Franz Schreker - Der Schmied von Gent

[brendangcarroll]

THIS review appeared in the Financial Times a few days ago - a rare performance of a virtually unknown opera by Schreker!


A vivid revival of Der Schmied von Gent by Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Antwerp
Franz Schreker's 1932 opera is musically rich and visually dazzling.

The Devil's girlfriend, Astarte, saves the blacksmith Smee from suicide. She promises him seven years of good business in return for his soul. One thing leads to another and, in Ersan Montag's new production for the Flemish National Opera, Smee finds himself running a waffle stand inside a museum after hearing a rousing speech from Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba. The gates to heaven and hell are side doors blocked off by red velvet ropes.

Der Schmied von Gent ("The Blacksmith of Ghent") was Franz Schreker's final opera, written in 1932, as the Austrian Jewish composer's world was collapsing around him. Rightwing thugs heckled at the premiere. The following year, Schreker's music was banned, and he lost both his teaching posts. He died of a stroke at the age of 55.

In the heady excess of Schreker's post-romantic output, Der Schmied von Gent is a comparatively stringent work, which is like comparing chocolate mousse to cheesecake — it is still insanely rich. The story, which the composer saw as a simple fairytale, is a hallucinogenic tangle of garish demons and anvils, drinking songs, magical sacks and feisty Flemish independence fighters. To his usual harmonic language of post-Wagnerian ravishment, Schreker adds an awful lot of fugues and a few droll moments.

This is Berlin-born bad-boy theatre director Ersan Mondtag's first opera, and he has responded with unfettered glee to the candy store that a major house represents, at times losing himself in the wonder and complexity of his own design. Yes, you can build something that is a village on the front and a demon on the back and that revolves, you can throw in references to Belgian colonialism in the Congo and to 1920s performance art, but at the end of the day the audience might be forgiven for wondering what on earth it is all meant to be about. It is dazzling and bewildering in equal measure.

Conductor Alejo Pérez brings some much-needed clarity to the musical direction, finding moments of delicacy, holding everything firmly together, and stomping through the many loud passages with unflinching force. A tight and well-balanced ensemble sings confidently, with an athletic Leigh Melrose particularly charismatic in the title role. Noluvuyiso Vuvu Mpofu as Astarte brings both an upper register that combines silvery clarity with voluptuous warmth and an unexpected visual reference to the zombie body-snatchers in Mati Diop's recent romantic film Atlantics.

Eclectic? Well, yes. But then so was Schreker's score. This is only the work's fourth production since its 1981 rediscovery, and for that alone, it is worth the trip to Flanders.

Shirley Apthorp

[Gareth Vaughan]

Very exciting. I wonder of there is any chance of a broadcast or recording. It's a wonderful score.

[Alan Howe]

This is definitely not for me, but judge for yourself from these excerpts:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8006465--schreker-der-schmied-von-gent

As I've said before, I just don't derive any pleasure from singing which is predominantly tuneless declamation. My loss, I know.

[Ebubu]

Hello all !
This performance in Antwerpen will be broadcast in May on YT "Operavision" channel.
The production was fine, but I was not impressed with the music, on a 1st hearing.
Maybe a second shot will do the trick ?

[adriano]

Thanks for the info, Ebubu; let me know the exact date, please :-)

[Ebubu]

It starts sometime in May, but the broadcasts on Operavision are avaialble for a few months...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRZZgiaIG0c

[der79sebas]

Tonight is the night:

https://operavision.eu/en/library/features/kaleidoscopic-world-der-schmied-von-gent

[adriano]

Yes der79sebas, and the staging is quite colorful, but intelligent and funny. Will make a private video and audio of it tomorrow. Some people in this forum may not like the later, more "sachliche" Schreker...