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Echos in Und Um »Dafne«*

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Echos in Und Um »Dafne«* Echos in und um »Dafne«* Bettina Varwig er verlorene Notentext zu Heinrich Schütz’ Pastoraldrama Dafne ist eine der denk wür digsten DLeerstellen in der Musikgeschichte des frühen 17. Jahrhunderts. Seit Johann Christoph Gottsched das Stück 1757 zum »ers ten deutschen Singspiel« erklärte1 und Gott fried Wilhelm Fink 1834 seine Wiederentdeckung zu einer Aufgabe von nationaler Bedeutung erhob2, haben sich im mer weit läufi gere Spekulationen um das Werk gesammelt. Diese reichen von der Frage, wie das ursprüngliche italienische Textbuch in die Hände von Schütz und seinem Textdichter Martin Opitz gelangt sein könnte3, bis hin zur mutmaßlichen Größe der Bühne 4, auf der das Stück am 13. April 1627 bei der Torgauer Hochzeit der sächsischen Prinzessin Sophie Eleonore mit Georg II. von Hessen »musicaliter agirt« wurde 5. Letzt- lich zielen fast alle diese Hypothesen auf die Beantwortung einer Hauptfrage ab, nämlich ob das Werk als erste deutsche Oper zu gelten habe oder nicht; oder, anders gefragt, ob es eine wie auch immer geartete rezitativische Schreibweise enthielt. Die meisten Historiker des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts haben diese Frage eindeutig bejaht. Wolfram Steude hat sie in einem Beitrag von 1991 mit einigen schlagenden Argu - menten verneint 6. Kürzlich hat Elisabeth Rothmund wieder ein vorsichtiges »ja« ausgesprochen, in einer Monographie, die sich hauptsächlich mit Schütz’ deutscher Identität und seinen daraus erwach- senden kulturpatriotischen Bestrebun gen beschäftigt7. Mein eigenes Interesse gilt weniger dem Problemkreis der Dafne als spezifi sch deutschem Unter- fangen oder ihrem umstrittenen Status als Ausgangspunkt einer nationalen Operntradition. Irmgard Scheitler kommt in einem vor kurzem erschienenen Aufsatz zu dem treff enden Schluss, die erhaltenen Quellen seien »einfach zu dürftig, um aus ihnen tragfähige Schlüsse zu ziehen«8. In diesem Sinne wird hier * Dieser Beitrag stützt sich in weiten Teilen auf Materialien aus meinem Buch Histories of Heinrich Schütz (Cam- bridge 2011). 1 Johann Christoph Gottsched, Nöthiger Vorrath zur Geschichte der deutschen Dramatischen Dichtkunst, Leipzig 1757 – 1765, Faks. Hildesheim 1970, Bd. 1, S. 185. 2 Gottfried Wilhelm Fink, Nothwendige Beweise für die Sicherstellung der ersten teutschen Oper, in: AmZ 36 (1834), Sp. 837 – 839. 3 Fürstenau, S. 98. 4 Rudolf Mielsch-Hainichen, Dafne, die erste deutsche Oper: Zum 300jährigen Jubiläum der deutschen Oper, in: Die Musik 19 (1927), S. 586 – 591, hier S. 587. 5 Fürstenau, S. 98. 6 Wolfram Steude, Heinrich Schütz und die erste deutsche Oper, in: Frank Heidlberger u. a. (Hrsg.), Von Isaac bis Bach. Studien zur älteren deutschen Musikgeschichte. Festschrift Martin Just zum 60. Geburtstag, Kassel u. a. 1991, S. 169 – 179. Siehe auch Jörg-Ulrich Fechner, Zur literaturgeschichtlichen Situation in Dresden 1627 – Überlegungen im Hinblick auf die »Dafne«-Oper von Schütz und Opitz, in: SJb 10 (1988), S. 5 – 29. 7 Elisabeth Rothmund, Heinrich Schütz (1585 – 1672): Kulturpatriotismus und deutsche weltliche Vokalmusik – »Zum Auff nehmen der Music / auch Vermehrung unserer Nation Ruhm«, Bern 2004. 