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JANÁCEK CHANDOS O PERA IN ENGLISH H UNN ITEVIXEN LITTLE CUNNING THE

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Leosˇ Janácˇek (1854–1928)

The Cunning Little Vixen Lebrecht Collection Lebrecht The Adventures of Fox Sharp-Ears

Opera in three acts by Leosˇ Janácˇek, English translation by Yveta Synek Graff and Robert T. Jones

Forester...... Cricket...... Stephen Wallder Caterpillar...... Shelley Nash Mosquito ...... Robert Tear Schoolmaster } Frog ...... Piers Lawrence Vixen Cub ...... Rebecca Bainbridge Forester’s Wife ...... Owl } Vixen Sharp-Ears ...... Lillian Watson Dog ...... Karen Shelby Pepík, the Forester’s son...... Fiona Dobie Frantík, Pepík’s friend...... Anna Lorimer Rooster ...... Mary Jay } Leosˇ Janácˇek

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Chief Hen ...... Glenys Groves Badger ...... Gwynne Howell COMPACT DISC ONE Time Page Priest } Pásek, Innkeeper...... John Dobson Act I Fox ...... Diana Montague 1 Prelude 3:15 [p. 72] Woodpecker ...... Pat Purcell 2 ‘Going to be a storm soon’ 1:32 [p. 72] Harasˇta, a poacher...... Nicholas Folwell Forester Innkeeper’s Wife...... Elizabeth Bainbridge 3 ‘Come on, old lady, and let’s get the show started’ 1:50 [p. 72] Cricket, Caterpillar, Mosquito, Frog Fox cubs: Rebecca Bainbridge, Christopher Barrett, Emily Baum, Emma Connolly, 4 ‘Mummy! Mummy! What is that?’ 1:40 [p. 72] Devin Gregory, Marc Lewis, Anna Lorimer, Adrian Lloyd, Gillian Ramsden, Vixen Cub, Forester Alexander Rattle, Pina Russo, Nicola Stephens, Giselle Unsworth, Stephen Wallder 5 Pantomime 3:23 [p. 73] Hens, Forest creatures and Voices: 6 Interlude 2:00 [p. 73] Royal House Chorus, 7 ‘Look at how big she’s grown!’ 1:24 [p. 73] Forester, Forester’s Wife, Vixen, Dog Robin Stapleton chorus master 8 ‘I’m just the same too’ 1:11 [p. 73] Orchestra of House, Covent Garden Vixen 9 ‘Look what we’ve got down ’ere’ 1:01 [p. 73] Pepík, Frantík, Vixen, Forester’s Wife, Forester 10 Interlude (beginning) (‘Ou, ou!’) 2:14 [p. 74] Vixen 11 Interlude (conclusion) 2:12 [p. 74] 12 ‘You should take a lesson from me!’ 0:58 [p. 74] Dog, Rooster, Hens, Chief Hen 13 ‘Sisters! Comrades!’ 2:09 [p. 75] Vixen, Hens, Rooster 14 ‘Come on then, don’t be frightened’ 1:39 [p. 75] Chief Hen, Forester’s Wife, Vixen, Forester

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Time Page Time Page

Act II 27 ‘O my God! He’s so handsome!’ 1:39 [p. 80] 15 Prelude 0:58 [p. 76] Vixen, Fox 16 ‘Ah!’ – ‘Who’s that out there screaming?’ 1:52 [p. 76] 28 ‘One dark night’ 3:15 [p. 81] Vixen, Badger, Forest creatures Vixen 17 Interlude 1:19 [p. 77] 29 ‘Fox Goldenstripe’ 1:18 [p. 81] 18 ‘In my new parish things have got to be better!’ 0:43 [p. 77] Fox, Vixen Priest, Forester 30 ‘Can it be that I am lovely?’ 3:57 [p. 82] 19 ‘Once long since, long ago’ 3:13 [p. 77] 31 ‘Let me go! I am afraid of you!’ 3:54 [p. 82] Forester, Schoolmaster, Priest, Pásek Vixen, Fox 20 ‘Home now?’ 1:23 [p. 78] 32 ‘If you had only seen what I saw just now’ 0:53 [p. 83] Forester, Pásek Owl, Jay, Vixen, Fox 21 Interlude 1:00 [p. 79] 33 ‘That’s how it is!’ 2:30 [p. 83] 22 ‘Something is wrong with my equilibrium’ 1:49 [p. 79] Fox, Vixen, Woodpecker, Forest creatures 23 ‘Staccato! Flageoletti!’ 1:26 [p. 79] TT 62:35 Schoolmaster 24 ‘So remember to be a good man!’ 2:09 [p. 79] Priest 25 ‘Memnestho aner agathos einai’ 1:11 [p. 80] Priest, Forester, Schoolmaster 26 Interlude 1:06 [p. 80]

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Lillian Watson as Vixen Sharp-Ears COMPACT DISC TWO Time Page Act III 1 Prelude 2:02 [p. 84] 2 ‘In the month of May’ 1:39 [p. 84] Harasˇta 3 ‘Hey there, Harasˇta, how’s it going?’ 3:50 [p. 84] Forester, Harasˇta 4 ‘Little foxes running fast’ 1:52 [p. 85] Fox Cubs, Vixen, Fox 5 ‘How many children do we have?’ 2:59 [p. 86] Fox, Vixen, Harasˇta 6 ‘Put it down fast! Harasˇta, Harasˇta!’ 3:44 [p. 87] Harasˇta, Vixen 7 Interlude 2:29 [p. 87] 8 ‘Where is old man Pásek?’ 2:18 [p. 87] 9 ‘Well I’m damned!’ 4:08 [p. 88] Forester, Innkeeper’s Wife, Schoolmaster 10 Interlude 1:04 [p. 88] 11 ‘Spring is here at last’ 3:01 [p. 88] 12 ‘When evening arrives, I welcome the rays’ 2:44 [p. 88] 13 ‘Hey! But I can’t see the Vixen there!’ 0:55 [p. 88] Forester 14 ‘Tha-that wasn’t me’ 1:18 [p. 89] Frog TT 34:12

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Thomas Allen as the Forester

Thomas Allen as the Forester, Gwynne Howell as the Priest and Robert Tear as the Schoolmaster

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the instalments as they came out: were that so had written none of the music, he had clear A Smile Like a Gold Medal he would have acquired only six more ideas of the opera’s general shape and nature. instalments, since the episode she describes Particularly interesting is his emphasis on How I’m looking forward to the work! In the then escapes, finds a mate, and raises a family comes very late in the novel. Somehow, ‘pantomime’ (i.e. mime). This idea is present summer in Luhacˇovice I thought over the matter, herself. The novel, published serially in the however, Janácˇek obtained an almost complete also in his annotations in the novel in which he I carry it about with me, I’m working on it. Well, Brno daily newspaper Lidové noviny in the collection of the newspaper cuttings. Though calls for ‘ballet’: Janácˇek’s evocation of the it will certainly take two years… ‘Will it be an spring of 1920, is an affectionate and these cuttings contain pencil markings by animal world was ultimately achieved through a opera in the ordinary sense?’ I ask. – People will observant evocation of life in the woods Janácˇek, it is clear that he worked mostly from daring mixture of dance/mime and voices, act in it as well as speak, but like animals. Foxes, around Brno (much of the dialogue is the novel in book form when it came out the notably children’s voices for some of the smaller old and young, frogs, mosquitoes – but you conducted in its earthy dialect). Human life is next year (1921). His copy of the novel is full animals and insects. Two weeks later, as a further know it from the book. It will be an opera as well centred on the forester Bartosˇ, and his two of interesting annotations in which he began trailer for the opera, Janácˇek published in Lidové as a pantomime. ‘What,’ I say, ‘like Rostand’s drinking companions, the parson and the shaping his libretto, the order of events and noviny one of his occasional ‘feuilletons’, the first Chanteclaire?’ – The human-animals in schoolmaster. A whole range of animal life is dialogue, its emphases on seasons and cyclic of several in which he notated birdsong. The Chanteclaire just philosophize. In my Vixen there also depicted, from the forester’s dog and movement, and the vocal pairings of some of its piece ends thus: ‘Why all these words about the will be dramatic action, stage action. And then farmyard hens, the vixen and her family, to the characters. By then Janácˇek was writing all his rugged notes of the goldfinch […]? In the first the animals! For years I have listened to them, animals, birds and insects of the forest. The own . Teˇsnohlídek wrote just one song place I liked him (or her). And second, I’m memorizing their speech; I’m at home with them. animals speak to one another but not, for him (the Forester’s song in the Act II inn collecting suitable companions for Lisˇka (from ‘Leosˇ Janácˇek’s new work’, however, to the humans. scene); the remaining songs, all in Act III, came Bystrousˇka’ (Lidové noviny, 1 June 1921). Lidové noviny, 15 May 1921) Quite what prompted Janácˇek to compose from well-known folk texts (the tunes, as usual, However, Janácˇek was still busy with the the piece is unclear. In a well-known passage in were Janácˇek’s). Janácˇek’s libretto stuck fairly final corrections to Kát’a Kabanová which had The news had travelled fast round Brno, her memoirs, the Janácˇeks’ long-serving maid, closely for the first two acts to Teˇsnohlídek’s its premiere in Brno on 12 November 1921. Janácˇek’s home town, about the subject of his Marie Stejskalová, claimed that Janácˇek had novel. The shape of Act III is Janácˇek’s alone, And work on Kát’a Kabanová continued even next opera – Rudolf Teˇsnohlídek’s Lisˇka come across her chuckling over the latest cobbled together ingeniously from various after this date in response to suggestions made Bystrousˇka (‘The Vixen Sharp-Ears’). It was an instalment in the paper, and she had there and episodes in the novel. by Max Brod as he translated the text into extraordinary choice. The novel had originally then declared it would make a wonderful When word got round of Janácˇek’s strange German. It was only later, towards the end of been written as a text to accompany a series of subject for an opera, especially for Janácˇek, with new opera Lidové noviny sent its reporter Adolf the year, that he mentioned his new opera drawings by the painter Stanislav Lolek. It his interest in notating animal sounds. She Vesel´y to interview the composer. As the extract again in a sudden postscript attached to an describes the life of a vixen caught as a cub spoils her claim by then suggesting that only quoted above shows, Janácˇek was surprisingly undated letter to Brod: ‘Wish me luck with and reared at home by a forester. The vixen then did Janácˇek begin reading and collecting forthcoming about the work, and although he Lisˇka Bystrousˇka as well!’. The actual writing

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began in the new year 1922. By August 1922 There is no doubt that in many ways opera itself, Janácˇek focuses on three aspects, Forester caught the Vixen. This ending at the he had made a first draft of the first two acts the opera that Janácˇek wrote is a ‘merry thing’. old age, change, and cyclical renewal, each beginning, with a vision of ‘The young Sharp- and, after a break in the summer, he added the It is by far his sunniest stage work and its evoking a sense of time’s passing. The opera’s Ears is the spitting image of her mother’ final act by November 1922, when the Brno inbuilt anthropomorphic joke of animals penultimate scene makes us aware of several (Janácˇek’s title for the scene), enables us to theatre made an early bid for performance behaving like humans leads to many changes in both the human and animal place the Vixen’s death within a perspective rights. As usual with Janácˇek this version was moments of pure comedy. At first sight the worlds: the inn where the Forester and his which encompasses perennial renewal. only a very rough preliminary draft and over ‘sad end’ might be taken to be the death of companions meet is being redecorated; Awareness of living in and through time the next year he completely rewrote it, the Vixen, which Janácˇek surprisingly tacked Terynka, the girl they talk and fantasise results in a viewpoint whereby the Vixen’s finishing his work by 10 October 1923. The on to the original novel when he made his about, gets married that very day; the Parson death and life is not seen as tragically finite first performance took place in Brno just over libretto. However, the Vixen’s death comes in has moved away to another village; the foxes but as a contribution to a larger, infinitely a year later, on 6 November 1924. the opera’s second to last, not its final scene have deserted their burrow; and the Forester continuing life cycle. Janácˇek was especially delighted with the and is notable for its musical restraint: the notices himself and his dog becoming stiff It seems that in this opera Janácˇek made his Brno production, as Marie Stejskalová noise of gunshot and then silence. Thus with age. The climax of the opera is reached peace with himself and with a life that had reported in her memoirs: Janácˇek avoids any possible scene of in the long scena for the Forester. Like the been neither easy, happy, nor, until recently, The master took great pleasure from the Brno sorrowing fox and cubs; the musical evocation Schoolmaster and Parson before him in the very successful. His third opera Jenu˚fa premiere of The Vixen. He would come back of pathetic or even tragic emotions which previous act, the Forester looks back on his (1894–1903), given in his fiftieth year, had from rehearsals laughing at how the singers were might be expected does not happen. Instead life, especially to his and happy had to wait another twelve years for learning to crawl on all fours. The opera chief we must look elsewhere for the opera’s ‘sad honeymoon. He remembers his married recognition beyond the tiny provincial centre [Frantisˇek] Neumann, the producer [Ota] Zítek, end’. life’s beginnings which, significantly, coincide of Brno. He had to write two more , and the painter [Eduard] Milén, who designed The clue lies in Janácˇek’s suggestive self- with the forest’s renewal in spring – ‘when both much-revised experimental works, before the sets, made such a beautiful work out of identification with the ending of his opera May arrives and love!’. But here time is arriving at full maturity. By then he was well The Vixen, that it surprised even the master. (‘And so I fit in there’), and with the sadness pictured not as linear but as cyclical, not as over sixty. Fate (1903–1907) was never of ageing and old age – he was approaching a source of sadness but of ‘a more than performed in his lifetime, The Excursions of *** seventy when he completed The Cunning Little earthly joy’. Mr. Broucˇek (1908–17) was performed in I have begun writing Lisˇka Bystrousˇka. A merry Vixen. Describing the final scene to Max Brod That emphasis on the cyclical nature of life 1920 in (his only premiere there), but thing with a sad end: and I am taking up a place (11 March 1923), Janácˇek wrote: ‘The is movingly achieved in the opera’s final given a cool reception. Janácˇek’s personal life at that sad end myself. And so I fit in there! Forester and the Schoolmaster grow old; the moments by a dream sequence which returns had been no easier with a marriage that had (Janácˇek to Kamila Stösslová, Parson has moved away. – It is spring in the to the location and animals of the opening gone wrong from the start, and which had 10 February 1922) forest – but also old age.’ Here, and also in the scene – the beginning of the tale in which the ceased to have any meaning after the early

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deaths of both his children. He had taken reached an accommodation with his long- works and may be cited as evidence that by Synopsis refuge in a series of affairs, most seriously with suffering wife. then Janácˇek had lost that peace of mind the singer Gabriela Horvátová (the first Prague seems then to which had been with him during the planning COMPACT DISC ONE Kostelnicˇka in Jenu˚fa), eventually driving his be an expression of Janácˇek’s hard-won, and writing of The Vixen. Teˇsnohlídek, wife to an unsuccessful suicide attempt. His long-withheld satisfaction with life, a work summoned by Janácˇek to discuss the project Act I sixth opera, Kát’a Kabanová (1919–1921), was written on a plateau of personal contentment with him soon after he began work, put his ‘How Sharp-Ears was caught’ * Cooper Bill his gloomiest and most tragic; the heroine, and artistic fulfilment. In it he was at last finger on it: 1 Prelude: the forest, a sunny summer closely identified in his letters with his latest able to contemplate his years and his Leosˇ Janácˇek was waiting in the little garden afternoon. The Badger’s head emerges from his amour, Kamila Stösslová, dies amidst approaching death within a philosophical of the Conservatory. He sat among the bushes, set, smoking a long pipe; flies circle around in melodramatic rattlings of a ‘fate theme’. But framework in which life made some sense. with thousands of tiny little blossoms above his a ballet; the Blue Dragonfly dances. by then the corner had been turned. With The light-hearted novel, with its cartoon-strip head; that head of his was just as white, and 2 All hide when a Forester approaches. Kát’a Kabanová Janácˇek had begun the origins (Janácˇek actually describes it in a letter seemed to be the largest of the flowers. He Complaining of weariness (‘Going to be a miraculous sequence of four late operas on as a ‘girl’s novel’) offered a starting point, smiled; and I knew at once that this was the storm soon’), he lies down to rest. As he dozes which, together with Jenu˚fa and the non- though the work he created from it was much smile which life awards us like a gold medal off, a Cricket and a Grasshopper appear with a operatic works from his final decade, his deeper and wiser and very personal: the for bravery in the face of the enemy. For bravery tiny barrel-organ. reputation now rests. With an energetic Forester’s great scena at the end of the in sorrow, humiliation and anger. At that 3 They strike up (‘Come on, old lady, and Austrian publisher, Universal Edition, which opera was played, according to Janácˇek’s moment I believed that Lisˇka Bystrousˇka was let’s get the show started’), and are joined by a eagerly promoted Jenu˚fa throughout the suggestions, at his funeral. In many ways sitting, tamed and quite overcome by the Mosquito and a Frog. German-speaking world and further, he was regarded now as Janácˇek’s most accessible kindliness of the man in the tiny garden, and 4 A young Vixen runs in. She stares at the rapidly becoming well known and even rich. opera, The Vixen is not a complacent work. that unseen she would draw near to sit at our Frog (‘Mummy! Mummy! What is that?’), In composition he had at last found a The dramatic modes with which he feet and listen to our conspiracy. Janácˇek made who takes a terrified leap and lands on the certainty of touch which enabled him to pour experiments – the unique blend of dance a few remarks about the story and then Forester’s nose. Awakened, the Forester spies out idiosyncratic masterpieces until his death and song, the strange mixing of animal and began talking about his forests there in the Vixen, grabs her and walks off with her at the age of seventy-four. In his personal life, human worlds, the cinematic succession of Valasˇsko, which I don’t know, about his studies tucked underneath his arm. his friendship with Kamila Stösslová (initiated tiny scenes – were advanced for their time, of bird noises and I became aware that he in 1917) was as yet a decorous amusement, and the opera had to wait many decades to had managed to know the happiness of being *Janácˇek did not number the scenes but gave titles conducted mostly in letters, and had not win over audiences and critics. The two operas able to smile. to those in which Vixen Sharp-Ears appears. In this become the passionate obsession that was to that followed, The Makropulos Affair and From booklet these titles are printed in quotation marks overwhelm his final years. He had even the House of the Dead, were much darker © 2003 John Tyrrell and underlined.

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5 The Blue Dragonfly returns, looks in 13 She berates the Hens for their slavish Schoolmaster asks after the Vixen, he admits, burrow on a warm, moonlit summer night; vain for the Vixen, settles down and folds its mentality (‘Sisters! Comrades!’). Finding them crossly, that she has escaped. she is lying with her muzzle on her paws wings. stupidly unresponsive, she retires to the 20 As he prepares to leave (‘Home now?’), listening to the voices of the Forest. rubbish heap and pretends to bury herself the Innkeeper angers him by asking him to be 27 A dogfox emerges. The Vixen is ‘Sharp-Ears at the Forester’s lakeside farmyard’ alive. ‘remembered’ when they deal with the Vixen. immediately attracted (‘O my god! He’s so 6 Interlude: the courtyard of the Forester’s 14 Urged on by the Chief Hen (‘Come on 21 Interlude: the scene changes to a handsome!’). Shy at first, she is soon telling lodge, autumn. The Forester’s dog, Lapák, and then, don’t be frightened’), the Hens approach moonlit pathway through the forest. him the story of her life, and impresses him the Vixen are lying side by side. inquisitively; the Vixen wrings their necks. For 22 Along it the Schoolmaster staggers with her independence and owner-occupier 7 The Forester comments on the Vixen’s this, the Forester beats her; she bites through homewards (‘Something is wrong with my status. size (‘Look at how big she’s grown!’); his wife her leash and escapes. equilibrium’). He eventually falls over near a 28 She then recounts her escape from the puts down a saucer of milk. Lapák confides to sunflower which the Vixen, hiding behind it, Forester (‘One dark night’). the Vixen that he’s never known love. Act II mischievously shakes. 29 The dogfox introduces himself (‘Fox 8 She sympathises (‘I’m just the same too’). ‘Sharp-Ears expropriates a home’ 23 He stares in amazement (‘Staccato! Goldenstripe’); the Vixen tells him her name is 9 The Forester’s son proudly shows off his 15 Prelude: the forest near the Badger’s set, Flageoletti!’) until, drunkenly convinced that Sharp-Ears. The courtship progresses. Learning unusual pet to a friend (‘Look what we’ve got late afternoon. the flower is Theresa (Terynka), the girl he is that she enjoys rabbit, the Fox excuses himself down ’ere’); cruelly teased by the boys, the 16 The Vixen peers into the burrow (‘Ah!’), in love with, he somersaults over the fence in a politely. Vixen attacks them; the Forester puts her on a disturbing the Badger (‘Who’s that out there gust of passion. 30 The Vixen is left to bask in the new leash. screaming?’). Supported by the Forest 24 The Priest comes bumbling along sensation of being admired (‘Can it be that I 10 Interlude: night falls, the sleeping Vixen Creatures, she provokes a quarrel and evicts muttering quotations from the classics am lovely?’) until the Fox returns with a meal is transformed into a young girl; she cries out him. (‘So remember to be a good man!’) and of rabbit. He declares his love and the Vixen in her sleep (‘Ou, ou!’). 17 Interlude: the scene changes to the snug recalling his youth. responds. 11 Dawn breaks, the Vixen is herself once at Pásek’s tavern. 25 Eventually he places the quotation: 31 Although his ardour frightens her more. 18 The Priest tells the Forester and the (‘Memnestho aner agathos einai’) Xenophon’s momentarily (‘Let me go! I am afraid of you!’) Schoolmaster about a change in his Anabasis. The Forester is heard shooting at the they eventually disappear together into the ‘Sharp-Ears as politician’; ‘Sharp-Ears runs away’ circumstances (‘In my new parish things have Vixen in the woods. burrow. The Blue Dragonfly dances a ballet. 12 Lapák gives her some advice about staying got to be better!’). 32 The birds gossip like fishwives (‘If you out of trouble (‘You should take a lesson from 19 The Forester reminisces (‘Once long ‘Sharp-Ears’s courtship’; ‘Sharp-Ears’s love and had only seen what I saw just now’). When me!’). Coming for their feed, the Hens and the since, long ago’), musing tipsily on the marriage’ the pair re-emerge at sunrise, the Vixen is Cock deride the Vixen for not laying eggs. inevitability of change and decay. When the 26 Interlude: the scene changes to the Vixen’s sobbing. She whispers into the Fox’s ears.

