The Bassarids
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Bassarids (in German, Die Bassariden) is an opera in one act and an intermezzo, with music Hans Werner Henze to an English libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, after Euripides's The Bacchae.
The conflict in the opera is between human rationality and emotional control, represented by the King of Thebes, Pentheus, and unbridled human passion, represented by the god Dionysus.
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Background
A noteworthy feature of the opera is its construction like a classical symphony in four 'movements':
- 'Movement I' = sonata form
- 'Movement II' = scherzo and trio
- 'Movement III' = adagio and fugue
- 'Movement IV' = passacaglia
Henze has noted that he quotes from Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion and the English Suite in D minor. Auden and Kallman wrote of changes that they made to the Euripides original for the purposes of this opera.
Performance history
It was first performed in a German translation by Maria Basse-Sporleder in Salzburg on 6 August 1966.
The first performance using the original English text, as well as the US premiere, was at Santa Fe Opera on 7 August 1968, with the composer conducting. The opera was also given in London on 22 September 1968, and was revived at English National Opera in October 1974, with the composer conducting.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 6 August 1966 (Conductor: Christoph von Dohnányi) |
|---|---|---|
| Dionysus, voice and stranger | tenor | Loren Driscoll |
| Tiresias, an old blind prophet | tenor | Helmuth Melchert |
| Cadmus, founder and former king of Thebes | bass | Peter Lagger |
| Agave, his daughter, mother of Pentheus | mezzo-soprano | Kerstin Meyer |
| Beroe, an old slave, once nurse to Semele and Pentheus | contralto | Vera Little |
| Captain of the Royal Guard | baritone | William Dooley |
| Pentheus, king of Thebes | baritone | Kostas Paskalis |
| Autonoe, daughter of Cadmus | soprano | Ingeborg Hallstein |
| A female slave in Agave's household | silent | |
| Her daughter | silent | |
| Chorus of bassarids, citizens of Thebes, guards, servants | ||
Synopsis
The setting is ancient Thebes. Prior to the opera, Dionysus has stated that he intends to revenge himself upon Agave and the women of Thebes because they have denied his divinity.
At the start of the opera, Cadmus, King of Thebes, has abdicated his throne in favour of his son Pentheus. Pentheus has learned of the cult of Dionysus, which involves wild and irrational revelry. Pentheus plans to ban the cult from his city. A stranger arrives in town and seduces the citizens into increasingly frenetic celebration of the god Dionysus. Because Pentheus is unaware of his own irrational, "Dionysiac" impulses, or tries to suppress them, Dionysus can entrance Pentheus and intrude upon his nature to the point that Pentheus disguises himself as a woman, and goes to Mount Cytheron, where the revelry is occurring. In the course of events, the spell over the citizens extends to Agave, Pentheus' mother, and Autonoe, Pentheus' sister. Pentheus is killed and torn to pieces, and his city brought to ruin. Without realizing it, Agave cradles the severed head of her son in her arms. The Stranger is revealed to be Dionysus himself.
Instrumentation
- Woodwind: 4 flutes (2nd with B foot, 3rd doubling piccolo, 4 doubling alto flute and piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 english horns, 4 clarinets (3rd and 4th doubling on alto saxophone, 4th also on E flat clarinet), bass clarinet (also alto saxophone and tenor saxophone), 4 bassoons (4th doubling on contrabassoon
- Brass: 6 horns, 4 trumpets (4th doubling on bass trumpet), 3 trombones, 2 tubas
- Percussion (8 players):
- timpani
- 3 cow bells, small triangle, pair of cymbals, 3 tamtams, snare drum, military drum (with and without snares), 3 tom-toms, 3 bongos, bass drum (with or without cymbals), maracas, whip, ratchet, metal blocks, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, finger cymbals, tubular bells, wood blocks, suspended cymbals
- 2 harps, 2 pianos, celesta, strings
- On-stage band: 4 horns (exchangeable with orchestra's trumpet), 2 guitars, 2 mandolins, 3 cow bells
- Prologue (ad. lib.): Dyonisus (tenor), timpani, legno, bass drum, vibraphone, marimba, harp, piano, tape
