Golem (opera)
Encyclopedia
Golem is a one-act opera
by Nicolae Bretan
to his own libretto
, based on the legend of the Golem
as expressed in a drama by Illés Kaczér. It was written over a brief period in 1923, and was first performed in Cluj
on 23 December 1924.
in the 16th century. Rabbi Lőw (based on the historical figure), has created the Golem, a living creature, from clay. The Golem falls in love with the Rabbi's granddaughter, thereby infecting her with a fatal illness. The Rabbi destroys the Golem to save his granddaughter.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
by Nicolae Bretan
Nicolae Bretan
Nicolae Bretan was a Romanian opera composer, baritone, conductor and music critic.He studied in Cluj, Vienna and Budapest before becoming one of the pioneers of Romanian opera - his opera Luceafarul is cited as the first opera in Romanian...
to his own libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, based on the legend of the Golem
Golem
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
as expressed in a drama by Illés Kaczér. It was written over a brief period in 1923, and was first performed in Cluj
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
on 23 December 1924.
Roles
| Roles | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 1924 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbi Lőw | tenor | |
| Anna, (his grand-daughter) | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
|
| Golem | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
|
| Baruch, the Rabbi's disciple | bass | |
| Chorus of the Autumn Winds | ||
Synopsis
PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in the 16th century. Rabbi Lőw (based on the historical figure), has created the Golem, a living creature, from clay. The Golem falls in love with the Rabbi's granddaughter, thereby infecting her with a fatal illness. The Rabbi destroys the Golem to save his granddaughter.