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33 He understands at once (‘That’s how it 7 Interlude: the scene changes to the only to find that he has picked up a Frog concert platform, he appears in recital in the is!’) and a wedding, performed by the garden of the inn. (‘Hey there! I remember you!’). United Kingdom, throughout Europe, in Woodpecker, is hastily arranged. The Forest 8 The Forester tells the Schoolmaster 14 The Frog, knowing what has gone Australia and America, and has made many Creatures celebrate with a ballet. about the deserted burrow (‘Where is old man before, smugly informs him (‘Tha-that wasn’t recordings. Pásek?’). A dead fox means a new muff for his me’) that he is the grandson of the one the Thomas Allen’s first book, Foreign Parts – COMPACT DISC TWO wife, he says. The Schoolmaster announces Forester remembers. Time, the seasons, the A Singer’s Journal, was published in 1993. His that Theresa (Terynka) is getting married generations, all march on. many honours and awards include Honorary Act III today and the Innkeeper’s wife mentions that Membership of the , ‘Sharp-Ears outwits Haraˇtas from Liˇens ’; ‘Sharp- the bride has a new muff. The news brings © 2003 Avril Bardoni Prince Consort Professor of the Royal College Ears’s death’ tears to the Schoolmaster’s eyes. of Music, and Hambro Visiting Professor of 1 Prelude: Autumn. A clearing in the forest. 9 The Forester, greatly surprised (‘Well I’m Born in County Opera Studies at Oxford University. In the 2 Harasˇta, a poacher, comes warbling damned!’), consoles his friend. Durham, Thomas New Year’s Honours of 1989 he was created a along the path (‘In the month of May’). Allen is an Commander of the British Empire, and in the 3 He sees a dead rabbit and is about to ‘The young Sharp-Ears is the spitting image of established star of 1999 Queen’s Birthday Honours he was made pick it up when the Forester hails him (‘Hey her mother’ the great opera a Knight Bachelor. there, Harasˇta, how’s it going?’). Foiled, 10 Interlude: the scene changes to the same houses of the world. Harasˇta announces that he is about to marry part of the Forest as in Act I. At the Royal Opera Lillian Watson Theresa (Terynka) and will never poach again. 11 The Forester is walking down the old House, Covent was born in 4 As they go off, some Foxcubs appear path, recalling the early days of his marriage Garden, where in and (‘Little foxes running fast’). They dance. The (‘Spring is here at last’). 2001 he celebrated studied at the Vixen and the Fox inspect the dead rabbit and 12 He revels in the beauty of the forest the thirtieth Guildhall recognize a trap. (‘When evening arrives’). As before, he dozes anniversary of his debut with the company, he School of 5 They discuss their brood (‘How many off. He wakes to find himself surrounded by has sung more than forty roles. In 2002 he Music and children do we have?’) and possible additions. the Forest Creatures. celebrated the twentieth anniversary of his Drama. She 6 Harasˇta reappears with a basket of 13 Bemusedly, he notices that one is debut at the , New York. made her chickens, sees the Vixen and reaches for his missing (‘Hey! But I can’t see the Vixen He has been particularly acclaimed for his operatic debut with as gun (‘Put it down fast!… Hurry, get your there!’), and is delighted when a tiny foxcub interpretations of , Pelléas, Eugene Papagena, and made her Royal Opera debut as gun!’). Teased and tripped by Sharp-Ears, he scampers up: he is sure it is one of Sharp-Ears’s Onegin, Count Almaviva, Beckmesser and Barbarina. She is internationally renowned for fires at her and kills her. children. He stretches out his hand to grasp it Don Giovanni. Equally renowned on the her interpretation of Blonde (Die Entführung

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aus dem Serail ) which she has performed at , Covent Garden, the Screw and the Gwynne Howell was Glyndebourne, Covent Garden, Hamburg and Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Théâtre following season born near Swansea at the Salzburg Festival. Other roles include de la Monnaie in Brussels, the Opéra national included his debut and obtained degrees Despina (Così fan tutte) in Vienna, at de Paris-Bastille, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires as Aschenbach in from the University Glyndebourne, Aix and at Covent Garden; and the Bayreuth and Salzburg Festivals. College of Wales and and both Ismène and Aspasia (Mitridate) Her repertory includes the major roles for with Glyndebourne Manchester which she has sung in Venice, Paris and mezzo- in operas by Mozart, Gluck, Touring Opera. University before London. She has also appeared with Welsh Strauss, Rossini, Bellini and Berlioz, and her Other appearances pursuing his vocal National Opera, , frequent concert engagements include include Gawain studies at the Royal Geneva Opera, Lausanne Opera, Rome Opera, performances under , James and Tales of Northern College of at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, and in Levine, , John Eliot Gardiner, Hoffmann (Royal Music. In 1968 he Israel, Toulouse and Antwerp. Seiji Ozawa, Jeffrey Tate and Andrew Davis. Opera House), joined Sadler’s Wells Recordings include Blonde (Die Entführung Diana Montague’s many recordings include (Welsh National Opera Opera. Since moving to The Royal Opera in aus dem Serail ) with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Monteverdi’s Orfeo, , and Opéra national de Paris-Bastille), Billy Budd 1972 he has sung most of the major roles Sydney Jones’ The Geisha, and Fido in Norma, Lucia di Lammermoor, Iphigénie en (Los Angeles Opera), and Jonathan Dove’s with the company, in productions including Chandos’s recording of Britten’s Paul Bunyan. Tauride, for Opera Rara Rosmonda The Palace in the Sky for English National Aida, , , La bohème, Tosca, Don d’Inghilterra, Zoraida di Granata and Il crociato Opera’s Bayliss Programme. Recordings include Giovanni, , , Tristan und Diana Montague in Egitto, and, for Chandos/Peter Moores Britten’s War , Mahler’s Das klagende Isolde, The Flying Dutchman, Palestrina and was born in Foundation, Cavalleria rusticana, Octavian in Lied, Die Winterreise, and, for Chandos, Albert . He has also performed regularly for Winchester and (highlights), Faust, and two Herring, Dyson’s The Canterbury Pilgrims and English National Opera, and at Welsh studied at the discs of Great Operatic Arias. Tippett’s . National Opera, and Royal Northern As conductor he has worked with the Glyndebourne. His extensive international College of Music. Robert Tear was born and educated in Wales, , Northern Sinfonia, career has taken him to the Metropolitan Since her debut as and became a choral scholar at King’s College, English Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Opera in New York, Chicago Lyric Opera, San Zerlina with Cambridge. He is a regular guest at the Royal Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Francisco, Santa Fe, Toronto, Hamburg, Glyndebourne Opera House, Covent Garden, having Toulouse Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Cologne, Munich, Paris, Geneva and Touring Opera she appeared there every season since his debut in Chamber Orchestra. Robert Tear is an Bruxelles. has appeared in 1970. In 1988/89 he made his debut with Honorary Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge, Gwynne Howell’s many recordings include venues such as the English National Opera in The Turn of the and in 1984 was awarded the CBE. Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, Un ballo in 22 23 CHAN 3101 BOOK.qxd 6/4/07 11:35 am Page 24

maschera, , Tristan and Isolde, also Artistic Adviser of the have been televised. Simon Rattle has received activities. In the 1987 New Year Honours, he Messiah and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Contemporary Music Group. He was a number of awards in recognition of his was awarded the CBE for his services to Music appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic outstanding contribution to music and his and in 1994 he was made a Knight Bachelor Simon Director of the Berliner Philharmoniker, involvement in educational and community in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Rattle was following in the steps of Herbert von Karajan born in and Daniel Barenboim, and took up the post Liverpool in in September 2002. Diana Montague as Fox and 1955 and He was Principal Guest Conductor of the Lillian Watson as Vixen Sharp-Ears studied at Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra from the Royal 1981 until 1994, and appeared with the Academy of Cleveland Orchestra and Chicago, San Music in Francisco, Toronto and Boston Symphony London. Orchestras. He made his New York debut In l974 he in 1985 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic won first and next appeared there with the City of prize in the John Player International Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 1988. Conducting Competition and became Opera appearances include Parsifal and Assistant Conductor of the Bournemouth ’s Sophie’s Choice for The Symphony and . He subsequently Royal Opera, with Los Angeles held a number of guest titles including Opera, Parsifal and Tristan and Isolde with the Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdam Netherlands Opera, Katya Kabanova with Philharmonic. English National Opera, and and In 1980 he became Principal Conductor Mozart’s Da Ponte operas at Glyndebourne. and Artistic Adviser of the City of Simon Rattle has made over sixty Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, then recordings, and has gained many prestigious Music Director from September 1990 until international awards. His Channel 4 television August 1998. Since October 1992, he has series Leaving Home received the 1997 BAFTA been Principal Guest Conductor of the award for ‘Best Arts Programme or Series’ and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and is a number of his recent Berlin programmes

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SIR PETER MOORES, CBE, DL youth, social and environmental projects. To date, because of his initiatives and life-long Sir Peter Moores was born in Lancashire and educated at Eton College commitment to these causes, he has disbursed more than £85 million of his own money through and Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied Italian and German. He the Foundation and the Peter Moores Charitable Trust – ‘to get things done and to open doors’.

Bill Cooper/PMF Bill had a ‘gap year’ at Glyndebourne working as a behind-the-scenes Projects to help the young have ranged from a scheme to encourage young Afro-Caribbeans to administrator before going to Oxford, then studied for three years at the stay on at school to the endowment of a Faculty Directorship and Chair of Management Studies at Vienna Academy of Music, where he produced the Austrian premiere of Oxford University (providing the lead donation in 1991 for the new School of Management 's and was a production assistant Studies). In 1994 a permanent Transatlantic Slave Trade Gallery, initiated by Peter Moores, opened with the Vienna State Opera working as assistant producer of at the Merseyside Maritime Museum, with the aim of fostering discussion about the heritage and performances by Viennese artists at the San Carlo Opera House, Naples, true history of the slave trade. Substantial help was given to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic at the Geneva Festival and at the Rome Opera. Development Trust, whilst through annual PMF Scholarships established in 1971 well over In 1957 he joined his father’s business, Littlewoods, becoming two hundred young singers have received practical support at the outset of their careers, enabling a Vice-Chairman in 1976, Chairman from 1977 to 1980 and remaining a significant number to become international opera stars. director until 1993. His public appointments include from 1981 to 1983 Governor of the BBC, In 1993 the Foundation acquired Compton Verney, an eighteenth-century mansion, and Trustee of the Tate Gallery from 1978 to 1985 and from 1988 to 1992 a Director of Scottish established the Compton Verney House Trust, an independent charity which it funded in order to Opera. He received the Gold Medal of the Italian Republic in 1974, an Honorary MA from transform the mansion into an art gallery designed especially to encourage newcomers to the visual Christ Church, Oxford in 1975, and was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Northern arts. Alongside major international touring exhibitions, it will house permanent collections of College of Music in 1985. In 1992 he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Lancashire by North European art, Neapolitan paintings and one of the finest collections of archaic oriental HM Queen Elizabeth II. He was appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1991 bronzes in the UK, as well as a British Portrait Collection and a British Folk Art Collection. The and received a Knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List for 2003 in recognition of his gallery is scheduled to open in Spring 2004. charitable services to the arts. Opera has given the Foundation its most public ‘face’. Since Peter Moores initiated the live recording of the ‘Goodall Ring’ at the London Coliseum in the 1970s, the Foundation has enabled PETER MOORES FOUNDATION some eighty recordings to be produced: Chandos Records’ Opera in English series – ‘Opera that Peter Moores’ philanthropic work began with his passion for opera: in his twenties he identified speaks your language’ – is now the largest recorded collection of operas sung in English whilst and helped a number of young artists in the crucial, early stages of their careers, several of whom – Opera Rara’s recordings of rare bel canto operas have opened up an immensely rich repertory Dame Joan Sutherland, Sir and the late Sir Geraint Evans amongst them – became previously only accessible to scholars. In live performance, the Foundation has encouraged the world-famous. He set up his eponymous Foundation in 1964 when he was thirty-two, in order to creation of new work and schemes to attract new audiences, financing the publication of scores develop his charitable aims, not only in music and the visual arts, but also in education, health, and enabling rarely heard works to be staged by British opera companies and festivals.

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habe sie ihm den Stoff als Opernidee Episoden der Novelle genial miteinander Ein lächeln wie eine Goldmedaille vorgeschlagen, zumal er doch immer die Laute verknüpfte. von Tieren aufschreibe. Von dem Moment an Als sich die Kunde von der seltsamen neuen Wie ich dem Werk entgegen sehe! Im Sommer die mit verbindenden Texten Rudolf habe Janácˇek die wenigen noch ausstehenden Oper Janácˇeks verbreitete, schickte Lidové in Luhacˇovice habe ich darüber nachgedacht, ich Teˇsnohlídeks im Frühling 1920 von der Fortsetzungen gelesen und gesammelt. noviny seinen Reporter Adolf Vesely´ zu einem gehe damit umher, ich arbeite daran. Nun, es örtlichen Tageszeitung Lidové noviny als Irgendwie gelangte Janácˇek jedoch in den Interview mit dem Komponisten. Wie der wird sicherlich zwei Jahre dauern … “Wird es Fortsetzungsgeschichte abgedruckt worden Besitz einer fast vollständigen Sammlung der eingangs zitierte Auszug beweist, war Janácˇek eine Oper im herkömmlichen Sinne sein?”, frage war. Die Erlebnisse des Füchsleins, das in Zeitungsausschnitte, die von ihm mit Bleistift überraschend offen, und obwohl er noch keine ich. – Es werden Menschen darin schauspielern jungen Jahren dem Förster in die Hände fällt, markiert wurden. Als die Novelle dann im Jahr Note zu Papier gebracht hatte, waren seine und auch sprechen, aber so wie Tiere. Füchse, alt als Haustier aufwächst, aber schließlich darauf (1921) separat veröffentlicht wurde, Vorstellungen von der allgemeinen Form und und jung, Frösche, Mücken – aber Sie kennen ja entkommt und eine eigene Familie gründet, konnte er die eigentliche Arbeit beginnen. Art des Werkes klar in ihm herangereift. das Buch. Es wird eine Oper sein und eine sind eine liebenswerte und gut beobachtete Sein Exemplar enthält zahlreiche faszinierende Besonders interessant ist sein Verweis auf die Pantomime. “Was”, sage ich, “so wie Rostands Naturschilderung aus den Wäldern um Brünn Anmerkungen, die Aufschluss darüber geben, “Pantomime”. Diese Idee tritt überall dort in Chanteclaire?” – Die Menschtiere in Chanteclaire (koloriert durch den Dialog im derben wie er dem Libretto erste Gestalt gab, das der Novelle, wo seine Anmerkungen ein philosophieren nur. In meinem Füchslein wird es Dialekt). Das menschliche Leben dreht sich Geschehen und den Dialog, die “Ballett” verlangen, deutlich hervor: Die dramatische Handlung, Bühnenhandlung, um den Förster Bartos und seine beiden jahreszeitlichen Akzente und die zyklische Tierwelt Janácˇeks verdankt ihren Charakter geben. Und dann die Tiere! Seit Jahren habe ich Zechkumpane, den Pfarrer und den Form sowie die Vokalkombinationen der letztlich einer gewagten Mischung von ihnen gelauscht, mir ihre Sprache eingeprägt; ich Schulmeister. Auch das Tierleben ist reich Protagonisten herausbildete. Janácˇek verfasste Tanz/Pantomime und Stimmen, vor allem fühle mich wohl mit ihnen. bebildert, vom Försterhund und dem Geflügel nun schon alle seine Librettos selbst. Kinderstimmen für einige der kleineren Tiere (aus “Leos Janácˇeks neues Werk”, über das Füchslein und seine Familie bis zu Teˇsnohlídek schrieb nur ein Lied für ihn (das und Insekten. Zwei Wochen später Lidové noviny, 15. Mai 1921) den Tiere, Vögeln und Insekten des Waldes. Lied des Försters in der Wirtshausszene im veröffentlichte Janácˇek als weitere Die Tiere kommunizieren miteinander, jedoch 2. Akt); die restlichen Lieder, alle im 3. Akt, Vorankündigung der Oper eines seiner Die Nachricht vom Thema seiner nächsten nicht mit den Menschen. beruhen auf den Texten bekannter gelegentlichen “Feuilletons” in Lidové noviny, Oper hatte sich in Brünn, der Heimatstadt Was nun Janácˇek dazu bewog, diesen Stoff Volksweisen, während die Melodien wie üblich das erste von mehreren, in denen er Janácˇeks, wie ein Lauffeuer verbreitet: Lisˇka zu vertonen, bleibt unklar. Seine langjährige von Janácˇek persönlich stammten. Beim Vogelgesänge in Notenform brachte. Der Bystrousˇka (“Das Füchslein Schlaukopf”). Es Hausangestellte, Marie Stejskalová, wird 1. und 2. Akt des Librettos hielt sich der Artikel schließt mit den Sätzen: “Warum so war eine bemerkenswerte Wahl. Die Handlung häufig mit der Erinnerung zitiert, wie Janácˇek Komponist noch eng an die Vorlage viele Worte über die markanten Noten des hatte ihre Ursprünge in einer Reihe von hinzugekommen sei, als sie amüsiert in die Teˇsnohlídeks; der 3. Akt verdankt seine Form Stieglitz […]? Erstens fand ich Gefallen an Federzeichnungen des Malers Stanislav Lolek, Zeitungslektüre vertieft gewesen sei; sogleich jedoch alleine Janácˇek, der dabei verschiedene ihm (oder ihr). Und zweitens bin ich dabei,