8 Irmgard Scheitler, Martin Opitz und Heinrich Schütz: Dafne – ein Schauspiel, in: AfMw 68 (2011), S. 205 – 226, das Zitat S. 209. 2012_schuetz-JB_druck_120531.indAbs5:105 Abs5:105 31.05.2012 10:03:20 106 Bettina Varwig von dem Versuch abgesehen, eine genaue Bestimmung der Art und Menge der musikalischen Elemente im Gesamtkonzept der Dafne vorzunehmen. Stattdessen geht mein Ansatz von einem bestimmten Mo- ment des Dramas aus, anhand dessen der kulturgeschichtliche Ort des Werks innerhalb der euro päischen Literaturszene jener Zeit näher beleuchtet werden soll. Es handelt sich um die Echoszene, die den ersten Akt eröff net. Die einzige noch erhaltene Quelle zu Dafne ist bekanntlich das Libretto von Opitz, das zunächst 1627 und nochmals 1629 gedruckt wurde und eine Übersetzung des gleichnamigen Dramas von Ottavio Rinuccini darstellt. Der Hauptteil des Werks erzählt die Geschichte der Nymphe Dafne, wie sie in Ovids Metamorphosen erscheint: Die schöne Dafne fl ieht vor den Liebesbezeugungen Apollos und wird endlich von ihrem Vater, dem Flussgott Peneus, in einen Lorbeerbaum verwandelt, um ihre Jungfräu lich- keit zu bewahren. Der erste Akt in Rinuccinis und Opitz’ Text verarbeitet allerdings die voraus gehende Ovid’sche Fabel, in der der Sonnengott den delphischen Python erlegt. Dieser Mythos ist hier dramatisiert als Begegnung einer Gruppe von Hirten mit einem blutrünstigen Schlangen monster, vor dem sie durch göttliches Eingreifen gerettet werden. Der deus ex machina, der diese Heldentat vollbringt, erscheint den Hirten zunächst in Form eines Echos. Umb diesen Waldt unnd Schatten haben wir Bißher gesehn das Blutgetränckte Thier. Echo: Hier. Wie daß ich jetzundt sicher bin? Ists weg / ists anderßwo dann hin? Echo: hin. Ich weiß nicht wie ich doch diß Abenthewer deute. Kömpt es inkünff tig auch noch wieder für uns Leute? Echo: heute. Ach! ach! wer dann tröstet mich Wann das Thier lesset sehen sich? Echo: Ich. Wer bist du welcher mir verheischt so grosse Wonne / O bester Trost den je beschienen hat die Sonne. Echo. Die Sonne. Bist du der Gott aus Delos welcher sich Mir zeigen wil? O Sonne / hör ich dich? Echo: Ich dich. Du du hast pfeil’ und Kraff t; drumb stewre der gewalt Der grimmen Bestien / O Phebu / alsobaldt. Echo: baldt.9 Im Anschluss betritt Apollo leibhaftig die Bühne, tötet die Bestie und erlöst dadurch die arkadi sche Ge- meinschaft von der »Pest der Erden«10. Eine Frankfurter Ausgabe der Metamor phosen von 1631 enthält eine damals weit verbreitete Abbildung der Szene, die das Geschehen lebendig vor Augen führt (s. Abbildung 1). Die Szene ist in vielerlei Hinsicht aufschlussreich für das Bemühen, das Drama als künstlerisches Produkt des frühen 17. Jahrhunderts näher zu deuten. Ob Schütz diese Textstelle vertont hat, ist in keiner Weise festzustellen; Eberhard Möller mutmaßt zwar, es könnte der Fall gewesen sein11, aber Scheitler weist darauf hin, dass zahlreiche Echoszenen damals in rein literarischer Form vorlagen, ohne dass eine musi- kalische Beglei tung dazu erwartet worden wäre12. Jedoch waren innerhalb einer »Sing-Comödie« wie 9 Martin Opitz, Deutscher Poematum Anderer Theil, Breslau 1629, S. 211 – 237, das Zitat S. 218 – 219. 10 Ebd., 219. 