Christus (sacred opera)
Encyclopedia
Christus is an opera in seven scenes with a prologue and epilogue by Anton Rubinstein
, written between the years 1887-1893 to a libretto after a poem by Heinrich Bulthaupt
.
) denoting staged works with 'use of polyphonic choruses and a sober, edifying style relying on ‘exalted declamation’.'
Rubinstein composed three other works of this type, Sulamith,
Moses and Der Thurm zu Babel
(The Tower of Babel
). A fifth sacred opera, Cain, was uncompleted at his death.
Rubinstein considered Christus to be his finest composition.
on 2 June 1894. This was in fact his last public appearance as a conductor. The work received a further series of complete performances, at Bremen
, in 1895. Applause between scenes and after the performance was forbidden.
Apparently the work was not revived until a performance in Tyumen
in 2002, conducted by the composer's great-grandson, Anton Sharoyev. This was also therefore the work's first performance in Russia
. A recording of past of the work was made from live performances under Sharoyev in St. Petersburg in 2003.
according to the New Testament. It is made up of the following scenes:
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein was a Russian-Jewish pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist he was regarded as a rival of Franz Liszt, and he ranks amongst the great keyboard virtuosos...
, written between the years 1887-1893 to a libretto after a poem by Heinrich Bulthaupt
Heinrich Bulthaupt
Heinrich Bulthaupt was a German poet, dramatic author, and lawyer, as well as librarian of his native town, Bremen....
.
Background
Christus was described by its composer as a 'sacred opera'. This is a term invented by Rubinstein, ('geistliche Oper' in GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
) denoting staged works with 'use of polyphonic choruses and a sober, edifying style relying on ‘exalted declamation’.'
Rubinstein composed three other works of this type, Sulamith,
Moses and Der Thurm zu Babel
Der Thurm zu Babel
Der Thurm zu Babel is a one-act 'sacred opera' by Anton Rubinstein to a libretto by Julius Rosenberg based on the story in the Book of Genesis, chapter II...
(The Tower of Babel
Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel , according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar .According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where...
). A fifth sacred opera, Cain, was uncompleted at his death.
Rubinstein considered Christus to be his finest composition.
Performance history
Parts of the work were performed in Berlin in April 1894, and Rubinstein conducted a complete performance in StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
on 2 June 1894. This was in fact his last public appearance as a conductor. The work received a further series of complete performances, at Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, in 1895. Applause between scenes and after the performance was forbidden.
Apparently the work was not revived until a performance in Tyumen
Tyumen
Tyumen is the largest city and the administrative center of Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located on the Tura River east of Moscow. Population: Tyumen is the oldest Russian settlement in Siberia. Founded in 16th century to support Russia's eastward expansion, the city has remained one of the most...
in 2002, conducted by the composer's great-grandson, Anton Sharoyev. This was also therefore the work's first performance in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. A recording of past of the work was made from live performances under Sharoyev in St. Petersburg in 2003.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, June 2, 1894 (Conductor:Anton Rubinstein ) |
|---|---|---|
| Angel of the annunciation Annunciation The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her... |
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... |
|
| Jesus Christ | 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... |
Raimund von zur-Mühlen Raimund von zur-Mühlen Baron Raimund von zur-Mühlen was a celebrated tenor Lieder singer who also became a famous teacher of singing, instructing many famous artists... |
| Satan Satan Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible... |
bass | |
| John the Baptist John the Baptist John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River... |
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... |
|
| The Virgin Mary | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
|
| Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus... |
baritone | |
| Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:... |
baritone | |
| Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses... |
soprano | |
| Chorus: mob, angels, demons, priests etc. | ||
Synopsis
Christus treats the life of JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
according to the New Testament. It is made up of the following scenes:
- Outside the stable at BethlehemBethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
; the three kings arrive to pay homage. - Jesus arguing with SatanSatanSatan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
in the desert - His baptism by JohnJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
- Jesus performs miracles and defends Mary Magdalene.
- Jesus's anger in the TempleThe TempleThe Temple is an area of central London, in the vicinity of Temple Church, which is one of the main legal districts of the capital and a notable centre for English law, both historically and in the present day. Two of the four Inns of Court, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple, are located here...
- The last supperLast SupperThe Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
and Jesus's arrest - The trial before PilatePontius PilatePontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
- The crucifixionCrucifixionCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
(off-stage): demons and angels battle. - St Paul leads praise of Christ.
Sources
- Anon, Sleeve notes to recording of Christus; Anton Sharoyev conducting Tyumen State Philharominc Orchestra, 2003,"Zvuk" ZV - 11 03207
- Graham Dixon and Richard Taruskin. "Sacred opera." Grove Music Online accessed 17 April 2010
- H Krehbiel, A Second Book of Operas, accessed 17 April 2010
- Charles Maclean, Rubinstein as Composer for the Pianoforte (January–March 1914). Sammelbände der Internationalen Musikgesellschaft 15. Jahrg. (H. 2.): pp. 360–374.
- R. Taruskin, Christian Themes in Russian Opera: A Millennial Essay(March 1990). Cambridge Opera Journal, 2 (1): pp. 83–91.