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geeignete Begleiter für Lisˇka Bystrousˇka zu besonders angetan, wie Marie Stejskalová in der Novelle anfügte. Doch Füchsleins Tod Bewusstsein: Das Wirtshaus, wo der Förster sammeln.” (Lidové noviny, 1. Juni 1921). ihren Erinnerungen festhielt: ereignet sich in der vorletzten, nicht in der und seine Freunde einkehren, wird renoviert; Allerdings war Janácˇek noch mit den letzten Der Herr fand großen Gefallen an der Brünner letzten Szene und zeichnet sich durch Terynka, von der alle reden und träumen, Korrekturen an Katja Kabanowa beschäftigt, Premiere von Das Füchslein. Wenn er von den musikalische Zurückhaltung aus: Man hört heiratet an diesem Tag; der Pfarrer ist in ein die am 12. November 1921 in Brünn zur Proben heimkehrte, lachte er oft darüber, wie die das Schießen, und dann herrscht Stille. Auf anderes Dorf gezogen; die Füchse haben ihren Uraufführung kam. Selbst danach wurde er Sänger lernten, auf allen Vieren zu kriechen. Der diese Weise vermeidet Janácˇek eine Bau verlassen; und der Förster stellt fest, dass von Katja Kabanowa weiter in Anspruch Opernchef [Frantisˇek] Neumann, der Regisseur Trauerszene mit Reinecke und den ihm ebenso wie seinem Dackel die Glieder genommen, nachdem Max Brod, der die [Ota] Zítek, und der Maler [Eduard] Milén, der Fuchskindern; die Erwartungen an eine schwer werden. Die Oper erreicht ihren deutsche Bearbeitung vornahm, einige das Bühnenbild entwarf, machten so etwas musikalische Darstellung von Mitleid Höhepunkt in der langen Szene für den Vorschläge gemacht hatte. Erst gegen Ende des Schönes aus dem Füchslein, dass es selbst den erregenden oder gar tragischen Emotionen Förster. So wie der Schulmeister und der Jahres kam Janácˇek erneut auf die neue Oper Herrn überraschte. werden nicht erfüllt. Stattdessen müssen wir Pfarrer im vorausgegngenen Akt, lässt der zu sprechen, in einem Nachsatz zu einem das “traurige Ende” der Oper an einer anderen Förster sein Leben an sich vorüberziehen, undatierten Brief an Brod: “Wünschen Sie mir *** Stelle suchen. besonders seine Jugendzeit und die frohen auch Glück mit Lisˇka Bystrousˇka!”. Die Ich habe mit Lisˇka Bystrousˇka begonnen. Ein Der Schlüssel liegt in Janácˇeks angedeuteter Flitterwochen. Er erinnert sich an die junge eigentliche Arbeit begann im neuen Jahr 1922. fröhliches Ding mit einem traurigen Ende: und Selbstidentifizierung mit dem Ende seiner Ehe, die bezeichnenderweise mit der Im August 1922 lagen die ersten beiden Akte ich nehme selbst einen Platz am traurigen Ende Oper (“Und so passe ich dort hinein”) und Erneurung des Waldes im Frühling als Entwurf vor, und als nach einer ein. Und so passe ich dort hinein! mit dem traurigen Altwerden – er selbst ging zusammenfiel – “wenn der Mai kommt und Sommerpause im November 1922 auch der (Janácˇek an Kamila Stösslová, auf die siebzig zu, als er Das schlaue Füchslein die Liebe!”. Doch hier fließt die Zeit nicht letzte Akt Gestalt angenommen hatte, bewarb 10. Februar 1922) vollendete. Über die Schlussszene schrieb linear, sondern zyklisch, es ist kein Grund zur sich das Theater in Brünn bereits früh um die Janácˇek an Max Brod (11. März 1923): “Der Trauer, sondern zu einer “mehr als irdischen Aufführungsrechte. Wie von Janácˇek gewohnt, Niemand wird bestreiten wollen, dass Janácˇeks Förster und der Schulmeister werden alt; der Freude”. repräsentierte diese erste Fassung das Konzept Oper “ein fröhliches Ding” ist. Sie ist sein bei Pfarrer ist fortgezogen. – Es ist Frühling im Der natürliche Kreislauf des Lebens wird in nur in groben Zügen, und im Laufe des weitem sonnigstes Bühnenwerk, und die Wald – aber auch Lebensabend.” Hier den letzten Momenten der Oper auf nächsten Jahres schrieb er die Oper völlig um. anthropomorphe Ironie, dass die Tiere sich wie konzentriert sich Janácˇek so wie in der Oper ergreifende Weise hervorgehoben, durch einen Am 10. Oktober 1923 zog er den Menschen verhalten, ruft viele urkomische selbst auf drei Aspekte: Lebensabend, Wandel Traum, der an den Ort und zu den Tieren der Schlussstrich, und ein weiteres Jahr später, am Momente hervor. Oberflächlich betrachtet und zyklische Erneuerung, die alle den Lauf Eröffnungsszene zurückführt – zum Anfang 6. November 1924, kam das Werk in Brünn könnte man unter dem “traurigen Ende” den der Zeit zum Ausdruck bringen. Die vorletzte der Geschichte, als der Förster das Füchslein zur Uraufführung. Tod des Füchsleins verstehen, den Janácˇek in Szene der Oper führt uns Veränderungen in fing. Dass sich am Ende der Kreis mit der Janácˇek war von dieser ersten Inszenierung seinem Libretto überraschend an den Ausgang der Welt der Menschen und der Tiere zu Erkenntnis “Das junge Füchslein sieht der

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Mutter täuschend ähnlich” (Janácˇeks Titel für einer Reihe von Affären, vor allem mit der seine letzten Jahre bestimmen sollte. Er hatte Publikum und Kritik Jahrzehnte lang warten. die Szene) schließt, lässt uns den Tod des Sängerin Gabriela Horvátová (der ersten sich sogar mit seiner langmütigen Frau Die beiden folgenden Opern, Die Sache Füchsleins in einen Rahmen der immer Prager Kostelnicˇka in Jenufa), die schließlich arrangiert. Makropulos und Aus dem Totenhaus, waren in wiederkehrenden Erneuerung rücken. Das seine Frau in einen erfolglosen Somit scheint Das schlaue Füchslein ein ihrem Wesen finsterer und lassen vermuten, Leben findet dann mit dem Tod nicht ein Selbstmordversuch trieben. Seine sechste Oper, Ausdruck der hart erkämpften, lange dass die innere Ruhe, die ihn während der Ende, sondern es ordnet sich bei aller Katja Kabanowa (1919–1921), übertraf alles unterdrückten Lebenszufriedenheit Janácˇeks Planung und Durchführung von Das schlaue Begrenzung in einen größeren, unendlichen in ihrer finsteren Tragik; die Heldin, die in der zu sein, entstanden auf einem Plateau der Füchslein beseelt hatte, inzwischen wieder Lebenskreislauf ein. Korrespondenz als seine geliebte Muse Kamila persönlichen Harmonie und künstlerischen abging. Teˇsnohlídek, von bald nach Janácˇek scheint in dieser Oper mit sich und Stösslová identifizierbar ist, stirbt unter den Erfüllung. Hier konnte er schließlich seine Arbeitsbeginn zur Besprechung des Projekts seinem Leben, das weder einfach, noch melodramatischen Klängen eines Vergangenheit und seinen bevorstehenden Tod eingeladen, erfasste den Moment: glücklich und auch bis zuletzt nicht erfolgreich “Schicksalsthemas”. Doch inzwischen hatte in einem philosophischen Rahmen betrachten, Leosˇ Janácˇek wartete im Wintergarten. Er saß gewesen war, Frieden geschlossen zu haben. sein eigenes Schicksal eine Wende genommen. in dem das Leben Sinn ergab. Die heitere zwischen den Sträuchern, mit Tausenden von Seine dritte Oper Jenufa (1894–1903), die in Mit Katja Kabanowa hatte Janácˇek die Novelle mit ihren karikaturistischen winzigen Blüten über seinem Haupt; dieses seinem fünfzigsten Lebensjahr uraufgeführt wunderbare Erfolgsreihe von vier späten Ursprüngen (Janácˇek sprach später in einem Haupt war ebenso weiß und schien die größte wurde, wuchs erst nach zwölf Jahren über die Opern eingeleitet, die zusammen mit Jenu˚fa Brief von einem “Mädchenroman”) gab ihm der Blumen zu seinen. Er lächelte; und ich provinzielle Anerkennung in Brünn hinaus. Er und den Werken aus seinem letzten Jahrzehnt einen Anfang, aus dem ein sehr viel wusste sofort, dass dies das Lächeln war, mit musste zwei weitere Opern schreiben, beides heute seinen Ruf begründen. Mit Hilfe seines tiefgründigeres, weiseres und persönlicheres dem uns das Leben, einer goldenen Medaille intensiv überarbeitete Experimentalwerke, dynamischen österreichischen Verlagshauses, Werk entsprang: Die große Schlussszene des ähnlich, für Tapferkeit vor dem Feinde bevor er zur Reife fand. Inzwischen war er Universal Edition, das Jenu˚fa im Försters wurde auf Janácˇeks Wunsch bei seiner auszeichnet. Für Tapferkeit in Trauer, weit über sechzig. Osud (1903–1907) wurde deutschsprachigen Raum und weit darüber Beerdigung gespielt. Obwohl es in vielerlei Demütigung und Zorn. In diesem Moment zu seinen Lebzeiten nicht inszeniert, Ausflüge hinaus publizierte, fand er schnell zu Ruhm Hinsicht heute als die zugänglichste Oper glaubte ich, dass Lisˇka Bystrousˇka, von der Güte des Herrn Broucˇek (1908–17) kam 1920 in und Wohlstand. Als Komponist hatte er Janácˇeks gilt, ist Das schlaue Füchslein kein des Mannes gezähmt und überwältigt, in dem Prag zur Uraufführung (Janácˇeks einzige endlich eine Ader entdeckt, die ihm bis zu selbstgefälliges Werk. Die dramatischen Mittel, winzigen Garten saß und unsichtbar näher dortige Premiere), fand jedoch kaum seinem Tode im Alter von 74 Jahren mit denen er experimentiert – die einzigartige rücken würde, um uns zu Füßen zu sitzen und Widerhall. Auch das Privatleben des idiosynchratische Meisterwerke eingab. Seine Verschmelzung von Tanz und Lied, die unserer Verschwörung zu lauschen. Janácˇek Komponisten stand unter einem unseligen Beziehung zu Kamila Stösslová (die 1917 seltsame Verzahnung von Tier– und machte ein paar Bemerkungen zu der Geschichte Stern: Seine Ehe war von Anfang an belastet begonnen hatte), vor allem in Briefen zum Menschenwelt, die filmische Abfolge kürzester und begann dann, über die Wälder dort in und verlor nach dem frühen Tod beider amüsanten Zeitvertreib gepflegt, hatte noch Szenen – waren ihrer Zeit weit voraus, und das Valasˇsko zu sprechen, die mir unbekannt sind, Kinder allen Inhalt. Er suchte Zuflucht in nicht den Grad von Leidenschaft erreicht, der Werk musste auf die Anerkennung durch über seine Studien des Vogelgesangs, und es

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wurde mir klar, dass ihm die Seligkeit gegeben Schlaf gerissene Förster erblickt das Füchslein, 11 Der Tag bricht an, und das Füchslein und verärgert den Dachs (“Who’s that out war, die aus der Fähigkeit zum Lächeln erwächst. fasst zu und nimmt es mit nach Hause. nimmt wieder seine normale Gestalt an. there screaming?”). Mit Hilfe der Waldtiere 5 Die Libelle kehrt zurück, sucht zettelt das Füchslein einen Streit mit dem © 2003 John Tyrrell vergeblich nach dem Füchslein und faltet “Schlaukopf als Politikerin”; “Schlaukopf Dachs an, der das Weite sucht. traurig die Flügel ein. entkommt” 17 Zwischenspiel. Im Wirtshaus von Pásek. Handlung 12 Lapák rät dem Füchslein, Ärger zu 18 Der Pfarrer erzählt dem Förster und “Schlaukopf auf dem Hof der Försterei am See” vermeiden (“You should take a lesson from dem Schulmeister von seinem Wunsch nach COMPACT DISC ONE 6 Zwischenspiel: Auf dem Hof der Försterei, me!”). Der Hahn und seine Hennen machen Versetzung (“In my new parish things have got im Herbst. Lapák, der Dackel des Försters, sich darüber lustig, dass das Füchslein keine to get better!”). 1. Akt und das Füchslein liegen nebeneinander. Eier legt. 19 Der Förster schwelgt in Erinnerungen “Wie Schlaukopf gefangen wurde” * 7 Dem Förster fällt auf, dass das Füchslein 13 Das Füchslein versucht, die dem Hahn (“Once long since, long ago”) und sinniert 1 Vorspiel: Im Wald, an einem schwülen herangewachsen ist (“Look at how big she’s allzu gefügigen Hennen aufzuwiegeln (“Sisters! beschwipst über die Unabwendbarkeit des Sommernachmittag. Der Dachs steckt den grown”); seine Frau stellt eine Schale Milch Comrades!”). Doch als die Hühner sich nicht Wandels und des Niedergangs. Als der Kopf aus seinem Bau und lässt sich eine lange hin. Lapák gesteht dem Füchslein, dass ihn aus ihrer Dummheit reißen lassen, scharrt sich Schulmeister sich nach dem Füchslein Pfeife schmecken; Fliegen kreisen im Ballett; niemand liebt. das Füchslein verdrossen in eine Grube ein. erkundigt, gesteht der Förster brummig seinen die blaue Libelle tanzt. 8 Es zeigt Mitleid (“I’m just the same too”). 14 Von der Schopfhenne gedrängt (“Come Verlust ein. 2 Alle verstecken sich vor dem Förster. 9 Der Förstersohn prahlt vor einem on then, don’t be frightened”), werfen die 20 Beim Abschied (“Home now?”) verärgert Matt und müde (“Going to be a storm soon”) Freund mit dem ungewöhnlichen Haustier neugierigen Hennen einen näheren Blick auf ihn Pásek mit der Bitte, dem Füchslein schöne legt er sich einen Augenblick hin. Während er (“Look what we’ve got down ’ere”); als sich das den vermeintlichen Selbstmordversuch; dafür Grüße zu bestellen. einschlummert, erscheinen eine Grille und Füchslein gegen die Neckereien der Jungen werden sie vom Füchslein erwürgt. Der 21 Zwischenspiel. Auf einem eine Heuschrecke mit einem winzigen wehrt, wird es vom Förster angebunden. aufgebrachte Förster will das Füchslein mondbeschienenen Waldweg. Leierkasten. 10 Zwischenspiel: In der Nacht verwandelt prügeln, das jedoch den Strick durchbeißt und 22 Der Schulmeister taumelt heim 3 Sie spielen auf (“Come on, old lady, and sich das Füchslein in ein junges Mädchen und entkommt. (“Something is wrong with my equilibrium”). let’s get the show started”), und eine Mücke weint im Schlaf (“Ou, ou!”). An einer Sonnenblume, die das schelmische und ein Frosch gesellen sich hinzu. 2. Akt Füchslein aus dem Versteck vor ihm bewegt, 4 Ein Füchslein läuft herbei und starrt den *Janácˇek gab den Szenen keine Nummern, sondern “Schlaukopf enteignet eine Wohnung” fällt er zu Boden. Frosch an (“Mummy! Mummy! What is betitelte nur diejenigen, in denen Füchslein 15 Vorspiel: Im Wald bei der Dachshöhle, 23 Verblüfft starrt er die Blume an that?”), der erschrocken fortspringt und auf Schlaukopf auftritt. In diesem Beiheft erscheinen später Nachmittag. (“Staccato! Flageoletti!”), fest überzeugt davon, der Nase des Försters landet. Der aus dem diese Titel in Anführungszeichen und unterstrichen. 16 Das Füchslein späht in den Bau (“Ah!”) dass es sich um die geliebte Theresa [Terynka]

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handelt, und in einem Anfall von Leidenschaft erzählt, entschuldigt er sich für einen 3 Er erblickt ein totes Kaninchen, kann es Bei dieser Nachricht kommen dem setzt er über den Zaun. Moment. aber nicht einstecken, weil der Förster kommt Schulmeister die Tränen. 24 Nun kommt der Pfarrer. Er murmelt 30 Das Füchslein freundet sich mit dem (“Hey there, Harasˇta, how’s it going?”). 9 Der Förster ist verdattert (“Well I’m klassische Zitate vor sich hin (“So remember neuen Gefühl an, bewundert zu werden (“Can Háraschta erzählt ihm von seiner damned!”) und tröstet seinen Freund. to ge a good man”) und wird ebenfalls von it be that I am lovely?”), bis der Fuchs mit bevorstehenden Hochzeit mit Theresa Erinnerungen verfolgt. einem Kaninchenbraten zurückkehrt. Er gesteht [Terynka] und dass er nie wieder wildern wird. “Das junge Füchslein Schlaukopf sieht der 25 Schließlich fällt ihm die Quelle des seine Liebe, und das Füchslein erwidert sie. 4 Nach ihrem Abgang erscheint eine ganze Mutter täuschend ähnlich” Zitats (“Memnestho aner agathos einai”) ein: 31 Obwohl seine Leidenschaft sie zunächst Fuchsfamilie (“Little foxes running fast”). Die 10 Zwischenspiel. Die Waldszene aus dem 1. Akt. Xenophons Anabasis. Den Förster hört man verschreckt (“Let me go! I am afraid of you!”), Kinder tanzen. Schlaukopf und Reinicke 11 Der Förster ist in den Wald das Füchslein mit Schüssen verscheuchen. verschwinden sie schließlich gemeinsam im untersuchen das tote Kaninchen und erkennen zurückgekehrt und erinnert sich an die Bau. Die blaue Libelle tanzt ein Ballett. die Falle. Anfangszeit seiner Ehe (“Spring is here at last”). “Schlaukopfs Liebesnacht”; “Schlaukopfs Glück 32 Die Vögel tratschen wie Marktweiber 5 Sie unterhalten sich über den 12 Er lässt die Schönheit des Waldes auf und Vermählung” (“If you had only seen what I saw just now”). Nachwuchs (“How many children do we sich einwirken (“When evening arrives”). 26 Zwischenspiel. Eine warme Mondnacht am Als das Paar bei Sonnenaufgang wieder have?”) und die Vergrößerung der Familie. Wieder schlummert er ein. Beim Erwachen Bau. Das Füchslein liegt entspannt und erscheint, beginnt das Füchslein zu schluchzen. 6 Háraschta kommt mit einem Korb findet er sich von den Waldtieren umringt lauscht den Stimmen des Waldes. Sie flüstert dem Fuchs etwas ins Ohr. Hühner zurück, sieht das Füchslein und greift 13 Verwundert bemerkt er, dass ein Tier 27 Ein Fuchs kommt vorbei. Das Füchslein 33 Er begreift sofort (“That’s how it is”), zum Gewehr (“Put it down fast… Hurry, get fehlt (“Hey! But I can’t see the vixen there!”), ist gleich von ihm angetan (“Oh my god! He’s und schnellstens wird die Trauung durch den your gun!”). Von Schlaukopf provoziert und und freut sich über ein junges Füchslein, das so handsome”). Sie überwindet ihre Specht arrangiert. Die Waldtiere feiern das zu Fall gebracht, schießt er zornig um sich und sicherlich eines von Schlaukopfs Kindern sein anfängliche Schüchternheit und erzählt ihm Ereignis mit einem Ballett. tötet sie. muss. Als er die Hand danach ausstreckt, fängt bald ihre Lebensgeschichte. Er ist von ihrer 7 Zwischenspiel. Im Garten der er stattdessen einen Frosch (“Hey there! I Unabhängigkeit und ihrem Status als COMPACT DISC TWO Schenke. remember you!”). Hausbesitzerin beeindruckt. 8 Der Förster erzählt dem Schulmeister 14 Der Frosch, wohlwissend, was geschehen 28 Nun berichtet sie, wie sie dem Förster 3. Akt von dem verlassenen Fuchsbau (“Where is old ist, stellt sich als Enkel des Frosches vor, der den entkam (“One dark night”). “Schlaukopf überlistet Háraschta aus Lisen”; man Pásek?”). Ein toter Fuchs bedeute einen Förster einst unsanft weckte (“Tha-that wasn’t 29 Der Fuchs macht sicht bekannt (“Fox “Schlaukopfs Tod” neuen Muff für seine Frau. Der Schulmeister me”). Die Natur, die Jahreszeiten, die Goldenstripe”); das Füchslein stellt sich als 1 Vorspiel: Herbst. Auf einer Lichtung. verkündet, dass Theresa [Terynka] heute Generationen, alle nehmen ihren Lauf. Schlaukopf vor. Die beiden kommen sich 2 Der Wilderer Háraschta zieht singend getraut werde, und die Frau des Wirts näher. Als sie ihm von ihrer Lieblingsspeise durch den Wald (“In the month of May”). erwähnt, die Braut besitze einen neuen Muff. © 2003 John Tyrrell

