs Papier geworfen, melancholische Nocturnes, Barkarolen, Lieder. Eher schlicht gesetzt gleichen sie in keinster Weise den virtuosen Partien, die Maria als Primadonna auf der Bühne interpretiert. Es sind Geschenke für ihre Freunde, gedacht für eine Aufführung im Salon, zu später Stunde, wenn alle schon ein wenig betrunken sind. Manche ihrer Lieder veröffentlicht sie in insgesamt vier Liedsammlungen, die bereits zu Lebzeiten erscheinen – typisch für den Stil von Maria Malibran ist etwa die Romanze „Le prisonnier“: Eine Ballade über einen Gefangenen, der sich in seiner Zelle nach Freiheit sehnt. Einzig und allein durch den Gesang zweier Mädchen, die jeden Tag in einem Boot an seinem Gefängnis vorbeifahren, erlebt er die Außenwelt. Lotte Lehmann und Renée Doria singen dieses kleine Duett in einer historischen Aufnahme: 5 M 04: Maria Malibran: Le prisonnier (3'00) I: Renée Doria, Lotte Lehmann (Gesang), Maïtie Etcheverry (Harfe) CD: Hommage à la Malibran, 1960, BnF Collection 2016 Renée Doria und Lotte Lehmann mit Maria Malibrans „Le prisonnier“. Ein innerer Motor treibt Maria an, ihre Energie scheint unerschöpflich. „Sie war verrückt, konnte keine Sekunde stillsitzen,“ charakterisiert ihre Schwester Pauline sie später. Doch hinter der Unruhe steht eine große Härte gegen sich selbst: Egal, was passiert, La Malibran tritt auf. Halsschmerzen? Kein Grund, die Vorstellung abzusagen. Blasen auf den Lippen? Kann man mit einer Schere zerschneiden und blutend auf die Bühne gehen. Ein gebrochener Arm? Undenkbar, dass die Malibran deshalb ihr Publikum im Stich lässt. Ihr Resumée, nachdem sie die Vorstellung mit dem Arm in der Schlinge bewältigt hat: „Noch nie haben die Leute so viel geklatscht, obwohl ich ja geradezu handlungsunfähig war. Ich sollte in Zukunft weniger spielen.“ Hart ist Maria auch im Umgang mit ihren Konkurrentinnen, obwohl in der Überlieferung meist anderes behauptet wird: In Marias erster Londoner Saison treten zur selben Zeit auch Giuditta Pasta und Henriette Sontag auf – eine Herausforderung für alle drei Sängerinnen. Maria kennt Pasta seit ihrer Kindheit, verehrt sie, hat ihr als Jugendliche schwärmerische
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