11 Eberhard Möller, Heinrich Schütz und Martin Opitz, in: Studien zur Musikgeschichte, hrsg. von der Technischen Universität Chemnitz / Zwickau 1994, S. 1 – 14. 12 Scheitler (wie Anm. 8), S. 224. 2012_schuetz-JB_druck_120531.indAbs5:106 Abs5:106 31.05.2012 10:03:20 Echos in und um »Daphne« 107 Abbildung 1: P. Ovidii Metamorphosis, Oder: Wunderbarliche vnd seltzame Beschreibung / von der Menschen / Thieren / vnd anderer Creaturen Veränderung, Frankfurt / Main 1631, S. 22 (SLUB Sammlungen u. Deutsche Fotothek: Lit. Rom. A. 576) Dafne gewisse musikalische Assoziationen durchaus naheliegend13. Sowohl für den Komponisten als auch für seine Hörer war die Erscheinung des Echos in eine Konstellation von möglichen musikalischen Bezugspunkten eingebunden, die sowohl Echoeff ekte in Schütz’ eigenen Wer ken als auch in denen seiner Zeitgenossen umfassten. Noch bedeutsamer allerdings ist die anhaltende Faszination der Idee des Echos in der gesamten europäischen Literatur der Zeit, wodurch Schütz’ Dafne in einen vielschichtigen, allego- risch reichen Traditionszusammenhang eingeordnet werden kann. Angesichts der erheb lichen religiösen und naturwissenschaftlichen Umbrüche in der Zeit um 1600 warf das Phänomen des Echos eine Vielzahl dringlicher Fragen auf, unter anderem die nach der Rolle der klassischen Mythologie in einem (fragmen tierten) christlichen Weltbild oder nach der Fähigkeit der Musik, die Distanz zwischen der irdischen und göttlichen Sphäre zu überbrücken – in einer nachreformatorischen Welt, in der diese göttliche Sphäre zunehmend im Rückzug begriff en schien. Aus dem Bisherigen wird ersichtlich, dass sich der hier verfolgte Ansatz zumindest teilweise nicht dem Vorwurf entziehen kann, die Tradition des mehr oder weniger fundierten Spekulierens über Dafne einfach fortzusetzen. Jedoch verschiebt sich der Hauptakzent von den imaginären Qualitäten des Werkes auf die Rezeption durch seine Zuhörer, die, wenn auch ebenso wenig fassbar in ihren individuellen Reaktionen, in ihrem kollektiven Erwartungshorizont durch Bezug auf einen erweiterten Kreis von Primärquellen genauer bestimmt werden können. Jörg Jochen Berns erinnert mit Recht daran, dass »Echopoesie keine stille, keine lautlos zu rezipierende Poesie ist, sondern hallend-klagende, die klang- 13 Fürstenau (wie Anm. 3). 2012_schuetz-JB_druck_120531.indAbs5:107 Abs5:107 31.05.2012 10:03:20 108 Bettina Varwig dynamisch zu intonieren ist«14. Diese Einsicht führt zu weiteren Überlegungen, wie diese klingende Er - scheinung bei ihren Hörern aufgenommen wurde und welche Bedeutungen und Assozia tionen sie mit sich brachte. Durch die Rekonstruktion dieser möglichen Bedeutungsfelder innerhalb eines historisch defi nierten Erwartungshorizonts kann Schütz’ Dafne in ein dichtes Netzwerk von musikalischen, litera- rischen und religiösen Entwicklungen im deutschen und europäischen Kulturraum eingeordnet werden. * Echo ist Klang – reiner Klang. Im dritten Buch von Ovids Metamorphosen wird die Nymphe Echo von der Göttin Juno für ihre Geschwätzigkeit dadurch bestraft, dass Juno ihr das selbstständige Sprach- vermögen raubt und sie nur noch die Stimmen anderer bruchstückhaft wiedergeben lässt. In einer weite- ren Fabel verliebt sich Echo in den hübschen Jüngling Narcissus, der aber
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