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Thomas Allen, in County Durham geboren, debütierte an der Royal Opera Covent Garden Buenos Aires – sowie bei den Bayreuther und darauf sang er zum erstenmal Aschenbach in hat an allen großen Opernhäusern der Welt als Barbarina. International berühmt ist sie als Salzburger Festspielen aufgetreten. Death in Venice mit der Glyndebourne Touring gesungen. Alleine an der Royal Opera Covent Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail ) – eine Ihr Repertoire umfasst die wichtigen Rollen Opera. Es folgten Gawain und Les Contes Garden, wo er 2001 sein dreißigjähriges Rolle, die sie in Glyndebourne, Covent für Mezzosopran in Opern von Mozart, d’Hoffmann (Royal Opera House), Le nozze di Jubiläum feierte, hat er mehr als vierzig Rollen Garden, Hamburg und bei den Salzburger Gluck, Strauss, Rossini, Bellini und Berlioz, Figaro (Welsh National Opera und Opéra verkörpert. 2002 beging er sein zwanzigig- Festspielen verkörpert hat. Außerdem hat sie und im Rahmen regelmäßiger national de Paris-Bastille), Billy Budd (Los jähriges Jubiläum an der Metropolitan Opera Despina (Così fan tutte) in Wien, Konzertverpflichtungen ist sie unter der Angeles Opera) und Jonathan Doves The New York. Glyndebourne, Aix und Covent Garden sowie Leitung von Georg Solti, , Palace in the Sky im Rahmen des Bayliss- Besonders berühmt ist er für Leibrollen wie Ismène und Aspasia (Mitridate) in Venedig, Riccardo Muti, John Eliot Gardiner, Seiji Programms der English National Opera. Zu Billy Budd, Pelléas, Eugen Onegin, Graf Paris und London gesungen. Weitere Ozawa, Jeffrey Tate und Andrew Davis seinen Schallplattenaufnahmen gehören Almaviva, Beckmesser und Don Giovanni. Als Verpflichtungen haben sie an die Welsh aufgetreten. Brittens , Mahlers Das klagende ebenso berühmter Konzertkünstler tritt er National Opera, English National Opera, an Diana Montague hat zahlreiche Lied und Die Winterreise sowie für Chandos regelmäßig in ganz Europa, Australien und die Bühnen von Genf, Lausanne und Rom, an Schallplatten aufgenommen, u.a. Monteverdis , Dysons The Canterbury Amerika auf, und er hat unzählige das Théâtre des Champs Elysées sowie nach Orfeo, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Norma, Lucia Pilgrims und Tippetts King Priam. Schallplatten aufgenommen. Israel, Toulouse und Antwerpen geführt. di Lammermoor, Iphigénie en Tauride, für Als Dirigent ist er mit den London Mozart Thomas Allens erstes Buch, Foreign Parts – Ihre Schallplattenaufnahmen umfassen Opera Rara Rosmonda d’Inghilterra, Zoraida di Players, der Northern Sinfonia, dem English A Singer’s Journal, wurde 1993 veröffentlicht. Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail ) mit Granata und Il crociato in Egitto sowie für Chamber Orchestra, , Er ist Ehrenmitglied der Royal Academy of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, The Geisha von Chandos/Peter Moores Foundation Cavalleria Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Music, Prince Consort Professor am Royal Sydney Jones und Fido in der Chandos- rusticana, Oktavian in Der Rosenkavalier Kammerorchester Toulouse und Scottish College of Music und Hambro Gastprofessor Aufnahme von Brittens Paul Bunyan. (Auszüge), Faust und zwei Sammlungen großer Chamber Orchestra aufgetreten. Robert Tear für Opernstudien an der Universität Oxford. Opernarien. ist Ehrenmitglied des King’s College 1989 erhielt er den britischen Verdienstorden Diana Montague wurde in Winchester Cambridge und seit 1984 Träger des britischen CBE, und 1999 wurde er von Königin geboren und studierte am Royal Northern Robert Tear wuchs im heimatlichen Wales Verdienstordens CBE. Elizabeth II. in den Adelsstand erhoben. College of Music. Seit ihrem Debüt als Zerlina auf, bevor er als Chorstipendiat vom King’s mit der Glyndebourne Touring Opera ist sie College Cambridge aufgenommen wurde. Seit Gwynne Howell wurde unweit von Swansea Lillian Watson wurde in London geboren und an vielen namhaften Opernhäusern – Royal seinem Debüt an der Royal Opera Covent geboren und studierte am University College studierte an der Guildhall School of Music Opera Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera Garden 1970 ist er dort jedes Jahr aufgetreten. of Wales und an der Manchester University, and Drama. Sie gab ihr Operndebüt an der New York, Théâtre de la Monnaie Brüssel, 1988/89 debütierte er an der English National bevor er sich dem Gesangsstudium am Royal Welsh National Opera als Papagena und Opéra national de Paris-Bastille, Teatro Colon Opera in The Turn of the Screw, und im Jahr Northern College of Music widmete. 1968

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trat er der Sadler’s Wells Opera bei, und 1972 Gastdirigent und war Hauptgastdirigent beim an der Nederlandse Opera, Katja Kabanowa an oder- serie des Jahres, und mehrere seiner wechselte er an die Royal Opera Covent Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest. der English National Opera sowie Idomeneo jüngsten Berliner Programme sind vom Garden, wo er die meisten großen Bassrollen 1980 wurde er zum Chefdirigenten und und Mozarts Da-Ponte-Opern in Fernsehen ausgestrahlt worden. In Anerkennung gesungen hat, von Aida, Rigoletto, Otello, La künstlerischen Berater des City of Glyndebourne. seiner außergewöhnlichen Verdienste um die bohème, Tosca, Don Giovanni, Eugen Onegin, Birmingham Symphony Orchestra berufen, Simon Rattle hat über sechzig Schallplatten Musik und seiner pädagogischen und Parsifal, Tristan und Isolde und Der fliegende dessen musikalische Leitung er von September aufgenommen und ist mit zahlreichen sozialbewussten Tätigkeit hat Simon Rattle eine Holländer bis zu Palestrina und Stiffelio. 1990 bis August 1998 warnahm. Seit Oktober international begehrten Auszeichnungen Reihe von Ehrungen erhalten. 1987 wurde er Außerdem ist er regelmäßig an der English 1992 ist er Hauptgastdirigent des Orchestra of gewürdigt worden. Seine Channel-4- mit dem britischen Verdienstorden CBE National Opera, Welsh National Opera, the Age of Enlightenment und künstlerischer Fernsehserie Leaving Home erhielt 1997 den ausgezeichnet und 1994 von Königin Opera North und in Glyndebourne Berater der Birmingham Contemporary Music BAFTA-Preis als beste Kultursendung Elizabeth II. in den Adelsstand erhoben. aufgetreten. Sein internationaler Erfolgszug Group. In der Nachfolge Herbert von hat ihn an die Metropolitan Opera New York Karajans und Daniel Barenboims wurde er und die Chicago Lyric Opera, nach San zum Chefdirigenten und künstlerischen Leiter Francisco, Santa Fe, Toronto, Hamburg, Köln, der Berliner Philharmoniker gewählt, denen er München, Paris, Genf und Brüssel geführt. nun seit September 2002 vorsteht. Unter den vielen Schallplattenaufnahmen Er war von 1981 bis 1994 Gwynne Howells sind die Achte von Mahler, Hauptgastdirigent des Los Angeles Un ballo in maschera, Luisa Miller, Tristan und Philharmonic Orchestra und ist mit dem Isolde, Messiah und Beethovens Neunte Cleveland Orchestra sowie den besonders hervorzuheben. Sinfonieorchestern von Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto und Boston aufgetreten. Simon Rattle wurde 1955 in Liverpool Sein New Yorker Debüt gab er 1985 mit der geboren und studierte an der Royal Academy Los Angeles Philharmonic, und 1988 kehrte er of Music in London. 1974 gewann er den mit dem City of Birmingham Symphony Ersten Preis des internationalen John Player Orchestra dorthin zurück. Zu seinen Dirigentenwettbewerbs und wurde von der Opernverpflichtungen gehörten Parsifal und Gwynne Howell as Bournemouth Symphony und Sinfonietta als Nicholas Maws Sophie’s Choice an der Royal Badger, Thomas Allen Assistenzdirigent verpflichtet. Anschließend Opera Covent Garden, Wozzeck an der Los as Forester and Robert leitete er verschiedene Orchester als Angeles Opera, Parsifal und Tristan und Isolde Tear as Mosquito

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train de glousser à la lecture du dernier épisode scène de l’auberge à l’Acte II); les autres Un sourire comme une médaille d’or en date dans le journal, et qu’elle lui avait chansons, toutes à l’Acte III, s’inspirent de déclaré sur-le-champ que ce serait un célèbres textes populaires (les mélodies étant J’ai tellement hâte de voir cette œuvre prendre extraordinaire. Le roman avait été écrit au merveilleux sujet pour un opéra, en particulier comme d’habitude de Janácˇek). Le livret de forme! Durant l’été à Luhacˇovice, j’y ai bien départ pour accompagner une série de dessins pour Janácˇek, puisqu’il aimait transcrire les Janácˇek respecte de près le roman de réfléchi, c’est un projet que j’emmène partout du peintre Stanislav Lolek. C’est l’histoire bruits des animaux. Mais son histoire perd de Teˇsnohlídek dans les deux premiers actes. La avec moi, j’ai commencé à y travailler. Ça me d’une renarde qui se fait prendre encore toute sa crédibilité lorsqu’elle ajoute que c’est forme prise par l’Acte III est entièrement due à prendra certainement deux ans. “S’agira-t-il d’un jeune et qu’un garde-forestier décide d’élever seulement à cette époque que Janácˇek Janácˇek, un patchwork ingénieux de différents opéra dans le sens courant du terme?” lui chez lui. Un jour, la renarde s’échappe, commença à lire et à collectionner les épisodes épisodes situés tout au long du roman. demandai-je. – Il y aura des personnes qui rencontre un mâle et élève à son tour une au fur et à mesure de leur sortie: si cela avait Lorsque le bruit courut que Janácˇek joueront et parleront, mais à la manière famille. Le roman, publié en épisodes dans le été le cas, il n’aurait acquis que six épisodes travaillait à un nouvel opéra plutôt étrange, le d’animaux. Des renards, jeunes et vieux, des quotidien de Brno Lidové noviny au printemps supplémentaires puisque l’épisode dont elle Lidové noviny envoya son journaliste Adolf grenouilles, des moustiques – enfin, vous de 1920, est une évocation tendre et parle se situe vers la fin du roman. Et Vesel´y interviewer le compositeur. Comme le connaissez le livre. Ce sera un opéra doublé perspicace de la vie dans les forêts autour de pourtant, on ne sait trop comment, Janácˇek se montre l’extrait qui ouvre cet article, Janácˇek d’une pantomime. “A la manière de Chanteclaire Brno (le dialogue utilise surtout le dialecte fit une collection presque complète de fut singulièrement ouvert à propos de son de Rostand?” – Les hommes-animaux dans truculent du coin). La vie humaine tourne coupures de journaux. Si ces coupures œuvre, et sans avoir encore composé une seule Chanteclaire se contentent de philosopher. Dans autour de Bartosˇ, le garde-forestier, et ses deux renferment des notes au crayon de la main de note, il avait pourtant déjà une idée bien nette ma Renarde il y aura du spectacle, de l’action sur compagnons de beuverie, le prêtre et Janácˇek, il est clair cependant qu’il travailla de la nature de son opéra et de la forme qu’il scène. Et puis les animaux! Ça fait des années l’instituteur. On y retrouve la faune la plus essentiellement à partir du roman sous forme prendrait. Ce qui est particulièrement que je les écoute, que je mémorise leur langage; varié, depuis le chien du forestier et les poules de livre lorsqu’il parut l’année suivante (1921). intéressant, c’est l’accent mis sur la avec eux, je suis en terrain connu. de la ferme, la renarde et sa famille, jusqu’aux Son exemplaire du roman abonde en “pantomime” (c’est-à-dire le mime). Cette idée (extrait de “La nouvelle œuvre de Leosˇ Janácˇek”, animaux, oiseaux et insectes de la forêt. Les annotations intéressantes dans lesquelles le se retrouve aussi dans ses annotations du Lidové noviny, 15 mai 1921) animaux se parlent entre eux mais ne parlent livret commence à prendre forme, avec la suite roman lorsqu’il parle de l’utilisation de pas aux hommes. des épisodes et le dialogue, l’accent mis sur les “ballet”: pour évoquer le monde animal, La nouvelle du sujet du prochain opéra de L’on ne sait pas exactement ce qui poussa saisons et le mouvement cyclique, et la voix Janácˇek choisirait finalement un mélange Janácˇek – Lisˇka Bystrousˇka (“La Renarde Fine- Janácˇek à composer cette œuvre. Dans un envisagée pour certains personnages. A audacieux de danse, de mime et de voix, Oreille”) de Rudolf Teˇsnohlídek – avait vite passage bien connu de ses mémoires, Marie l’époque Janácˇek écrivait ses propres livrets. notamment de voix d’enfants pour les petits fait le tour de Brno, la ville natale du Stejskalová, la fidèle servante des Janácˇek, Teˇsnohlídek n’écrivit qu’une seule chanson animaux et les insectes. Deux semaines plus compositeur. C’était bien là un choix prétend que le compositeur l’avait surprise en pour lui (la chanson du garde-forestier dans la tard, ouvrant la voie pour l’opéra, Janácˇek

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publia dans le Lidové noviny l’un de ses Janácˇek, cette première version ne serait qu’un C’est de loin son œuvre la plus radieuse pour cette citation, ainsi que dans l’opéra lui-même, “bulletins” occasionnels, le premier de brouillon et durant les douze mois suivants il la scène et son traitement plein d’humour des Janácˇek se concentre sur trois aspects, la plusieurs dans lesquels il transcrivit le chant réécrivit entièrement son œuvre, l’achevant le animaux qui se comportent comme des êtres vieillesse, le changement et le renouveau des oiseaux. L’article s’achève ainsi: “Pourquoi 10 octobre 1923. La première eut lieu à Brno humains résulte en de nombreux passages de cyclique, chacun évoquant le passage du consacrer tant de mots au chant inégal du pratiquement un an plus tard, le 6 novembre pure comédie. A première vue, on peut penser temps. L’avant-dernière scène de l’opéra nous chardonneret […]? D’abord, c’est parce que 1924. que la “fin triste” concerne la mort de la fait prendre conscience de plusieurs cet oiseau m’a plu. Ensuite, c’est parce que je Janácˇek fut particulièrement enchanté par la renarde, que Janácˇek décida étrangement changements dans le monde animal comme recueille tous les compagnons qui risquent de mise en scène de Brno, comme Marie d’ajouter au roman original lorsqu’il écrivit son dans le monde humain: l’auberge où le garde- convenir à ma Petite Renarde.” (Lidové noviny, Stejskalová nous le rapporte dans ses livret. Toutefois, la mort de la renarde ne se forestier et ses amis se réunissent est en 1er juin 1921) mémoires: situe pas dans la dernière scène mais dans travaux; Terinka, le sujet de toutes leurs Toutefois, à l’époque, Janácˇek était encore Le maître prit un très grand plaisir à la création l’avant-dernière scène et c’est un passage discussions et de tous leurs fantasmes, se marie très occupé par les dernières corrections de de La Renarde à Brno. Après les répétitions, il me remarquable pour sa retenue musicale: un ce jour même; le prêtre est parti vivre dans un Kátya Kabanová qui fut créé à Brno le racontait en riant comment les chanteurs coup de feu, puis le silence. Janácˇek évite ainsi autre village; les renards ont abandonné leur 12 novembre 1921. Et sa tâche ne s’acheva pas apprenaient à marcher à quatre pattes. Le d’avoir à nous montrer un renard et des tanière; et le garde-forestier s’aperçoit qu’il se avec la première puisqu’il fit d’autres directeur de l’opéra [Frantisˇek] Neumann, le renardeaux affligés; l’évocation musicale raidit avec l’âge, tout comme son chien. corrections sur les conseils de Max Brod qui metteur en scène [Ota] Zítek et le peintre d’émotions pitoyables, voire même tragiques, à L’apogée de l’opéra se situe dans la longue traduisait le livret en allemand. Il faut attendre [Eduard] Milén, qui créa les décors, firent une laquelle on pourrait s’attendre, ne se produit scène du garde-forestier. Comme l’instituteur la fin de l’année pour que Janácˇek mentionne Renarde d’une telle beauté qu’elle surprit même pas. C’est ailleurs qu’il nous faut chercher la et le prêtre avant lui dans l’acte précédent, le à nouveau son nouvel opéra dans un le maître. “fin triste” de l’opéra. garde-forestier se penche sur son passé, en postscriptum inattendu à la fin d’une lettre La clé se situe dans la façon suggestive dont particulier sur sa jeunesse et sur l’époque non datée adressée à Brod: “Souhaitez-moi *** Janácˇek s’identifie à la fin de l’opéra (“Et je ne heureuse de sa lune de miel. Il se souvient des aussi bonne chance pour ma Petite Renarde!” J’ai commencé à écrire La Petite Renarde. Une détonne donc pas”) et à la tristesse du premiers temps de son mariage qui, fait Il en commença la composition à proprement histoire joyeuse avec une fin triste: et je joue vieillissement et de la vieillesse – il approchait révélateur, coïncident avec le renouveau de la parler l’année suivante 1922. En août 1922, il moi-même un rôle dans cette fin triste. Et je ne les soixante-dix ans lorsqu’il acheva la Petite forêt au printemps – “lorsque le mois de mai avait achevé une première esquisse des deux détonne donc pas!” Renarde rusée. Décrivant la scène finale à Max et l’amour arrivent!”. Mais le temps n’est pas premiers actes; après un été inactif, il ajouta le (Janácˇek à Kamila Stösslová, 10 février 1922) Brod (11 mars 1923), Janácˇek écrivit: “Le représenté comme un phénomène linéaire dernier acte et en novembre 1922 le théâtre de garde-forestier et l’instituteur vieillissent; le mais cyclique, non pas comme une source de Brno fut le premier à demander le droit de Il est indubitable que par bien des côtés prêtre est parti ailleurs. – c’est le printemps peine mais une source de “joie plus que monter l’œuvre. Comme toujours avec l’opéra de Janácˇek est “une histoire joyeuse”. dans la forêt – mais aussi la vieillesse.” Dans terrestre”.

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L’importance accordée à la nature cyclique dépassé la soixantaine. Osud (1903–1907) ne devint rapidement célèbre et même riche. enterrement. Jugé à bien des égards comme de la vie ressort de façon très émouvante tout à fut jamais donné de son vivant, Les Voyages de Dans ses compositions, il avait enfin trouvé l’opéra le plus accessible de Janácˇek, La Petite la fin de l’opéra dans un rêve qui nous Monsieur Broucˇek (1908–17) fut donné en une assurance qui lui permit de produire des Renarde ne se satisfait pas pour autant de peu. replonge dans le cadre et au milieu des 1920 à Prague (sa seule création dans cette chefs d’œuvre extrêmement personnels jusqu’à Les modes dramatiques avec lesquels le animaux de la première scène – le début de ville) mais reçut un accueil mitigé. La vie sa mort à l’âge de soixante-quatorze ans. Sur le compositeur expérimente – cette fusion l’histoire lorsque le garde-forestier attrape la privée de Janácˇek n’avait pas été plus facile: plan personnel, son amitié avec Kamila unique de danse et de chant, l’étrange mélange renarde. Cette conclusion qui revient au son mariage avait dérapé dès le début et perdu Stösslová (commencée en 1917) n’était encore du monde animal et du monde humain, la début, avec une vision de la jeune Fine-Oreille tout sens après la mort prématurée de ses deux qu’au stade du divertissement tout à fait succession filmique de courtes scènes – étaient qui est “le portrait craché de sa mère” (le titre enfants. Il s’était réfugié dans une série de honorable, mené essentiellement par le biais de en avance pour leur époque et l’opéra dut donné à la scène par Janácˇek), nous permet liaisons, la plus sérieuse d’entre elles avec la lettres: il était encore loin de la passion attendre plusieurs dizaines d’années avant de d’inscrire la mort de la renarde dans la chanteuse Gabriela Horvátová (la première obsessive qui l’accablerait dans ses dernières convaincre publics et critiques. Les deux perspective du renouveau perpétuel. Conscient Kostelnicˇka à Prague dans Jenu˚fa), des liaisons années. Il avait même atteint un compromis opéras qui suivirent, L’Affaire Makropoulos et de vivre dans le temps et à travers le temps, qui poussèrent sa femme à une tentative ratée avec sa femme si patiente. De La Maison des morts étaient bien plus Janácˇek perçoit la vie et la mort de la renarde de suicide. Son sixième opéra, Kátya Kabanová La Petite Renarde rusée semble donc sombres et sont la preuve qu’à l’époque non pas comme des événements tragiquement (1919–1921) est le plus tragique et le plus exprimer le contentement de Janácˇek face à la Janácˇek avait perdu cette paix intérieure qu’il limités mais comme une contribution à un noir de tous ses opéras; l’héroïne, qu’il vie, un bonheur qu’il avait longtemps attendu avait connue durant la préparation et la cycle de vie bien plus vaste se renouvelant à identifia de près dans ses lettres à son amour le et qu’il méritait pleinement; c’est une œuvre composition de La Petite Renarde. l’infini. plus récent, Kamila Stösslová, meurt au milieu composée à l’apogée de la félicité personnelle Teˇsnohlídek, que Janácˇek avait convoqué pour Dans cet opéra, Janácˇek semble s’être des râles mélodramatiques d’un “thème du et du contentement artistique. Dans cette discuter du projet auquel il venait de s’atteler, réconcilié avec lui-même et avec une vie qui destin”. Mais la chance avait enfin tourné. œuvre, il réussit enfin à faire face aux années et mit le doigt dessus: n’avait été ni facile, ni heureuse, ni, jusque-là, Avec Kátya Kabanová, Janácˇek entamait la à la mort prochaine avec philosophie, en Leosˇ Janácˇek m’attendait dans le petit jardin du couronnée de succès. Son troisième opéra, série miraculeuse de ses quatre derniers opéras donnant un sens à la vie. Le roman léger, Conservatoire. Il était assis au milieu des Jenu˚fa (1894–1903), créé l’année de ses sur laquelle, avec Jenu˚fa et les œuvres non inspiré de la bande dessinée (Janácˇek le buissons, avec des milliers de fleurs minuscules cinquante ans, n’était devenu célèbre en dehors lyriques de ses dix dernières années, sa qualifie dans une lettre de “roman de fille”) lui au-dessus de la tête; sa tête était tout aussi du minuscule centre provincial de Brno que réputation repose aujourd’hui. Grâce à servit de point de départ, mais l’œuvre qu’il blanche, on aurait dit la plus grosse des fleurs. Il douze ans plus tard. Janácˇek dut écrire deux Universal Edition, une maison d’édition créa était bien plus profonde, plus judicieuse me sourit; et je reconnus sur-le-champ le sourire autres opéras, deux œuvres expérimentales autrichienne fort énergique, qui promut Jenu˚fa et plus personnelle: la grande scène du garde- que la vie nous offre comme une médaille d’or fréquemment révisées, avant d’atteindre sa avec empressement dans tous les pays de forestier à la fin de l’opéra fut jouée, selon les pour notre courage face à l’ennemi. Pour son pleine maturité. Il avait alors largement langue allemande, et même au-delà, Janácˇek dernières volontés du compositeur, à son courage dans la peine, l’humiliation et la colère.

