Hulda (opera)
Encyclopedia
Hulda is an opera by César Franck
to a French
libretto
by Charles Grandmougin
. It is set in 11th-century Norway
, and is based on the play Lame Hulda (1858) by Norwegian writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
. The complete opera contains a prologue, three acts and an epilogue.
It was first performed in an incomplete version in Monte Carlo
, Monaco, on 8 March 1894. followed by performances in The Hague in March 1895 and Toulouse in April 1895.
The third act was performed at the Concerts Colonne
with Demellier and Cazeneuve on 16 October 1904 to mark the unveiling of a monument to the composer.
The first complete performance of the opera was at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London on 15 March 1994, by University College Opera
.
The first two acts were performed with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra on 22 and 23 October 2010 in Molde
, Norway.
The manuscript full score is held at the Bibliothèque nationale
in Paris.
In the Prologue, after a prelude depicting the wind and sea, Hulda and her mother, singing a prayer duet, await the return of their menfolk from hunting. After an off-stage chorus of fishermen (accompanied by four saxophones), the Aslak men celebrate their murder of the Hustawicks, and Gudleik declares his lust for in Hulda, who responds with a curse (an ‘oath’ motif), and vows revenge on his family. A chorus of victory for the Aslaks contains a three chord ‘death’ motif which will recur when they themselves meet their deaths.
Act 1
Two years on, Hulda is to be married to Gudleik, and Gunnard is to marry Thordis. After a haunting A minor women’s chorus and the brighter entrance of Swanhilde, Gudleik and his brothers are heard arguing over Hulda, until Gudrun forces them – in an aria with typically Franckian chromatic harmonies – to show more respect. Hulda has seen Eiolf, an emissary of the Norwegian king (who has rejected Swanhilde) and is infatuated by him. The wedding party assembles but soon Eiolf arrives and during a traditional show of manliness and courage by the men, Eiolf and Gudleik fight, resulting in the death of Gudleik in a Verdian
-style finale.
Act 2
After a pastoral prelude, Aslak and Gudrun are seen grieving for Gudleik. At evening time Hulda in a wide-ranging soliloquy, awaits Eiolf, who she sees as a god-sent avenger who has released her from the Aslaks and the duty of her vengeance. After a passionate duet in which Hulda makes Eiolf promise to return with her to her homeland, he leaves her for the night and Arne, one of Aslak’s sons enters and declares his love for Hulda. Old Aslak sees a man making love to Hulda, and kills him – only discovering after that he has killed his own son, and Hulda’s curse has claimed a second victim.
Act 3
After the long Arctic winter celebrations and selection of a May queen are set to a waltz-like movement. Swanhilde is still upset by her betrayal by Eiolf, but her friend Thordis promises to re-unite them. When Eiolf enters Swanhilde is cold and cannot conceal her jealousy of Hulda; Eiolf embraces her. Hulda, close at hand, sees his betrayal of her, and she gets the remaining Aslak brothers to help murder Eiolf. They agree to meet the following day. The celebrations of spring resume, in contrast to Hulda’s despair.
Epilogue
After an entr’acte
based on the stark music from the beginning of the opera, there follows an evening chorus. The passion of Swanhilde and Eiolf’s reconciliation contrasts sharply with Hulda’s pain. She prepares for revenge: the Aslaks return and Eiolf is struck down. When the brothers then turn on her, she welcomes death and when the men turn away in fear, Hulda throws herself in the fjord
.
Hulda was Franck's first opera to be performed, in Monte Carlo, 1894. The influence of Wagner is clear, both in the writing for brass and also in the love duets which are reminiscent of Tristan und Isolde
. Franck's writing shows his seriousness of expression and characteristic chromatic harmony.
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
to a French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
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...
by Charles Grandmougin
Charles Grandmougin
Charles-Jean Grandmougin was a French poet and playwright. He lived in Paris. Two of his poems appeared in the third and final volume of Le Parnasse contemporain . His poetry has been set as songs by composers including Fauré, Chaminade, Pierné and Bizet...
. It is set in 11th-century Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and is based on the play Lame Hulda (1858) by Norwegian writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
. The complete opera contains a prologue, three acts and an epilogue.
It was first performed in an incomplete version in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, Monaco, on 8 March 1894. followed by performances in The Hague in March 1895 and Toulouse in April 1895.
The third act was performed at the Concerts Colonne
Concerts Colonne
The Colonne Orchestra is a French symphony orchestra, founded in 1873 by the violinist and conductor Édouard Colonne.-History:While leader of the Opéra de Paris orchestra, Édouard Colonne was engaged by the publisher Georges Hartmann to lead a series of popular concerts which he founded under the...
with Demellier and Cazeneuve on 16 October 1904 to mark the unveiling of a monument to the composer.
The first complete performance of the opera was at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London on 15 March 1994, by University College Opera
University College Opera
University College Opera, or UCOpera, is the student opera company of University College London. UCOpera is a semi-professional company, distinguishing it from other student opera societies. The operas are staged by professional singers, directors and designers, with the orchestra and chorus drawn...
