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A triumphant celebration of Schönberg Milano
Teatro alla Scala
09/13/2024 - & September 16, 17, 2024
Arnold Schönberg: Gurrelieder
Andreas Schager (Waldemar), Camilla Nylund (Tove), Okka von der Damerau (Waldtaube), Michael Volle (Bauer, Sprecher), Norbert Ernst (Klaus Narr)
Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Alberto Malazzi (chorus master), Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Peter Dijkstra (chorus master), Filarmonica della Scala, Riccardo Chailly (conductor)
(© Brescia e Amisano/Teatro alla Scala)
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Arnold Schönberg’s birth, Filarmonia della Scala has chosen to present his epic secular cantata Gurrelieder (1913). This mammoth, infrequently performed work graces a Milan stage for only the second time ever; the work’s debut here was in 1973 with Zubin Mehta at the helm.
The colossal orchestral and choral demands of Gurrelieder make it a prohibitive venture, making this an occasion not to be missed, and made even more enticing as it’s performed by a leading orchestra under the baton of the great Riccardo Chailly.
The biggest influence in Gurrelieder is Wagner, whether the medieval setting as in Tannhäuser; the vassals scene in the third movement, as in Hagen and the vassals in Götterdämmerung; or most of all the notion of death being the only possible means of fusion in love, as in Tristan und Isolde. Even the greeting of the sun in the last movement is evocative of Brünnhilde’s solar salute in Siegfried.
As in much of Wagner, Gurrelieder is based on Nordic myth. It concerns the legend of Danish King Valdemar’s love for his mistress Tove, her death by poisoning by jealous Queen Helvig, and Valdemar’s rebellion against his Maker. God curses Valdemar, who is condemned to ride daily in darkness across Gurre with his dead knights. In the third and final part, Valdemar summons his vassals and roams around the castle. Valdemar proclaims that Tove is watching his action. As the sun rises, the undead retreat to their graves. Finally, morning breaks, symbolic of rebirth and resurrection.
This oratorio/cantata was written over a long period: 1900‑1903 for the first two parts and 1910‑1911 for the third. When he returned to the composition of Gurrelieder, Schönberg had already embarked on composing atonal music, with works such as Five Pieces for Orchestra Op.16 and Erwartung. One can notice that parts 1 and 2 of the oratorio are Wagnerian in conception and even style, while the third part’s orchestral texture is decidedly Mahlerian.
Chailly’s reading was riveting, rich in dynamics in the lush and sensual first part, tense and brilliant in the third part. Given the huge choral demands of the work, two choirs were needed, the Coro del Teatro alla Scala and the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks. Both were well‑prepared by their respective leaders, Alberto Malazzi and Peter Dijkstra.
The five soloists were possibly the best available for their roles. Austrian Heldentenor Andreas Schager, heard last season as Tristan in Vienna, sang the demanding role of Valdemar with astounding ease. In addition to his utter comfort with the higher notes, Schager ably conveyed the King’s sorrow and rage thanks to his passionate interpretation and total immersion in the role. His clear diction was admirable, especially in the Lied “So tanzen die Engel vot Gootes Thron nicht” and the powerful “Herrgott, weisst du, was du tatest.”
Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund, known for her Strauss and Wagner performances, impressed with her creamy timbre, her ease in the upper register and her beautiful phrasing. Most touching was Tove’s last Lied, “Du sendest mir einen Liebesblick”, sensually interpreted, almost mirroring Isolde in her ecstasy through death.
German mezzo Okka von der Damerau, endowed with a dark, velvety mezzo, was Waldtaube, or the wood dove, who announces Tove’s death in the first part of the oratorio. Thanks to her exquisite phrasing, the last sentence of her Lied “Tauben von Gurre,” “Helwigs Falke war’s, der grausam” was truly shattering.
German baritone Michael Volle, recently heard as the Dutchman in Dresden and Düsseldorf, is possibly today’s leading Wagnerian baritone. Endowed with a virile, warm voice, he is an exquisite interpreter. His clear diction brought his part to life, especially in “Herr Gänsefuss, Frau Gänsekraut”, a Sprechgesang, one of the earliest examples of this compositional style. Austrian tenor Norbert Ernst was an expressive and appropriately sarcastic jester, Klaus Narr.
The public, many experiencing Gurrelieder for the first time, were ecstatic by the end of this completely sold‑out performance. The soloists, the orchestra, the two choirs and most of all Riccardo Chailly, were deservedly lauded. Bravo to all concerned on the occasion of this resounding triumph! Schönberg, somewhere, smiled.
Ossama el Naggar
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