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A ce moment précis j’étais persuadé que Fine- sauterelle apparaissent avec un minuscule 8 Elle compatit (“I’m just the same too”). garde-forestier; elle casse sa laisse d’un coup de Oreille était assise quelque part dans ce jardin orgue de Barbarie. 9 Le fils du garde-forestier fait admirer dents et s’enfuit. minuscule, docile, émue par la gentillesse de cet 3 Ils le mettent en marche (“Come on, old fièrement à son ami son animal familier homme, et qu’en cachette elle viendrait s’asseoir lady, and let’s get the show started”) et sont inhabituel (“Look what we’ve got down ’ere”); Acte II à nos pieds pour nous écouter conspirer. Janácˇek rejoints par un moustique et une grenouille. taquinée par ces garçons cruels, la renarde les “Fine-Oreille s’approprie la maison d’un autre” fit quelques commentaires sur l’histoire puis 4 Une petite renarde entre en courant. Elle attaque; le garde-forestier l’attache avec une 15 Prélude: la forêt près du terrier du blaireau, commença à parler de ses forêts là-bas à dévisage la grenouille (“Mummy! Mummy! laisse. en fin d’après-midi. Valasˇsko, un coin que je ne connais pas, de ses What is that?”) qui, terrifiée, atterrit d’un 10 Interlude: à la tombée de la nuit, la 16 La renarde jette un œil dans le terrier recherches sur les cris d’oiseaux et c’est alors que bond sur le nez du garde-forestier. Réveillé, le renarde endormie est transformée en jeune (“Ah!”), dérangeant le blaireau (“Who’s that out je me rendis compte qu’il avait connu le bonheur garde-forestier aperçoit la renarde, s’en saisit fille; elle pousse un cri dans son sommeil there screaming?”). Avec le soutien des autres de pouvoir sourire. puis s’en va, l’animal sous le bras. (“Ou, ou!”). animaux de la forêt, elle provoque une dispute 5 La libellule bleue revient et cherche en 11 A l’aube, la renarde a retrouvé ses traits. avec le blaireau et le chasse de sa maison. © 2003 John Tyrrell vain la renarde; elle se pose et replie les ailes. 17 Interlude: nous sommes maintenant “Fine-Oreille fait de la politique”; “Fine-Oreille dans l’arrière-salle de l’auberge de Pásek. Synopsis “Fine-Oreille dans la cour de la ferme du garde- s’enfuit” 18 Le prêtre parle au garde-forestier et à forestier, au bord d’un lac” 12 Lapák lui explique comment éviter les l’instituteur de ses nouvelles circonstances (“In COMPACT DISC ONE 6 Interlude: la cour de la maison du garde- ennuis (“You should take a lesson from me!”). my new parish things have got to be better!”) forestier, en automne. Lapák, le chien du garde- Venus chercher leurs graines, le coq et les 19 Le garde-forestier, un peu éméché, Acte I forestier, et la renarde sont allongés côte à côte. poules se moquent de la renarde qui ne peut évoque le passé (“Once long since, long ago”), “Comment Fine-Oreille fut attrapée” * 7 Le garde-forestier parle de la taille de la pas pondre d’œufs. méditant sur le caractère inévitable du 1 Prélude: la forêt, par une après-midi renarde (“Look at how big she’s grown”); sa 13 Elle reproche aux poules d’avoir une changement et du déclin. Lorsque l’instituteur d’été ensoleillée. D’un terrier, un blaireau femme pose à terre une soucoupe pleine de mentalité d’esclaves (“Sisters! Comrades!”). lui demande des nouvelles de la renarde, il lui émerge, fumant la pipe; des mouches font lait. Lapák avoue à la renarde qu’il n’a jamais Dégoûtée par leur passivité et leur stupidité, avoue avec humeur qu’elle s’est enfuie. un ballet autour de lui; la libellule bleue connu l’amour. elle s’en va sur le tas de détritus et fait 20 Comme le garde-forestier s’apprête à danse. semblant de s’enterrer vivante. partir (“Home now?”), l’aubergiste le met en 2 Tous se cachent à l’approche du garde- *Janácˇek ne numérota pas les scènes mais donna un 14 Poussées par la poule en chef (“Come on colère en lui demandant de ne pas l’oublier forestier. Se plaignant d’être las (“Going to be titre à celles où la renarde Fine-Oreille apparaît. then, don’t be frightened”), les poules lorsqu’il s’occupera de la renarde. a storm soon”), il s’allonge pour se reposer. Dans le livret que voici, ces titres sont imprimés s’approchent, curieuses; la renarde leur tord le 21 Interlude: nous sommes maintenant sur Comme il s’endort, un criquet et une entre guillemets et soulignés. cou. Un acte qui lui vaut d’être battue par le un chemin baigné de lune qui traverse la forêt.

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22 L’instituteur rentre chez lui en titubant bientôt l’histoire de sa vie et l’impressionne COMPACT DISC TWO 7 Interlude: dans le jardin de l’auberge. (“Something is wrong with my equilibrium”). par son esprit d’indépendance et son statut de 8 Le garde-forestier parle à l’instituteur du Il finit par tomber près d’un tournesol derrière propriétaire. Acte III terrier abandonné (“Where is old man lequel est cachée la renarde; elle agite 28 Elle lui racconte comme elle s’est “Fine-Oreille se montre plus maligne qu’Haraˇtas Pásek?”). Un renard mort, c’est un manchon malicieusement la fleur. echappée du garde-forestier (“One dark night”) de Liˇens ”; “La mort de Fine-Oreille” neuf pour sa femme, dit-il. L’instituteur 23 L’instituteur fixe la fleur avec stupeur 29 Le renard se présente (“Fox 1 Prélude: c’est l’automne. Une clairière dans annonce que Terinka se marie aujourd’hui et la (“Staccato! Flageoletti!”) puis, convaincu dans Goldenstripe”); la renarde lui répond qu’elle la forêt. femme de l’aubergiste leur apprend que la son ivresse que la fleur n’est autre que Terinka, s’appelle Fine-Oreille. Il lui fait la cour. 2 Le braconnier Harasˇta avance sur le mariée a un nouveau manchon. A cette la fille qu’il aime, il fait la culbute par-dessus la Lorsqu’il apprend qu’elle aime le lapin, le chemin en roucoulant (“In the month of nouvelle, l’instituteur se met à pleurer. clôture dans un élan passionné. renard prend congé poliment. May”). 9 Le garde-forestier, fort surpris (“Well I’m 24 Le prêtre arrive alors, titubant, 30 La renarde, restée seule, jouit de cette 3 Il aperçoit un lapin mort et s’apprête à le damned!”), console son ami. marmonnant des citations des classiques (“So sensation nouvelle d’être l’objet d’un admirateur ramasser lorsque le garde-forestier l’interpelle remember to be a good man”) et évoquant sa (“Can it be that I am lovely?”) jusqu’au retour (“Hey, there Harasˇta, how’s it going?”). Voyant “La jeune Fine-Oreille est le portrait craché de sa jeunesse. du renard qui lui apporte un lapin. Il lui déclare ses plans déjoués, Harasˇta annonce qu’il va mère” 25 Il finit par retrouver d’où vient la son amour et la renarde en fait de même. épouser Terinka et qu’il ne braconnera plus 10 Interlude: nous sommes dans la forêt, au citation (“Memnestho aner agathos einai”): il 31 Si l’ardeur du renard effraie jamais. même endroit qu’à l’acte premier. s’agit de l’Anabase de Xénophon. On entend momentanément sa compagne (“Let me go! 4 Les deux hommes s’éloignent et des 11 Le garde-forestier marche le long du dans le bois le garde-forestier tirer sur la I am afraid of you!”), ils finissent par renardeaux émergent (“Little foxes running vieux chemin et se souvient du temps où il renarde. disparaître ensemble dans le terrier. La libellule fast”). Ils dansent. La renarde et le renard était jeune marié (“Spring is here at last”). bleue exécute un ballet. inspectent le lapin mort et reconnaissent un 12 Il se délecte de la beauté de la forêt “Fine-Oreille se fait conter fleurette”; “L’amour et 32 Les oiseaux bavardent comme de vraies piège. (“When evening arrives”). Comme avant, il le mariage de Fine-Oreille” commères (“If you had only seen what I saw 5 Ils parlent de leurs enfants (“How many s’assoupit. A son réveil, il est entouré par les 26 Interlude: nous sommes près du terrier de just now”). Lorsque le couple reparaît au lever children do we have?”) et de ceux qui créatures de la forêt. la renarde par une chaude nuit d’été, à la lueur du soleil, la renarde sanglote. Elle murmure viendront peut-être les rejoindre. 13 Il se rend compte avec stupéfaction qu’il de la lune; elle est allongée, le museau sur les quelque chose à l’oreille du renard. 6 Harasˇta reparaît, portant un panier manque quelqu’un (“Hey! But I can’t see the pattes, et écoute les voix de la Forêt. 33 Il comprend immédiatement (“That’s rempli de poulets; il voit la renarde et saisit vixen there!”) et il est ravi lorsqu’un tout petit 27 Un renard émerge. La renarde est tout how it is”) et organise à la hâte un mariage, son fusil (“Put it down fast… Hurry, get your renardeau s’avance vers lui en gambadant: il est de suite attirée par lui (“Oh my god! He’s so célébré par le pivert. Les créatures de la Forêt gun!”). Taquinée par Fine-Oreille qui le fait certain qu’il s’agit de l’un des enfants de Fine- handsome”). Timide au début, elle lui raconte fêtent l’événement en dansant. trébucher, il lui tire dessus et la tue. Oreille. Il étend la main pour l’attraper mais

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tout ce qu’il saisit, c’est une grenouille (“Hey Parmi les nombreux honneurs et prix qui lui Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, en Israël, à enregistrements, notamment l’Orfeo de there! I remember you!”). ont été décernés figurent le titre de membre Toulouse et à Anvers. Monteverdi, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Norma, 14 La grenouille, qui sait ce qui s’est passé honoraire de la Royal Academy of Music de La discographie de Lillian Watson inclut le Lucia di Lammermoor, Iphigénie en Tauride; jadis, lui apprend avec suffisance (“Tha-that Londres, Prince Consort Professor du Royal rôle de Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem pour Opera Rara, Rosmonda d’Inghilterra, wasn’t me”) qu’elle est en fait la petite-fille de College of Music de Londres, et Hambro Serail ) sous la direction de Nikolaus Zoraida di Granata et Il crociato in Egitto; pour celle dont le garde-forestier se souvient. Le Visiting Professor of Opera Studies de Harnoncourt, The Geisha de Sydney Jones, et Chandos et la Peter Moores Fondation, temps, les saisons, les générations, tout passe. l’Université d’Oxford. Il a été fait le rôle de Fido dans l’enregistrement réalisé par Cavalleria rusticana, le rôle d’Octavian dans commandeur de l’ordre de l’empire Chandos de Paul Bunyan de Benjamin Britten. Der Rosenkavalier (extraits), Faust, et deux © 2003 Avril Bardoni britannique (CBE) en 1989, et anobli par la disques de la série “Great Operatic Arias”. Traduction: Nicole Valencia reine Elisabeth II en 1999. Diana Montague est née à Winchester, et a fait ses études au Royal Northern College of Né et éduqué au Pays de Galles, Robert Tear Né dans le comté de Durham, Thomas Allen Lillian Watson est née à Londres où elle a Music de Manchester. Depuis ses débuts dans devint un “choral scholar” au King’s College est l’une des grandes stars du monde de l’opéra. étudié à la Guildhall School of Music and le rôle de Zerlina avec le Glyndebourne de Cambridge. Il est régulièrement invité au Il a chanté plus de quarante rôles au Royal Drama. Elle fit ses débuts sur scène dans le Touring Opera, elle s’est produite dans des Royal Opera de Covent Garden à Londres où Opera de Covent Garden où il a fêté en 2001 rôle de Papagena au Welsh National Opera, et salles telles que le Royal Opera de Covent il s’est produit chaque saison depuis ses débuts le trentième anniversaire de ses débuts avec ses débuts au Royal Opera de Covent Garden Garden à Londres, le Metropolitan Opera de en 1970. En 1988/1989, il a fait ses débuts à cette compagnie. En 2002, il a célébré le à Londres dans le rôle de Barbarina. Elle est New York, le Théâtre de la Monnaie de l’English National Opera dans The Turn of the vingtième anniversaire de ses débuts au célèbre dans le monde entier pour son Bruxelles, l’Opéra national de Paris-Bastille, le Screw de Britten, et la saison suivante vit ses Metropolitan Opera de New York. interprétation de Blonde (Die Entführung aus Teatro Colon de Buenos Aires, et dans les débuts avec le Glyndebourne Touring Opera Thomas Allen a été particulièrement acclamé dem Serail ) qu’elle a chanté à Glyndebourne, festivals de Bayreuth et de Salzbourg. dans le rôle d’Aschenbach (Death in Venice). pour ses interprétations de Billy Budd, Pelléas, Covent Garden, Hambourg et au Festival de Le répertoire de Diana Montague compte Parmi ses autres prestations figurent Gawain et Eugène Onéguine, Almaviva, Beckmesser et Salzbourg. Parmi ses autres rôles figurent les grands rôles de mezzo-soprano dans les Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Royal Opera House), Don Giovanni. Egalement célèbre pour ses Despina (Così fan tutte) à Vienne, opéras de Mozart, Gluck, Strauss, Rossini, Le nozze di Figaro (Welsh National Opera et prestations en concert, il s’est produit en récital Glyndebourne, Aix-en-Provence et Covent Bellini et Berlioz, et ses fréquents engagements Opéra national de Paris-Bastille), Billy Budd en Grande-Bretagne, à travers toute l’Europe, Garden; Ismène et Aspasia (Mitridate) à en concert incluent des prestations sous la (Los Angeles Opera), et The Palace in the Sky en Australie et en Amérique, et a rélisé de Venise, Paris et Londres. Elle s’est également direction de Georg Solti, James Levine, de Jonathan Dove dans le cadre du Bayliss nombreux enregistrements. produite au Welsh National Opera, à l’English Riccardo Muti, John Eliot Gardiner, Seiji Programme de l’English National Opera. Ses Le premier livre de Thomas Allen, Foreign National Opera, à l’Opéra de Genève, à Ozawa, Jeffrey Tate et Andrew Davies. enregistrements incluent le War Requiem de Parts – A Singer’s Journal, a été publié en 1993. l’Opéra de Lausanne, à l’Opéra de Rome, au Diana Montague a réalisé de nombreux Britten, Das klagende Lied de Mahler, le

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Winterreise de Schubert, et pour Chandos, Glyndebourne. Son importante carrière conseilleur artistique du Birmingham Katya Kabanova à l’English National Opera, Albert Herring, The Canterbury Pilgrims de internationale l’a conduit au Metropolitan Contemporary Music Group. Il a été nommé Idomeneo et les opéras de Mozart/Da Ponte à Dyson et King Priam de Tippett. Opera de New York, au Chicago Lyric Opera, chef et directeur artistique du Berliner Glyndebourne. Comme chef d’orchestre, Robert Tear a à San Francisco, Santa Fe, Toronto, Philharmoniker, à la suite d’Herbert von Simon Rattle a enregistré plus de soixante travaillé avec les London Mozart Players, le Hambourg, Cologne, Munich, Paris, Genève Karajan et de Daniel Barenboim, et a pris ses disques, et a été couronné par de nombreux Northern Sinfonia, l’English Chamber et Bruxelles. fonctions en septembre 2002. prix internationaux. Son émission pour la Orchestra, le Philharmonia Orchestra, le Royal Parmi les nombreux enregistrements de Simon Rattle a été chef principal invité du chaîne de télévision britannique Channel 4 Scottish National Orchestra, l’Orchestre de Gwynne Howell figurent la Huitième Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra de 1981 intitulée Leaving Home a obtenu le prix “Best chambre de Toulouse, et le Scottish Chamber Symphonie de Mahler, Un ballo in maschera, à 1994, et s’est produit à la tête de l’Orchestre Arts Programme or Series” décerné par Orchestra. Robert Tear est membre honoraire Luisa Miller, Tristan und Isolde, le Messie de de Cleveland, et des orchestres symphoniques BAFTA, tandis que plusieurs de ses du King’s College de Cambridge, et en 1984 il Haendel, et la Neuvième Symphonie de de Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto et Boston. programmes récents réalisés à Berlin ont été a été fait commandeur de l’ordre de l’empire Beethoven. Il fit ses débuts à New York en 1985 avec le télévisés. Simon Rattle a reçu plusieurs britannique (CBE). Los Angeles Philharmonic, et y revint en 1988 distinctions en reconnaissance de sa Né à Liverpool, Simon Rattle a fait ses études avec le City of Birmingham Symphony contribution exceptionnelle pour la musique, Né à Swansea au Pays de Galles, Gwynne à la Royal Academy of Music de Londres. En Orchestra. Il a dirigé des opéras tels que et de ses efforts pour la promotion de Howell obtint des diplômes de l’University 1974, il remporta le premier prix de la John Parsifal et Sophie’s Choice de Nicholas Maw au l’éducation et des activités locales. En 1987, il College of Wales et de la Manchester Player International Conducting Competition, Royal Opera de Covent Garden à Londres, a été fait commandeur de l’ordre de l’empire University avant de poursuivre ses études de et devint chef assistant du Bournemouth Wozzeck à l’Opéra de Los Angeles, Parsifal et britannique (CBE), et a été anobli par la reine chant au Royal Northern College of Music. En Symphony et du Bournemouth Sinfonietta. Tristan und Isolde à l’Opéra des Pays-Bas, Elisabeth II en 1994. 1968, il devint membre du Sadler’s Wells Par la suite, il fut le chef invité de divers Opera. Depuis qu’il est entré au Royal Opera orchestres, et fut nommé chef principal de Covent Garden en 1972, il y a chanté la invité de l’Orchestre philharmonique de plupart des grands rôles de basse dans Aida, Rotterdam. Rigoletto, Otello, La bohème, Tosca, Don En 1980, il devint chef principal et Giovanni, Eugène Onéguine, Parsifal, Tristan conseiller artistique du City of Birmingham und Isolde, Der fliegende Holländer, Palestrina Symphony Orchestra, puis directeur musical et Stiffelio. Il s’est également produit de septembre 1990 à août 1998. Depuis régulièrement à l’English National Opera, au octobre 1992, il est chef principal invité de Welsh National Opera, à l’Opera North et à l’Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, et