.
The first two acts were performed with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra on 22 and 23 October 2010 in Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
, Norway.
The manuscript full score is held at the Bibliothèque nationale
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
in Paris.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast (incomplete), 8 March 1894 (Conductor: Léon Jehin) |
Premiere cast (complete), 15 March 1994 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hulda Hustawick | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Marie-Blanche Deschamps-Jehin | Adele Paxton |
| Hulda’s mother | mezzo-soprano | Mounier | Margaret Maguire |
| Aslak | bass | Joël Maurice Fabre | Deryck Hamon |
| Gudrun, Aslak's wife | mezzo-soprano | Rissler | Helen Lawrence |
| Gudleik, Aslak's eldest son | 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... |
Paul Lhérie Paul Lhérie Paul Lhérie , was a French tenor, then baritone, later a vocal teacher, most famous for creating the role of Don José in Bizet's Carmen.-Life and career:... |
Tom McVeigh |
| Halgerde, Aslak's sister | soprano | Marcelle Dartoy | Bridget Barlow |
| Arne, another son of Aslak | bass | David Eliot Crowne | |
| Thrond, younger son of Aslak | baritone | Justin Joseph | |
| Eyric, younger son of Aslak | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Desgoria | Alan Rankin Crooks |
| Eynar, younger son of Aslak | tenor | Signa | Daniel Meades |
| Gunnard, Halgerde’s son | tenor | Borie | Jon Stoughton |
| Thordis, Gunnard’s fiancée | soprano | Jane Webster | |
| Eiolf, a gentleman | tenor | Albert Saléza | Julian Gavin |
| Swanhilde, rejected by Eiolf | soprano | Emma d'Alba | Helen Kucharek |
Synopsis
The story tells how Hulda seeks revenge on Aslak and his clan, who killed her family. The subject depicts a young woman as a victim, her faith in nature, her destiny, and women’s suffering at the hands of men.In the Prologue, after a prelude depicting the wind and sea, Hulda and her mother, singing a prayer duet, await the return of their menfolk from hunting. After an off-stage chorus of fishermen (accompanied by four saxophones), the Aslak men celebrate their murder of the Hustawicks, and Gudleik declares his lust for in Hulda, who responds with a curse (an ‘oath’ motif), and vows revenge on his family. A chorus of victory for the Aslaks contains a three chord ‘death’ motif which will recur when they themselves meet their deaths.
Act 1
Two years on, Hulda is to be married to Gudleik, and Gunnard is to marry Thordis. After a haunting A minor women’s chorus and the brighter entrance of Swanhilde, Gudleik and his brothers are heard arguing over Hulda, until Gudrun forces them – in an aria with typically Franckian chromatic harmonies – to show more respect. Hulda has seen Eiolf, an emissary of the Norwegian king (who has rejected Swanhilde) and is infatuated by him. The wedding party assembles but soon Eiolf arrives and during a traditional show of manliness and courage by the men, Eiolf and Gudleik fight, resulting in the death of Gudleik in a Verdian
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
-style finale.
Act 2
After a pastoral prelude, Aslak and Gudrun are seen grieving for Gudleik. At evening time Hulda in a wide-ranging soliloquy, awaits Eiolf, who she sees as a god-sent avenger who has released her from the Aslaks and the duty of her vengeance. After a passionate duet in which Hulda makes Eiolf promise to return with her to her homeland, he leaves her for the night and Arne, one of Aslak’s sons enters and declares his love for Hulda. Old Aslak sees a man making love to Hulda, and kills him – only discovering after that he has killed his own son, and Hulda’s curse has claimed a second victim.
Act 3
After the long Arctic winter celebrations and selection of a May queen are set to a waltz-like movement. Swanhilde is still upset by her betrayal by Eiolf, but her friend Thordis promises to re-unite them. When Eiolf enters Swanhilde is cold and cannot conceal her jealousy of Hulda; Eiolf embraces her. Hulda, close at hand, sees his betrayal of her, and she gets the remaining Aslak brothers to help murder Eiolf. They agree to meet the following day. The celebrations of spring resume, in contrast to Hulda’s despair.
Epilogue
After an entr’acte
Entr'acte
' is French for "between the acts" . It can mean a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonymous to an intermission, but it more often indicates a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production...
based on the stark music from the beginning of the opera, there follows an evening chorus. The passion of Swanhilde and Eiolf’s reconciliation contrasts sharply with Hulda’s pain. She prepares for revenge: the Aslaks return and Eiolf is struck down. When the brothers then turn on her, she welcomes death and when the men turn away in fear, Hulda throws herself in the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
.
Hulda was Franck's first opera to be performed, in Monte Carlo, 1894. The influence of Wagner is clear, both in the writing for brass and also in the love duets which are reminiscent of Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
. Franck's writing shows his seriousness of expression and characteristic chromatic harmony.