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le puntate via via che venivano pubblicate: se l’estratto riportato sopra, Janácˇek fu Un sorriso come una medaglia d’oro così fosse stato ne avrebbe acquistato solo altre sorprendentemente aperto e, sebbene non sei, dal momento che l’episodio di cui parla la avesse ancora composto la musica, dimostrò di Non vedo l’ora di finire l’opera! In estate a trova un compagno e si crea una famiglia. Il domestica si colloca verso la fine del romanzo. avere le idee chiare sulla forma e la natura Luhacˇovice ci ho pensato tanto, la porto come romanzo, pubblicato a puntate sul quotidiano Ad ogni modo, comunque, Janácˇek si procurò generale dell’opera. Particolarmente me, ci lavoro. Certo, ci vorranno sicuramente Lidové noviny di Brno nella primavera del una collezione quasi completa di ritagli del interessante è la sua enfasi sul mimo. L’idea è due anni… “Sarà un’opera nel senso normale?” 1920, è un’evocazione affettuosa e attenta della giornale. Sebbene questi ultimi contengano presente anche nelle note aggiunte al romanzo ho chiesto – sarà necessario recitarla oltre che vita nei boschi nei dintorni della città (il alcuni suoi segni a matita, è chiaro che il in cui chiede un “balletto”: l’evocazione del parlare, ma come animali. Volpi, rane e dialogo si svolge in gran parte nel suo rozzo compositore lavorò soprattutto dal romanzo in mondo animale fu ottenuta infine attraverso ranocchie, moscerini – ma la conoscete dal libro. dialetto). La vita umana è incentrata sul volume, pubblicato l’anno successivo (1921). La un’audace misto di danza/mimo e voci, Sarà opera e mimo. “Come sarebbe”, dico io, guardacaccia Bartosˇ e i suoi due compagni di sua copia è piena di annotazioni interessanti in soprattutto quelle dei bambini per gli animali “come lo Chanteclaire di Rostand?” – Gli animali bisboccia, il parroco e il maestro. Viene cui cominciano a delinearsi il libretto, l’ordine più piccoli e gli insetti. Due settimane dopo, antropomorfi di Chanteclaire si limitano a descritta anche una serie di animali: il cane del degli eventi e il dialogo, con il suo accento sulla come ulteriore assaggio dell’opera, il filosofeggiare. Nella mia Volpe ci sarà azione guardacaccia e le sue galline, la volpe e la sua ciclicità delle stagioni e gli accoppiamenti vocali compositore pubblicò sul Lidové noviny uno drammatica, azione di scena. E poi gli animali! famiglia, persino gli animali, gli uccelli e gli di alcuni personaggi. A quell’epoca Janácˇek dei suoi saltuari “feuilleton”, il primo di molti Per anni li ho ascoltati, imparando a memoria il insetti della foresta. Gli animali parlano tra di componeva già tutti i propri libretti. in cui descriveva con le note il canto degli loro linguaggio; con loro mi trovo a mio agio). loro, ma non con gli uomini. Teˇsnohlídek scrisse solo una canzone per lui (il uccelli. Il pezzo termina così: “Come mai tutte (da “La nuova opera di Leosˇ Janácˇek”, Cosa avesse spinto Janácˇek a comporre brano del Guardacaccia nella scena dell’osteria queste parole sulle robuste note del cardellino Lidové noviny, 15 Maggio 1921) l’opera non è chiaro. In un famoso brano delle dell’Atto II); i restanti brani, tutti nell’Atto III, […]? Intanto mi piace così, e poi raccolgo sue memorie, la fedele domestica della famiglia sono ricavati da famosi testi popolari (i motivi, compagni adatti per Lisˇka Bystrousˇka’ (Lidové La notizia si era diffusa in fretta a Brno, città Janácˇek, Marie Stejskalová, sostiene che il come sempre, erano del compositore). Il libretto noviny, 1 giugno 1921). natale di Janácˇek: il soggetto della sua compositore l’avesse vista ridere mentre leggeva di Janácˇek seguiva molto da vicino il romanzo Tuttavia Janácˇek era ancora impegnato nelle prossima opera era Lisˇka Bystrousˇka di Rudolf l’ultima puntata sul giornale e lei aveva di Teˇsnohlídek. La forma dell’atto III è ultime correzioni alla Kát’a Kabanová la cui Teˇsnohlídek. Una scelta fuori del comune. Il dichiarato immediatamente che sarebbe stato originale; il compositore riunì ingegnosamente prima si svolse a Brno il 12 novembre 1921. E romanzo, originariamente scritto per un meraviglioso soggetto per un’opera, qui diversi episodi del romanzo. il lavoro alla Kát’a Kabanová continuò anche accompagnare una serie di disegni del pittore specialmente per chi, come lui, era interessato Quando si diffuse la voce della nuova, dopo questa data, in risposta a suggerimenti Stanislav Lolek, descrive la vita di una volpe alla notazione dei versi animali. La tesi viene strana opera di Janácˇek il quotidiano Lidové avanzati da Max Brod, impegnato a tradurre il catturata da piccola e allevata in casa di un rovinata dall’insinuazione che solo allora noviny inviò il reporter Adolf Vesel´y a testo in tedesco. Solo più tardi, verso la fine guardacaccia. La volpe finisce per fuggire, Janácˇek avrebbe iniziato a leggere e raccogliere intervistare il compositore. Come dimostra dell’anno, il compositore parlò nuovamente

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della sua nuova opera in un improvviso post Ho iniziato a scrivere Lisˇka Bystrousˇka. Una (11 marzo 1923) scrisse: “Il Guardacaccia e il Quest’importanza della natura ciclica della scriptum allegato a una lettera priva di data e cosetta allegra con un finale triste: e io stesso Maestro di scuola invecchiano; il Parroco si vita viene ottenuta in maniera commovente diretta a Brod: “Fammi gli auguri anche per la occupo un posto in quel finale triste. Ed è il mio trasferisce – È primavera nella foresta – ma negli ultimi momenti dell’opera attraverso una Lisˇka Bystrousˇka! ”. Il lavoro effettivo iniziò nel posto! anche vecchiaia.” Qui, e anche nell’opera, sequenza onirica che rievoca il luogo e gli nuovo anno 1922. Nell’agosto 1922 era pronta (Janácˇek a Kamila Stösslová, 10 febbraio 1922) Janácˇek punta l’attenzione su tre aspetti: animali della prima scena: l’inizio del racconto una prima stesura dei primi due atti e ad essi, vecchiaia, cambiamento e rinnovamento in cui il Guardacaccia cattura la Volpe. Questa dopo una pausa in estate, fu aggiunto l’ultimo Non c’è dubbio che per molti versi l’opera ciclico. Ognuno evoca un senso del trascorrere conclusione che si rifà all’inizio, con una visione atto nel novembre 1922, quando il teatro di composta da Janácˇek sia una “cosetta allegra”. del tempo. La penultima scena dell’opera ci della “piccola Bystrousˇka, immagine vivente di Brno fece un’offerta preliminare per i diritti di È di gran lunga la sua opera teatrale più rende consapevoli di diversi cambiamenti nei sua madre” (titolo assegnato da Janácˇek alla allestimento. Come sempre per Janácˇek questa spensierata e l’espediente degli animali mondi umano e animale: l’osteria dove il scena), ci consente di collocare la morte della versione era solo un abbozzo preliminare antropomorfi produce diversi momenti di pura Guardacaccia e i suoi compagni si incontrano Volpe entro una prospettiva che abbraccia il molto rozzo e nel corso dell’anno successivo il commedia. A prima vista si potrebbe pensare viene ridipinta; Terynka, la ragazza di cui rinnovamento perenne. La consapevolezza di compositore realizzò un rifacimento completo, che la “conclusione triste” sia la morte della parlano e fantasticano, si sposa proprio quel vivere nel tempo e attraverso il tempo produce terminandolo entro il 10 ottobre 1923. La volpe, sorprendentemente aggiunta da Janácˇek giorno; il Parroco si è trasferito in un altro un’ottica per cui la morte e la vita della Volpe prima rappresentazione si svolse a Brno poco al romanzo originale. Tuttavia l’episodio arriva villaggio; le volpi hanno abbandonato la tana; non vengono considerate tragicamente limitate, più di un anno dopo, il 6 novembre 1924. nella penultima e non nell’ultima scena e il Guardacaccia si accorge che lui e il suo ma sono viste come contributo a un ciclo di Janácˇek rimase particolarmente soddisfatto dell’opera ed è notevole per il suo ritegno cane soffrono sempre più dei dolori dell’età. Il vita più grande, infinitamente continuo. dell’allestimento di Brno, come riferì Marie musicale: un colpo di fucile seguito dal silenzio. punto culminante dell’opera viene raggiunto È come se in quest’opera Janácˇek avesse Stejskalová nelle sue memorie: Così Janácˇek evita di presentare volpi e cuccioli nella lunga scena del Guardacaccia. Come il fatto pace con se stesso e con una vita che non Il maestro è rimasto molto contento della prima addolorati; la prevedibile evocazione musicale Maestro e il Parroco prima di lui nell’atto era stata né facile, né felice né fino a poco della Volpe a Brno. Tornava dalle prove ridendo del pathos o persino della tragedia è assente. precedente, il Guardacaccia ripensa alla sua tempo prima, molto fortunata. La sua terza di come i cantanti imparavano ad andare a La conclusione “triste” va ricercata altrove. vita, soprattutto alla giovinezza e alla felicità opera Jenu˚fa (1894–1903), rappresentata in quattro zampe. Il capo dell’opera [Frantisˇek] L’indizio è rivelato nella suggestiva della luna di miele. Ricorda l’inizio della vita coincidenza con il suo cinquantesimo anno, Neumann, il produttore [Ota] Zítek, e il pittore autoidentificazione del compositore con la matrimoniale che, significativamente, coincide aveva dovuto aspettare altri dodici anni per [Eduard] Milén, che ha disegnato le scene, conclusione della sua opera (“Ed è il mio con il rinnovamento primaverile della foresta – essere riconosciuta al di là di minuscolo centro hanno fatto un bellissimo lavoro. È rimasto posto”) e con la tristezza del tempo che passa e “quando arrivano maggio e l’amore!” Qui la provinciale di Brno. Il compositore aveva sorpreso anche il maestro. della vecchiaia. Quando completò La volpe descrizione del tempo non è lineare, ma dovuto comporre altre due opere, entrambe astuta il compositore era vicino alla settantina. ciclica, non fonte di tristezza, ma “gioia più lavori sperimentali molto riveduti, prima di *** Descrivendo la scena finale a Max Brod che terrena”. arrivare alla piena maturità. Ma a quel punto

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aveva superato i sessant’anni. Osud (Destino) rapidamente conoscere e riuscì anche ad l’opera più accessibile di Janácˇek, La Volpe non ascoltare il nostro colloquio. Janácˇek fece alcune (1903–1907) non fu mai rappresentata arricchirsi. Nella composizione aveva mostra segni di compiacimento. Le modalità osservazioni sulla storia e poi iniziò a parlare durante la sua vita, I viaggi del signor Broucˇek finalmente trovato un tocco sicuro che gli drammatiche che sperimenta – l’esclusivo delle sue foreste di Valasˇsko, che io non conosco, (1908–17) fu eseguita nel 1920 a Praga consentì di produrre capolavori originali fino accostamento di danza e canto, lo strano dei suoi studi sul verso degli uccelli e mi resi (l’unica prima del compositore in questa città) alla morte che lo colse settantaquattrenne. mescolarsi dei mondi animale e umano, la conto che era riuscito a capire la felicità di ma fu accolta con freddezza. La vita personale Nella sua vita personale, la sua amicizia con successione cinematica di brevissime scenette, riuscire a sorridere. di Janácˇek non era stata tanto più facile: il suo Kamila Stösslová (iniziata nel 1917), era erano avanzati per il loro tempo, e furono matrimonio era andato male fin dall’inizio e ancora un decoroso passatempo, svolto per lo necessari molti decenni prima che pubblico e © 2003 John Tyrrell aveva perso ogni significato dopo la morte più in forma epistolare e non era divenuto critica fossero conquistati. Le due opere che prematura dei due figli. Il compositore si era l’ossessione appassionata che lo avrebbe seguirono, L’affare Makropulos e Da una casa di La trama rifugiato in una serie di relazioni; quella più travolto negli ultimi anni. Aveva persino morti, furono molto più cupe e si potrebbero seria con la cantante Gabriela Horvátová (la raggiunto un accordo con la tollerante moglie. considerare la dimostrazione del fatto che il COMPACT DISC ONE prima Kostelnicˇka in Jenu˚fa a Praga) alla fine La volpe astuta sembra un’espressione della compositore aveva perso l’equilibrio che spinse sua moglie a un fallito tentativo di soddisfazione per la vita conquistata con l’aveva accompagnato durante la progettazione Atto I suicidio. La sua sesta opera, Kát’a Kabanová difficoltà e a lungo perseguita da Janácˇek, e la composizione della Volpe. Teˇsnohlídek, “Come la volpe Bystrouˇkas venne catturata” * (1919–1921), fu la più cupa e tragica; un’opera composta su un piano di serenità convocato da Janácˇek per parlare del progetto 1 Preludio: La foresta, un pomeriggio d’estate l’eroina, strettamente identificata personale e realizzazione artistica. In essa il con lui poco dopo l’inizio dell’opera, lo capì: pieno di sole. Il Tasso fa capolino dalla sua nell’epistolario del compositore con la sua compositore fu finalmente in grado di Leosˇ Janácˇek attendeva nel giardinetto del tana, fumando una lunga pipa. Gli volteggiano ultima fiamma, Kamila Stösslová, muore tra i contemplare i suoi anni e l’avvicinarsi della Conservatorio. Stava seduto tra i cespugli, sotto intorno i moscerini in un balletto; la Libellula melodrammatici rantoli di un “tema fatale”. morte entro un quadro filosofico in cui la vita migliaia di minuscoli fiorellini bianchi; la sua azzurra danza. Ma a quel punto si era delineata una svolta. aveva assunto un senso. Il romanzo leggero, testa era altrettanto bianca e sembrava il fiore più 2 Tutti si nascondono quando si avvicina Con Kát’a Kabanová Janácˇek aveva iniziato la con le sue origini fumettistiche (Janácˇek lo grande. Sorrise: e io capii subito che il suo era il un Guardacaccia che si lamenta d’essere stanco miracolosa sequenza delle quattro ultime opere definisce in una lettera “romanzo per sorriso che la vita ci concede come una medaglia (“Going to be a storm soon”) e poi si stende a su cui, insieme con Jenu˚fa e i lavori non signorine”) offriva un punto di partenza, anche d’oro al valore di fronte al nemico, al dolore, riposare. Mentre si appisola, un Grillo e una teatrali del suo ultimo decennio, oggi si fonda se la creazione teatrale fu molto più profonda e all’umiliazione e all’ira. In quel momento pensai Cavalletta compaiono con un organetto. la sua reputazione. Con un energico editore saggia ed estremamente personale: la grande che Lisˇka Bystrousˇka fosse seduta, addomesticata austriaco, la Universal Edition, che promosse scena del Guardacaccia alla fine dell’opera fu e completamente sopraffatta dalla gentilezza *Janácˇek non numerò le scene, ma assegnò titoli a entusiasticamente Jenu˚fa in tutto il mondo di eseguita, secondo le istruzioni del compositore, dell’uomo nel giardinetto e che, non vista, si quelle in cui compare la Volpe Bystrousˇka. In questo lingua tedesca e oltre, il compositore si fece al suo funerale. Per molti versi considerata oggi sarebbe avvicinata per sedersi ai nostri piedi e opuscolo i titoli sono sottolineati.

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3 Si mettono a suonare (“Come on, old 10 Interludio: Scende la notte, la Volpe screaming?”). Con l’aiuto degli animali della di cui è innamorato, scavalca la siepe in un lady, and let’s get the show started”) e a loro si addormentata si trasforma in una fanciulla; foresta, inizia una lite e lo caccia via. impeto di passione. aggiungono una Zanzara e una Rana. piange nel sonno (“Ou, ou!”). 17 Interludio: cambia la scena e si passa al 24 Arriva il Parroco dal sentiero 4 Entra di corsa la volpe Bystrousˇka. 11 È l’alba e la Volpe riprende la forma di brusio dell’osteria di Pásek. borbottando citazioni dei classici Osserva la Rana (“Mummy! Mummy! What is animale. 18 Il Parroco dice al Guardacaccia e al (“So remember to ge a good man”) e that?”), che fa un balzo, terrorizzata, e cade Maestro di scuola che sta per trasferirsi in una ricordando la propria gioventù. proprio sul naso del Guardacaccia, “Bystrouˇkas fa politica”; “Bystrouˇkas fugge” nuova parrocchia (“In my new parish things 25 Alla fine ricorda la citazione dell’Anabasi risvegliandolo. L’uomo s’avvede della Volpe, 12 Lapák offre dei consigli per tenersi lontano have got to be better!”). di Senofonte (“Memnestho aner agathos l’afferra e si allontana tenendola sotto il braccio. dai guai (“You should take a lesson from 19 Il Guardacaccia è preso dai ricordi einai”). Si sente il Guardacaccia che spara alla 5 Ritorna la Libellula Azzurra, cerca me!”). Di ritorno dal loro pasto, le Galline e il (“Once long since, long ago”), e riflette tra i Volpe nel bosco. inutilmente la Volpe, poi si posa ripiegando le Gallo deridono la Volpe perché non depone fumi del vino sull’inevitabilità del ali. uova. cambiamento e del declino. Quando il “Bystrouˇkas corteggiata”; “Amore e matrimonio 13 Lei rimprovera le Galline per la loro Maestro di scuola chiede della Volpe, ammette di Bystrouˇkas ” “Bystrouˇkas nel cortile della casa del mentalità servile (“Sisters! Comrades!”). seccato che è fuggita. 26 Interludio: cambio di scena: siamo nella guardacaccia” Trovandole stupidamente insensibili, si ritira 20 Il Maestro si prepara ad andarsene tana della Volpe, una sera calda d’estate sotto il 6 Interludio: il cortile della capanna del tra un cumulo di rifiuti e finge di seppellirsi (“Home now?”), mentre l’Oste irrita il chiaro di luna. La Volpe accovacciata posa il Guardacaccia. Il cane del Guardacaccia, Lapák, viva. Guardacaccia chiedendogli di ricordare di muso sulle zampe anteriori ascoltando le voci e la Volpe sono sdraiati uno accanto all’altra. 14 Sollecitate dalla prima Gallina (“Come dirgli qualcosa sulla Volpe. della Foresta. 7 Il Guardacaccia fa un commento sulle on then, don’t be frightened”), le Galline si 21 Interludio: la scena cambia e adesso 27 Esce un volpe maschio. La Volpe si sente dimensioni della Volpe (“Look at how big she’s avvicinano curiose; la Volpe le uccide una per siamo su un sentiero illuminato dalla luna che subito attratta (“Oh my god! He’s so grown!”); sua moglie le versa del latte in un una. Per questo il Guardiacaccia la picchia, lei attraversa la foresta. handsome”). Timida all’inizio, ben presto gli piattino. Lapák confessa alla Volpe che non ha taglia il guinzaglio con i denti e fugge. 22 Lungo il sentiero il Maestro si avvia racconta la sua storia e lo colpisce per la sua mai conosciuto l’amore. barcollando a casa (“Something is wrong with indipendenza e la sua importanza: è 8 Lei solidarizza (“I’m just the same too”). Atto II my equilibrium”). Finisce per cadere vicino a proprietaria di una tana. 9 Il figlio del Guardacaccia sfoggia “Bystrouˇkas compie un esproprio” un girasole dietro cui si nasconde la Volpe, che 28 Poi gli racconta come è sfuggita al orgogliosamente l’inconsueto animale domestico 15 Preludio: la foresta vicino alla tana del lo scuote maliziosamente. Guardacaccia (“One dark night”). a un amico (“Look what we’ve got down ’ere”); tasso. Tardo pomeriggio. 23 Il maestro guarda stupito (“Staccato! 29 Il maschio si presenta (“Fox crudelmente stuzzicata dai ragazzi, la Volpe li 16 La Volpe sbircia nella tana (“Ah!”), Flageoletti!”) finché, convinto nella sua Goldenstripe”); la Volpe rivela di chiamarsi attacca; il Guardacaccia la mette al guinzaglio. disturbando il tasso (“Who’s that out there ubriacatura che il fiore sia Terynka, la fanciulla Bystrousˇka. Il corteggiamento prosegue.

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Sentendole dire che le piace il coniglio, il cantando lungo il sentiero (“In the month of 9 Il Guardacaccia, molto sorpreso (“Well Nato in County Durham, in Inghilterra, maschio si scusa educatamente. May”). I’m damned!”), consola il suo amico. Thomas Allen è una star dell’opera 30 La Volpe si delizia nella nuova 3 Vede un coniglio morto e sta per riconosciuta a livello internazionale. Si è sensazione di essere ammirata (“Can it be that prenderlo quando il Guardacaccia lo chiama “Una piccola Bystrouˇkas immagine vivente di esibito in oltre quaranta ruoli presso la Royal I am lovely?”) finché il maschio ritorna con un (“Hey there, Harasˇta, how’s it going?”). sua madre” Opera House, Covent Garden, dove nel 2001 coniglio ed entrambi si dichiarano. Confuso, Harasˇta annuncia che sta per sposare 10 Interludio: cambiamento di scena: si torna ha celebrato il trentesimo anniversario del suo 31 Sebbene l’ardore del maschio la spaventi Terynka e non farà più il bracconiere. nella stessa parte della foresta dell’Atto I. esordio con la compagnia. Nel 2002 ha poi per un attimo (“Let me go! I am afraid of 4 Mentre si allontanano, compaiono 11 Il Guardacaccia cammina lungo il celebrato il ventesimo anniversario del suo you!”) alla fine entrambi scompaiono insieme alcuni volpacchiotti a passo di danza (“Little sentiero, ricordando i primi tempi del suo debutto alla Metropolitan Opera di New York. nella tana. La Libellula azzurra si produce in foxes running fast”). La Volpe e il suo consorte matrimonio (“Spring is here at last”). Particolarmente applaudite sono state le sue una danza. esaminano il coniglio morto e subodorano la 12 Ammira la bellezza della foresta (“When interpretazioni di Billy Budd, Pelléas, Eugene 32 Gli uccelli spettegolano come trappola. evening arrives”). Come prima, si appisola. Onegin, Conte Almaviva, Beckmesser e Don pescivendole (“If you had only seen what I saw 5 Parlano della loro prole (“How many Quando si sveglia, è circondato dagli animali Giovanni. Ugualmente apprezzati sono, oltre just now”). Quando la coppia riemerge children do we have?”) e di possibili aggiunte. della foresta. alle numerose incisioni, anche i suoi frequenti all’alba, la Volpe singhiozza. Sussurra qualcosa 6 Ricompare Harasˇta con una cesta di 13 Immerso nei propri pensieri, nota concerti, che lo vendono impegnato in recital all’orecchio del maschio. polli, vede la Volpe e tira fuori il fucile (“Put it che ne manca uno (“Hey! But I can’t see the in tutta Europa, Australia e America. 33 Lui capisce al volo (“That’s how it is”) e down fast… Hurry, get your gun!”). Schernito vixen there!”), ed è felice quando una Il primo libro di Thomas Allen, Foreign si organizza in tutta fretta un matrimonio, da Bystrousˇka che lo fa incespicare, spara e la volpacchiotta gli si avvicina correndo: è certo Parts – A Singer’s Journal, è stato pubblicato celebrato dal Picchio. Le Creature della foresta uccide. che si tratti di una figlia della Volpe. Allunga nel 1993. Le innumerevoli onorificenze da lui festeggiano con un balletto. 7 Interludio: cambiamento di scena: la mano per prenderla ma si accorge di avere ricevuti includono l’Honorary Membership giardino dell’osteria. afferrato una rana (“Hey there! I remember della Royal Academy of Music, la carica di COMPACT DISC TWO 8 Il Guardacaccia racconta al Maestro di you!”). Prince Consort Professor del Royal College of scuola della tana abbandonata (“Where is old 14 La Rana, che sa cosa è accaduto prima, Music, e l’Hambro Visiting Professor of Opera Atto III man Pásek?”). Una volpe morta significa un gli comunica compiaciuta (“Tha-that wasn’t Studies presso l’università di Oxford. In “Bystrouˇkas fronteggia Haraˇtas ” – “Come manicotto nuovo per sua moglie, dice. Il me”) che è nipote di quella che ricorda il occasione dei New Year’s Honours del 1989 è Bystrouˇkas trova la morte” Maestro annuncia che Terynka si sposa oggi e Guardacaccia. Il tempo, le stagioni, tutto stato nominato Comandante dell’Ordine 1 Preludio: Autunno. Una radura nella la moglie dell’Oste dice che la sposina ha un continua. dell’Impero britannico, mentre nel 1999 è foresta. manicotto nuovo. La notizia fa venire le © 2003 Avril Bardoni stato nominato Cavaliere in occasione dei 2 Harasˇta, venditore ambulante, cammina lacrime agli occhi del Maestro. Traduzione: Emanuela Guastella Queen’s Birthday Honours.

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Lillian Watson è nata a Londra e ha studiato Touring Opera si è esibita in teatri come la House, Covent Garden, dopo aver calcato il Gwynne Howell è nata nei pressi di Swansea, presso la Guildhall School of Music and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, la palcoscenico di questo prestigioso teatro ogni in Gran Bretagna, e si è laureata presso Drama. Ha debuttato nell’opera con la Welsh Metropolitan Opera di New York, il Théâtre anno dal suo esordio nel 1970. Nel 1988/89 l’università del Galles e quella di Manchester National Opera nel ruolo di Papagena, e poi de la Monnaie a Bruxelles, l’Opéra national de ha debuttato con la English National Opera in prima di dedicarsi ai suoi studi di canto al ha esordito con la Royal Opera nelle vesti di Paris-Bastille, il Teatro Colon a Buenos Aires e The Turn of the Screw e la stagione seguente lo Royal Northern College of Music. Nel 1968 è Barbarina. È nota a livello internazionale per la in occasione dei Festival di Bayreuth e ha visto debuttare nel ruolo di Aschenbach in entrata a far parte della compagnia della sua interpretazione di Blonde (Die Entführung Salisburgo. Death in Venice con la Glyndebourne Touring Sadler’s Wells Opera. Trasferitasi alla Royal aus dem Serail ), da lei portata a Il suo repertorio comprende i principali Opera. Altre esibizioni includono Gawain e Opera nel 1972, ha cantato nei principali ruoli Glyndebourne, Covent Garden, Amburgo e al ruoli per mezzo-soprano nelle opere di Mozart, Tales of Hoffmann (Royal Opera House), di basso con la compagnia, in allestimenti di Festival di Salisburgo. Altri ruoli includono Gluck, Strauss, Rossini, Bellini e Berlioz, e i The Marriage of Figaro (Welsh National Opera Aida, Rigoletto, Otello, La bohème, Tosca, Don Despina (Così fan tutte) a Vienna, a suoi frequenti concerti includono esibizioni e Opéra National de Paris-Bastille), Billy Budd Giovanni, Eugene Onegin, Parsifal, Tristan und Glyndebourne, Aix e Covent Garden; e i rese sotto la direzione di Sir Georg Solti, (Los Angeles Opera), e The Palace in the Sky Isolde, The Flying Dutchman, Palestrina e personaggi di Ismène e Aspasia (Mitridate), da James Levine, Riccardo Muti, John Eliot di Jonathan Dove per il Bayliss Programme Stiffelio. Si è esibita con regolarità anche con la lei cantati a Venezia, Parigi e Londra. Lillian Gardiner, Seiji Ozawa, Jeffrey Tate e Andrew della English National Opera. Le sue incisioni English National Opera, la Welsh National Watson si è esibita anche con la Welsh Davis. includono War Requiem di Britten, Opera, l’Opera North e Glyndebourne. La sua National Opera, l’English National Opera, la Le numerose incisioni di Diana Montague Das klagende Lied di Mahler, Die Winterreise lunga carriera internazionale l’ha portata alla Geneva Opera, la Lausanne Opera, l’Opera di comprendono Orfeo di Monteverdi, I Capuleti e, per Chandos, Albert Herring, The Metropolitan Opera di New York, alla Lyric Roma, al Théâtre des Champs Elysées, e in e i Montecchi, Norma, Lucia di Lammermoor, Canterbury Pilgrims di Dyson e King Priam Opera di Chicago, a San Francisco, Santa Fe, Israele, a Tolosa e Anversa. Iphigénie en Tauride; Rosmonda d’Inghilterra, di Tippett. Toronto, Amburgo, Colonia, Monaco, Parigi, Le sue incisioni comprendono Blonde Zoraida di Granata e Il crociato in Egitto per In qualità di direttore ha collaborato con i Ginevra e Bruxelles. (Die Entführung aus dem Serail ) con Nikolaus Opera Rara; e per Chandos/Peter Moores London Mozart Players, la Northern Sinfonia, Le numerose incisioni di Gwynne Howell Harnoncourt, The Geisha di Sydney Jones, e Foundation, Cavalleria rusticana, Octavian in la English Chamber Orchestra, la includono Mahler 8, Un ballo in maschera, Fido in Paul Bunyan di Britten, realizzata per Der Rosenkavalier (estratti), Faust, e due dischi Philharmonia Orchestra, la Royal Scottish Luisa Miller, Tristan and Isolde, Messiah e la la Chandos. di Grandi Arie Operistiche. National Orchestra, la Toulouse Chamber Nona Sinfonia di Beethoven. Orchestra e la Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Diana Montague è nata a Winchester, in Gran Robert Tear è nato e ha studiato nel Galles, Robert Tear è Honorary Fellow del King’s Simon Rattle è nato a Liverpool, in Gran Bretagna, e ha studiato presso il Royal diventando poi borsista nel coro del King’s College, Cambridge, e nel l984 è stato Bretagna, nel l955 e ha studiato presso la Northern College of Music. Dal suo debutto College, Cambridge. Si esibisce regolarmente nominato Comandante dell’Ordine Royal Academy of Music a Londra. Nel 1974 nelle vesti di Zerlina con la Glyndebourne in qualità di ospite presso la Royal Opera dell’Impero britannico. ha vinto il primo premio nel John Player

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International Conducting Competition ed è opere da lui dirette figurano Parsifal e Sophie’s diventato Vice Direttore della Bournemouth Choice di Nicholas Maw per la Royal Opera, Lillian Watson as Vixen Sharp-Ears and Gwynne Howell as the Priest Symphony and Sinfonietta. In seguito è stato Wozzeck con la Los Angeles Opera, Parsifal e titolare di varie cariche, tra cui quella di Tristan and Isolde con la Netherlands Opera, Direttore Ospite Principale della Rotterdam Katya Kabanova con la English National Philharmonic. Opera, e Idomeneo e le opere Da Ponte di Nel 1980 è diventato Direttore Principale e Mozart a Glyndebourne. Consigliere Artistico della City of Birmingham Simon Rattle ha firmato oltre sessanta Symphony Orchestra, e poi suo Direttore incisioni, collezionando prestigiosi premi a Musicale, mantenendo la carica dal settembre livello internazionale. La sua serie Leaving 1990 all’agosto 1998. Dall’ottobre 1992 è Home, realizzata per la rete televisiva inglese Direttore Ospite Principale dell’Orchestra of Channel 4, è stata insignita del premio the Age of Enlightenment ed è anche BAFTA nel 1997 come “Miglior programma o Consigliere Artistico del Birmingham serie dedicata al mondo dell’Arte” e alcuni tra i Contemporary Music Group. È stato suoi recenti spettacoli realizzati a Berlino sono nominato Direttore Capo e Direttore Artistico stati trasmessi televisivamente. Simon Rattle della Berliner Philharmoniker, come già ha ricevuto numerosi premi anche in Herbert von Karajan e Daniel Barenboim, riconoscimento dello straordinario contributo insediandosi nella carica nel settembre 2002. offerto alla musica e del suo impegno nelle È stato Direttore Ospite Principale della attività educative e di comunità. Nel 1987, in Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra dal 1981 occasione dei New Year Honours, la lista delle al 1994, ed ha lavorato con la Cleveland onorificence conferite annualmente dalla Orchestra e le Symphony Orchestras di regina Elisabetta, è stato nominato Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto e Boston. Comandante dell’Ordine dell’Impero Ha debuttato a New York nel l985 con la britannico per i servizi resi alla Musica e nel Los Angeles Philharmonic ed è tornato nella 1994 è stato nominato Cavaliere nella Queen’s stessa città nel 1988 per lavorare con la City of Birthday Honours List, annunciata in Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Tra le occasione del compleanno della sovrana.

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Robert Tear as the Schoolmaster with Sir Simon Rattle Gwynne Howell as Badger

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COMPACT DISC ONE Mosquito (half drunk) Vixen Cub Vixen Come on, come on, play it faster! Mummy! Mummy! 8 I’m just the same too – no one’s taught me how Act I to make love. But I know a lot about it from (The Frog tries to catch the Mosquito.) ‘How Sharp-Ears was caught’ Forester (offstage) listening to all the sparrows that lived in the trees Ha, ha, ha, ha! over our house. They made an awful racket, 1 Prelude Frog Summer: the forest in the afternoon. The Badger Brekete! Brekete! 5 Pantomime yelling, screaming, calling each other nasty and indecent and immoral names. The old one had snoozes in the sun, pestered by flies, and the Blue Mosquito (The Blue Dragonfly appears, looking for the Dragonfly dances. Vixen.) his girlfriends always hanging around in the top Stop it, mind your own business. of the beech tree. Everyone knew it. And then, Forester (shotgun on shoulder) Damn it, stop it now! Go home! Go to hell! ‘Sharp-Ears at the Forester’s lakeside farmyard’ one Saturday night he got so drunk that the 2 Going to be a storm soon, I’ll sit here and rest a hawk and the raven came and then they beat Vixen Cub (runs in, stops, stares at the Frog, who 6 minute. I can tell the missis I’ve been out all Interlude freezes) him up! Anyway, not one of the children was night chasing poachers! Autumn: afternoon sun 4 Mummy! Mummy! What is that? any better. One of them ran off with a cuckoo (The Cricket and Grasshopper, who has a What is that? Is it good? Good to eat? Forester bird, then he started sleeping around with all his spinning wheel, enter.) 7 Look at how big she’s grown! neighbours. One of the sparrows had to give her She trusts me, she always believes me. (The Frog jumps and by mistake lands on the hazelnuts as alimony payments. The sparrow’s (The Forester sits under a bush.) Forester’s nose.) Forester’s Wife ( pouring milk in a bowl ) stepdaughter, oh! she was an ugly creature, was That morning after we made love for the first I’ll bet her fleas are bigger, even bigger! the forest nymphomaniac. time, I was worn out just like I am now! Come Forester (waking up) (The Dog tries to catch the Vixen’s tail but she here, my old shotgun, you’re still my best Well I’ll be damned! You little perisher! Vixen (lapping milk) Ou, ou! Ou, ou! Ou, ou! knocks him down.) mistress, come and let me hold you, be a (sees Vixen Cub and grabs her) Dirty old dog! Try to bite? Little bitch! hunter’s sweetheart! You don’t fuss, you don’t Dog (The Dog retreats behind the rubbish-heap and the nag, you belong here! Do stop all that moaning! Do you think your Vixen Cub Vixen crouches in anger. The two boys, Pepík and life’s worse than mine is? Do you know how my (While he sleeps the Cricket and Caterpillar make Mummy! Mummy! Frantík run in.) music and dance.) heart weeps, seeing them kissing, making love, Forester (lifting the Vixen like a dog) mating? Ow, ow, ow! I’m just filled with Pepík (grabbing the Vixen) Cricket Ha, ha, ha, ha! You can struggle all you want to! suffering. 9 Look what we’ve got down ’ere. It’s the Vixen. 3 Come on, old lady, and let’s get the show started. (The Vixen eyes him with sympathy, then Vixen Cub Frantík (tickling the Vixen’s snout with a stick) Caterpillar indifference.) Mummy! Mummy! Watch this! All right, if we play music you can dance do! Every evening I sing sad songs. I’m a composer. Good old-fashioned tunes, I like that so much Forester ( puts the Vixen under his arm) Then the Forester always beats me. Oh! I sing Vixen better. Children’ll like you, keep them quiet! and yet I don’t know what love is. Better stop that! Better stop that! I’m no dog like

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that one! You dirty little devil! Stop it! Vixen Chief Hen (The Vixen kills the Rooster, then starts slaughtering No more! Ou, ou! Trrp! all the Hens.) Frantík (The Forester and his Wife go into the house. Vixen (springing up) Chief Hen Look at her growling! Now let’s try it both Frantík disappears and the Dog creeps away.) 13 Sisters! Comrades! What good is he as a leader? Kokokodak! Kokokodak! He just uses your bodies, and the humans pay together! Poke her hard! 10 Interlude Forester’s Wife (running in) him for his pleasure. Sisterhood, organise! (He pokes her with the stick.) It begins to get dark. The Vixen appears as a young Oh? Oh? Oh? Oh damn it all! Oh damn it all! girl. She cries in her sleep. Down, with the present system! Build a better Vixen world! One where we can all be equal, sharing Vixen That’s enough! I’ll fix you now! Vixen everything together. Ha, ha ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha ha! Ou, ou! (The Vixen jumps at Pepík.) Hens (laughing) Chief Hen 11 Dawn breaks. The Vixen is herself again. No more rooster? No more rooster? Kokokodak, kokokodak, kokokodak! Pepík ‘Sharp-Ears as politician’; ‘Sharp-Ears runs away.’ Nevermore tenderness! No more baby chicks. Oh! Oh! Mummy! She hit me! She hit me! Vixen Forester’s Wife She’s going to eat me up! Dog (stretching; to the Vixen) Why should we need men at all? He takes the You dirty devil! Look what happens, just because 12 You should take a lesson from me! best grain, eats it himself, and you have to eat Vixen (running away towards the woods) You must be more careful! You better hold your the scraps that he knows you will settle for. I let him give orders, stupid idiot. Freedom! temper! Rooster ( furiously) Chief Hen (She trips.) Rooster (strutting) She’s no feminist! She is just trying to trick us How can I hatch my eggs now? all, so she can eat up all of us! Frantík Everybody come along and pay attention. Look Forester’s Wife Catch her, now! Get her now! at little madam Vixen. All tied up now. Look at Hens (running like mad ) I could have had a muff! You just wait! her! And that’s because she does not sit on nests, That’s it! That’s it! That’s it! That’s it! That’s it! Oh damn it all! I’m going to fix you this time! Pepík laying eggs like you all do! Do your best! Lay Vixen Ou, ou! Ou! Ou! Ou! your eggs! I’ll be here, helping you. Vixen I can’t stand such ignorance. All this Now’s my chance! Forester’s Wife (running out of the house) Hens conservatism! I’ll just have to kill myself. Forester’s Wife I’ve had it! I’m going to kill that stinking old fox We’re working hard, laying eggs. We’re working Goodbye. of yours! She’s full of fleas, and she’s always in hard, laying eggs. Oh damn it all! Come on! Shoot that fox! (She pretends to bury herself alive.) the way! (The Vixen tries to break her rope. The Forester Chief Hen (taunting the Vixen) Chief Hen Forester comes in and starts hitting the Vixen with a club.) Trrp! Trp! Trrp! Trrp! Trrp! 14 Come on then, don’t be frightened, So let’s tie her up then! Rooster ( frightened ) Vixen (He ties the Vixen up.) That’s pretty good, now try again! see if she is dead! You wouldn’t scare me if you were ten times bigger!

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Forester Vixen Flies (The Badger wipes a tear, tucks his pipe, goes into Damn it, I’m going to break your back! Look at that badger, lying there like a You can’t hit her. the woods. The Vixen slips into the empty den.)

capitalist! 17 (The Vixen bites through the rope.) Vixen Interlude Flies Do you think that you can treat me this way? Pásek’s inn. The Schoolmaster and Forester are Vixen You capitalist! playing cards. But you won’t catch me! Flies Priest (enters, smoking a pipe like the Badger) Vixen Do you think that you can treat her this way? (She knocks the Forester down and disappears into 18 In my new parish things have got to be better! the woods.) He’s got a house big enough for three, and he Vixen insults the working class when we try to look at Why d’you hit me? This is a free world! Forester I hope that’s true! And now Father, are you ready Act II it! Flies for the wedding day? It looks like some woman’s ‘Sharp-Ears expropriates a home’ Flies This is a free world! tied a rope on our Schoolmaster here. 15 Look at him! Look at him! Prelude Vixen Priest The forest in the late afternoon Vixen To think that this fine gentleman won’t let us ‘Non des mulieri corpus tuum.’ He sits there like a banker. Vixen (looking inside Badger’s den) even look at his property. Forester 16 Ah! Flies Flies You silly old bugger, tell us, who’s the lady? We’ll Look at him! Look at him! find out soon enough I’ll bet! Badger That nobody can look at his property. Who’s that out there screaming? Badger Vixen 19 ‘Once long since, long ago, they went a-maying, You little birch, this is intolerable! I ought to have you arrested! But I won’t waste He and his ladylove Spring’s call obeying. Vixen (hits her) my time on your sort! Now it is harvest time, leaves they are falling, Me, sir, it’s only me! If you don’t get away this minute, I will call my She sits at home and dreams, her youth recalling, lawyer and he’ll sue you! Flies Her lover’s getting old, Winter is coming’. Badger We’ll arrest you! You nasty flea-bitten vagabond! I won’t have Vixen (lifting her tail; the Badger hits her again) What would you do with a woman at your age? intruders around here. Vixen Sue this! You filthy bastard, vicious old Schoolmaster hypocrite! Here is something hot for you. Vixen (She lifts up her tail, pees on him and runs.) Mister Forester! He, he, he, he! He, he, he, he! Lazy badger, just Flies You can keep it as a souvenir. Forester who do you think you are? You filthy bastard, vicious old hypocrite! Badger ‘Her hair is white as snow! Flies Vixen Oh, this is plain indecency! How can a He’s growing old and slow…’ Lazy old badger. You can’t hit me. gentleman stay here? Springtime’s over.

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Schoolmaster Schoolmaster Pásek drunken friends! I’d have been here sooner. Do I hear Mister Forester has his own problems. All that talk is going nowhere. That was Come on now, and tell me all about it. you really love me? Oh, Terynka! I hear you came home one day with a baby cockcrow, it’s time to go! (The flower moves.) Forester vixen. Are you a happy couple? Can’t you really see, I’ve loved you all my life, Forester Damn her then, that’s all there is to it! She ran now calls to us! I beg you, oh answer me Well I’ll be damned! Let the rooster rest in peace! off! That’s the end of that! I’m not going to bring Forester now! Won’t you forgive my desperate longing for For a rooster Peter sold Jesus Christ. her back! I’m fed up with all this talking! Don’t you mention vixens. That bitch was a your kisses! I shall take you away and hold you catastrophe! That was good riddance to her! She Schoolmaster (leaving) (He leaves.) forever in my arms. can go to hell! I’ll get her some day! When they Goodnight! (The flower moves away.) 21 Interlude come into heat, they’ve had it! Look at our Aha, she wants me to join her! Now I can live in Pásek (to the Priest) Full moon. A steep path in the forest; next to it a friend the Schoolmaster. He’s such a clever happiness… fellow. But look what he does – deals the to Goodnight, sir. May you bring peace and joy to fence with sunflowers your new congregation. (He tries to leap the fence, but it collapses and he me. Oh, Schoolmaster, I think you’re done for. Schoolmaster Priest (leaving) 22 falls headlong. He lies stunned. The Vixen moves Priest Something is wrong with my equilibrium, or can I’ll try to do that! away and hides.) ‘Non des mulieri corpus tuum.’ it be the planet is turning from west to east? Forester Makes me feel dizzy, something’s wrong. Why Priest (approaching. The Schoolmaster hides Forester 20 Home now? When there’s practically no night did I have to spend the whole night drinking behind the fence.) Stop that damned Latin! left? Oh, Schoolmaster, you Judas! I’m afraid that beer with those people? Why did I have to stay 24 ‘So remember to be a good man!’ there while good people sleep? Why should I be Bless me, which of these classics is that from? Priest you’re about to sell your bones to a woman, just risking my neck in total darkness? I’ll be lucky if (tries to light his pipe) I’ll translate: ‘Give your body no to women.’ like all the rest! But you say, No? (to Pásek) I don’t break a leg or an ankle! Every time it Pipe won’t light! Back when I was just a student, Forester ‘In the sweat of thy brow shall thou eat bread.’ rains here, this path disappears. It’s a good thing I sat here just like this – that girl, her yellow hair If only you would talk Pig Latin, I might Not a word about drunkenness. No, Sir! He I’ve got my walking-stick with me, I would never was like a ray of light, she gazed at me with such understand. never said there was anything wrong in drinking make it home! Two legs and one stick give a innocence. Clear and childlike. Now I person three supporting points. Now that I’ve remember. But then it finished badly. Oh, her Priest ale. But women think they know more than God got these three legs, I’m balanced quite perfectly lovely eyes, deep and dark as the firmament, ‘Give your body to no women.’ himself! Bravo! That’s right! Therefore Mister Pásek, one more beer, please. – just like this! I’ll try it without my stick. dark and so beautiful, deep as a forest pool, Forester Damn it all! hiding treachery and accursed sin! And with a Pásek You’re not serious! (He falls. The Vixen darts behind a sunflower. common butcher! And they put the blame on You caught a vixen? (lifting the Schoolmaster’s coat) The Schoolmaster tries to focus on the flower.) me! I was so ignorant! She made me think she Besides are you calling that thing a body? Forester 23 Staccato! Flageoletti! Oh, oh, Terynka! If I had was innocent as a baby. Since that happened, no Undernourished old stick! That’s right! only known I would see you, I’d have left my woman has ever seemed to me anything but a

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whore! I’m alone now, just like a broom left in a Vixen Fox Vixen corner. Oh no! Oh no! Owner of your own house? Pleased, I’m sure! Fox Sharp-Ears, ex-foster-child 25 ‘Memnestho aner agathos einai.’ Fox Vixen of the gamekeeper. That’s from Mister Xenophon’s Anabasis! Are there many birds in this forest? I lived with the Forester just like his children. Fox (kissing her paw, formally) Forester (offstage) Vixen Fox Would you mind if I came back again, to pay a There she is! Yes! His children? visit, mad’moiselle? (The Vixen runs across the stage.) Fox Vixen Now I’ve got her! That’s where I grew up, and had my education. Vixen Do you think that I can catch one? I would like that very much. Schoolmaster and Priest (getting up) 28 One dark night, listen; I still tremble to think of Vixen God help me! I can’t let him see me! That fellow it! I got caught! But you know vixens always Fox Yes, I often come here to look for them. I live doesn’t understand the frailty of man! fight back! And we always win the fight. Do you often come here in the evening? just round the corner. I just came out for a little Humans never will outwit a fox! They tried to (They run off in opposite directions.) ramble – and I was hoping that would cure my beat me up! My tail got caught in a trap! That Vixen Forester (offstage) headache. old man swore at me: ‘I’m going to break your At about midnight or later. Always quite alone. Sharp-Ears! Fox back! I’m going to break your back! After that I have no boy-friends. I have a rule that no one (Gun shots are heard. The Forester comes in with Then if you don’t mind me, may I come walking I’m going to tear your greedy throat out… and ever goes walking with me! his gun.) with you? You may find hunters out waiting to Missis Forester gets a fur muff that’s fit for I’ll bet my life on it! I’ll bet you that was our shoot at you, and if you’re lost in thought, royalty!’ You should be ashamed to hurt me that Fox Vixen! meditating, you easily might come to harm. way! If you think that you’ve caught me, you are The ideal modern-day woman! Do you smoke? mistaken! You are the greedy one! What do you ‘Sharp-Ears’s courtship’; ‘Sharp-Ears’s love and Vixen need all that food for? There is food for all, and Vixen marriage’ Please, if you would not mind too much… I’m starving to death! I’m not used to begging so No, I don’t yet. 26 Interlude Fox I just took a little. Now, hit me! Now, try it and Fox Wordless chorus offstage. The forest in the That is, if you think your mother will permit it. then we’ll see. He went for me! Tyranny! Then I Do you like rabbits? got him! He toppled down like a tree struck by moonlight. The Vixen lying in front of her den. Vixen lightning. I ran off. Now I’m just an orphan. Vixen The Fox appears. Oh, no! I’m alone and independent. Oh, the forest was dark as the night! In it I I adore them! Vixen Fox (to himself ) found freedom! 27 O my god! He’s so handsome! He’s so handsome! Independent? Fox (departing) Fox (introducing himself ) Well in that case… Fox Vixen 29 Fox Goldenstripe, yellow furred fox from the Mademoiselle, did I disturb you? I have my own place. My uncle Badger left it to me. deep ravine, is at your service. (He goes off.)

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Vixen (alone) Fox Fox (They slip into the den.) 30 Can it be that I am lovely? Can it be I am You are shivering? Go then, leave me! Take all my future with you! (The Blue Dragonfly dances. The Owl and Jay fly beautiful? Can it be I am beautiful? Break my heart! Break my heart! My life is over! in.) Vixen (The Fox comes back carrying a rabbit. He observes No-o, I am burning! Vixen her.) Owl Really? You should have told me that sooner! 32 Can it be I am beautiful? Maybe I’m really pretty! Fox If you had only seen what I saw just now. With What are these emotions I am feeling now! Have you ever loved someone before? Fox my own eyes I have seen them both doing it! My Sharp-Ears, it is you, only you, that I want Shocking and scandalous! Sharp-Ears behaving Fox (to himself ) Vixen forever! like you know what! I can’t say! She is so lovely, so lovely! Quick or someone else No-o! And have you? will get her! Vixen Jay Fox Me? Me? Who with? Vixen Also no-o! Am I really then so lovely? Oh, my handsome Fox (The sun comes up.) lover! Vixen I love you only, only you, Sharp-Ears, I love only Why? you. You will be my joy forever. All my life I have Vixen (sobbing, comes out of the den) Fox (enters hesitantly) been dreaming of only a woman just like you! A-o-o-u! A-o-o-u! A-o-o-u! I kiss your hand. Fox Because, because I have not found a partner yet, Vixen Fox (following her out) Vixen (to herself ) one I could respect and honour, one for whom Why just like me? Why just like me? Stop crying, stop crying! What did I do to make If you only knew just how much I have lost my I’d give my life. But if ever I find someone… Fox you cry? Tell me why you’re crying. heart to you. Vixen It is true. I do not tell foxy lies. I speak what my Vixen Fox Then?… heart tells me! I love you, not just your body but Don’t you know what’s going to happen now? Morning, Sharp-Ears! your soul even more! Do not say no! You will Fox see, you will see, Sharp-Ears. Novels will be Fox Vixen (leaps up) Without a moment’s hesitation I would ask her, inspired by you, operas will be sung about I don’t know what you mean. Why have you come back here so early? do you love me? Sharp-Ears. Come here, do not leave me, sit here (She whispers to him.) Please answer me! Fox (shows her a rabbit) and let me hold you. 33 That’s how it is! He, he, he! He, he he! I have brought you a little (He embraces her passionately.) (kisses her) Vixen present. He, he he! He, he, he! Vixen Don’t cry! Don’t cry! I too am weeping with happiness. Do you want me? And what will you do with me now? Vixen 31 Let me go! I am afraid of you! I’m frightened! He, he, he, he! You are terrible! You have gone to Please don’t hurt me! Go away! I am so Vixen Fox so much trouble just to surprise me. frightened! Yes! Yes! We’d better look for a priest!

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Woodpecker (peeking out of tree) But she smiled so sweetly, Harasˇta That’s for the Vixen! I’ll catch her. No doubt Well, about time too! What do you think you But she smiled so sweetly; It is Terynka! she’ll be back to get it. want from me? No, sir, no-no-no-no-no-no. Forester (He leaves.) No, sir, no-no-no. (Voices of the forest are heard offstage.) Terynka! Harasˇta And the band played on, Fox Harasˇta He, he, he! He, he, he! He, he he! Music was playing, We would like, right away, a quick wedding! Terynka, Terynka! Will you come along now? (He leaves in the opposite direction. Foxcubs run in Woodpecker Will you come along now? Forester and dance.) You mean the banns? No?… I pronounce Fox Maybe, may-may-may-may-maybe, I hope you’re not poaching, Harasˇta. Fox Cubs Well sir, maybe! 4 Goldenstripe and the Vixen Sharp-Ears joined in Harasˇta ‘Little foxes running fast, marriage. (He sees a dead rabbit, killed by a fox, which he is God is my witness! The devil may punish me, Saw a rabbit going past; (Wedding celebration and dance.) about to pick up when he sees the Forester.) I swear, not a feather! You know, but I could Rabbit said “You can’t catch me”, have done it! Foxes said “just wait and see”. Forester Rabbit took off like a flash, 3 COMPACT DISC TWO Hey there, Harasˇta, how’s it going? Forester Foxes followed with a dash, What’s all this then? Act III Harasˇta Rabbit tripped on buttercup, All right – it wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have Harasˇta Foxes ate old rabbit up.’ ‘Sharp-Ears outwits Haraˇsta from Liˇens ’; ‘Sharp- so many problems! Now, look over there at that dead rabbit! Some (They see the rabbit.) Ears’s death’ creature killed it. Nearly took it. Something said, Forester Vixen 1 ‘better not’. Conscience told me not to! Don’t Prelude Harasˇta, how do you cope without a wife? Look at that! Look at that! Autumn: the edge of the forest at noon touch Harasˇta, if you get caught it’s too bad! Harasˇta Forester Fox and Fox Cubs Harasˇta (with an empty basket) I’m doing fine, sir, very fine indeed, sir. You Look at that! 2 In the month of May, know I’ve already got myself a woman. I’m Harasˇta! Well I’ll be damned! Harasˇta keep your Flowers were blooming; getting married! I’m getting married! I bet that hands off! If you get caught, serves you right! Vixen She sat at her window, you can’t imagine me with a wife! Somebody killed it. Why is the rabbit lying here for all to see? She sat at her window (shows him a bottle) Harasˇta Fox and Fox Cubs And she tra-la-la-la’d, Drink up, then I will tell you what her name is. Dead as a dumpling! Look at that! And she tra-la-la’d. It is Terynka! Forester Vixen Will you let me in, Forester Sharp-Ears still causing trouble! Something’s wrong here. I smell trouble. Will you, my lady? Terynka? (sets a trap) Something funny’s going on.

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Fox Vixen Vixen Terynka say now when she sees me!… Satan Watch out! Danger! Who knows, who knows? Go! Hide yourself! himself sent that vixen to me! (Harasˇta enters with a basket of chickens.) Fox Cub Vixen Fox I’m going to look and see just what kind of man Mummy, I know what it is! It’s a fox trap! Try to kill! Because I’m just a vixen!… Look at When will you help me to make some more this is! Vixen children? Old girl, tell me! how he carries on, just because I took a chicken! Harasˇta That man must think we’re going crazy. Harasˇta (firing his gun without aiming) Vixen ‘After Winter comes the May, Just you wait! Fox Cubs You must not talk like that! There may well be Filled with joy and filled with play. It’s a fox trap! It’s a fox trap. someone listening. How animals gossip! It will We’ll have children, one, two, three…’ (The Vixen remains alone, dying.) That man must think we’re going crazy! be all over the woods before you know it! (sees Vixen and sets down his basket) 7 Interlude 6 Put it down fast! Harasˇta, Harasˇta! Vixen Fox Garden of the Inn Does he think that we are fools? Will we have more? You are as lovely as ever, you Hurry, get your gun! Forester (to the Innkeeper’s Wife, bringing beer) are as lovely as ever! (grabs the gun from his basket) Fox Cubs There you are! You’ll be a muff for Terynka. 8 Where is old man Pásek? Does he think that we are fools? Vixen Vixen Innkeeper’s Wife Vixen Just wait, just wait, we will talk about that when I’ll show you! In Brno. We’re very busy, white-washing. I’ve no That’s not like foxes! next May comes. (She limps around, while Harasˇta tries to aim. time for talking. Fox and Fox Cubs Fox He runs after her.) Forester (to the Schoolmaster, at table) That’s not like foxes! I’ll wait, I’ll wait, I’ll wait, I’ll wait… I’ll wait ’til Try to kill, because I’m just a vixen! Try to kill, I went, followed the footprints, and then I found Vixen May comes. I’ll wait… as soon as May comes! because I’m just a vixen! Try to kill! her den abandoned. Well, Schoolmaster, what (Harasˇta stumbles.) about that dried-up fox tongue, it’s all yours Silly fellow, oh, what a fool! Harasˇta (offstage) Better watch your nose… now. It makes you invisible, they say. Me, I get a Fox and Fox Cubs ‘Maytime comes, and Maytime goes, muff for the wife! You might find the fox tongue Oh, what a fool! Soon comes Winter and its woes, Harasˇta practical next time you go a-courting out there Marry me, my maiden fair! Damn and blast it! Vixen in the sunflowers! You can smell his tobacco! He thinks we’ve lost You’ll be warm and free from care.’ Vixen Schoolmaster every last fox hair on our foxy backs! …and I’ll watch your basket! Vixen Too late now. Miss Terynka’s getting married this (Little foxes run off.) Who is that yowling? (Runs to Harasˇta’s basket.) morning. Fox Fox Harasˇta Innkeeper’s Wife 5 How many children do we have? Old girl, tell me! Who is that yowling? Oh, oh, oh! Damn and blast it! What will She’s got a muff! Fox-fur muff!

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Schoolmaster (to himself, sadly) Forester I see her! There she is! Baby Sharp-Ears! Little Frog (stammering in fear) And so it ends. 11 Spring is here at last. Good to see the trees devil! Like a twinkle in her mother’s eye! Hey 14 Tha-that wasn’t me. Tha-that was my Forester green again! Makes a man wonder at it, and there! Wait till I catch you, just like your Grandaddy! He used to tell me ab-about you! I’m no younger.* Is it true or just a story? mother! But I’ll treat you better, that’s for sure. He used to tell me ab-about you! 9 Well I’m damned! Dried up like a stick, but even so, a woman can make him cry! Well, don’t you Or just a story? How many years have passed, Maybe then they won’t try to make our lives into since two young lovers walked here in an opera. English translation: worry, you’ll forget her! Marriage at your age, © Yveta Synek Graff and Robert T. Jones with such a woman, that would be dangerous springtime, she like a silver fir, he a dark-leafed (He opens his arms to catch the Vixen but catches a counterpoint! pine? When they went mushroom gathering, Frog instead.) *Original version: Look at that mushroom! Standing (to the Innkeeper’s wife) they would leave the best or trample on them, Hey there! Now I remember you! Cold little like a toy soldier, showing off like a schoolgirl with a brand new hat! Wonder how the Priest is. How is he in his new all because they could not see, they were so bugger! parish? deeply in love. But the kisses then, oh, the kisses (Picks mushroom and strokes it.) that those lovers gathered! We were young and Innkeeper’s Wife newly married! God yes, we were young and He’s unhappy, lonely… newly married! Forester (sits down) Getting late, I’m off now. Without the flies… a man could fall asleep in seconds… Schoolmaster 12 When evening arrives, I welcome the rays of the But where, so early! setting sun! How splendid stands the forest! Forester Spring comes once again and woodland spirits Where? Through the woods then home. My old now return in May-time. Dancing and leaping dog is tired and helpless. He has trouble walking, and laughing and eagerly waiting for love! he’s an old dog, just like us, Schoolmaster, just Holding each other, always answering Spring’s like us. How long it seems now since we both hymn of love! And flowers will drink the tears of were young and foolish! And now the fellow’s May-time, rejoicing with roses, violets and glad just to find a quiet corner and put his feet yellow daffodils! People will pass in holy silence up, go to sleep. bowing their heads, and all the joy of Heaven will unfold, covering them in glory! ‘The young Sharp-Ears is the spitting image of her (He falls asleep. All the animals from Act I appear. mother.’ The Forester, dreaming, sits up.) 10 Interlude 13 Hey! But I can’t see the Vixen there! The forest in the afternoon (A Vixen cub enters.)

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Opera in English on Chandos

This recording appears on Chandos by kind courtesy of EMI Classics

Royal Opera House production produced by Bill Bryden. Designer: William Dudley Artistic consultant to the Peter Moores Foundation: Patric Schmid

Production shots of The Royal Opera’s 1990 production of The Cunning Little Vixen © Clive Barda

Recording producer David R. Murray Sound engineer Mark Vigars Editors Mary Hughes & Tim Handley Operas administrator Sue Shortridge Recording venue No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road, London; June 1990 Front cover Photograph of Lillian Watson in the title role of The Royal Opera’s production of The Cunning Little Vixen (Clive Barda/ArenaPAL) Back cover Photograph of Sir Simon Rattle by Simon Fowler © EMI Classics Design Sean Coleman Booklet typeset by Dave Partridge Booklet editor Kara Reed Copyright Universal Edition p 2003 Chandos Records Ltd digitally remastered from a p 1991 recording c 2003 Chandos Records Ltd Chandos Records Ltd, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HQ, UK Printed in the EU CHAN 3100

107 SOLOISTS/THE ROYAL OPERA/ RATTLE CHAN 3101(2) TT 62:35 TT 34:12 Printed in the EU CHAN 3101(2) COMPACT DISC ONE COMPACT DISC TWO LC 7038 DDD MCPS 24-bit/96 kHz digitally remastered bass bass tenor 2-disc set soprano soprano 2003 Chandos Records Ltd mezzo-soprano mezzo-soprano c Robert Tear Robert Thomas Allen John Dobson John Gwynne Howell Lillian Watson Gillian Knight Gillian DIGITAL Nicholas Folwell Nicholas 1991 recording p Diana Montague Diana Elizabeth Bainbridge Elizabeth England • Essex CHANDOS • ...... ˇek, English translation by Yveta Synek Graff and Graff Synek Yveta by translation ˇek, English ...... (1854–1928) ...... Colchester ...... • ˇ Janác ...... ˇek ...... , a poacher ...... , Innkeeper...... ˇ Janác ˇta ...... 2003 Chandos Records a from digitally remastered Ltd Pásek Haras Vixen Sharp-Ears Priest/Badger Forester’s Wife/OwlForester’s Fox Wife Innkeeper’s Voices: and creatures Forest Hens, Royal Opera House Chorus, Covent Garden Chorus, Covent House Opera Royal Garden Covent House, Opera Royal of the Orchestra Rattle Simon Leos Sharp-Ears of Fox The Adventures acts in three Opera Leos by Libretto Robert T. Jones T. Robert Forester Mosquito/Schoolmaster The Cunning Little Vixen Little The Cunning Chandos Records Ltd Ltd Chandos Records p

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