Lacplesis (rock opera)
Encyclopedia
The rock opera
Lāčplēsis is a Latvia
n musical
based on the Latvian national epic
Lāčplēsis
. The libretto was written in 1986/87 by Māra Zālīte
, with music composed by Zigmārs Liepiņš
. It premiered in Riga
on 23 August 1988. According to Māra Zālīte's homepage there were 43 shows, each attended by 4,000 people.
. It has clear anti-Soviet undertones and it inspired the rising independence movements in Latvia
.
in many ways: Laimdota appears to represent Latvia herself, while Lāčplēsis stands for the people of Latvia. The villains are the crusaders
, represented by their leader Dīterihs, aided by devils and informers.
Castle where Kangars is taken captive and tortured by devils, asking him to betray his people by drawing them into slavery and establishing Christianity
. When he refuses, the torture is interrupted by the head devil Līkcepure who brainwashes him by saying that Kangars would win all fame if Lāčplēsis were not standing in his way.
Meanwhile Lāčplēsis is dropped into the Daugava by two witches, but is saved by Staburadze, who tells him that this is his first death. He is supposed to die and come back to life three times, and go through three periods of transition from oppression to freedom. When he asks if he is dead, he is told that he is alive as long as he remembers Staburadze, sunken castles, flying lakes and who he is: he has been nursed by all Latvian mothers and his soul is made from the souls of all Latvians. Then Koknesis appears, telling Lāčplēsis to build a homeland for Latvians, and promises to supply him with wood. Afterwards, at Burtnieki, Lāčplēsis flirts with Laimdota; together they listen to songs of Burtnieki castle and Laimdota sings a prayer to Saule, the sun deity. After listening to her, Lāčplēsis tells Laimdota that through this song he hears his motherland even louder than before and raises the sunken castle of Burtnieki. The devils try to stop him, saying that his nation has no history, only old wives' tales, but he succeeds and is engaged to Laimdota, who is the very soul of Latvia.
Later Laimdota meets Kangars, who asks her to be with him. When she refuses Kangars threaten to rape her and share her with anyone who wants her. Then he kidnaps her and tells Lāčplēsis that she has fled together with "her lover" Koknesis and suggests that Lāčplēsis should leave. Broken-hearted, Lāčplēsis follows his advice. In his wanderings Lāčplēsis meets Ziemeļmeita (personification of the aurora borealis), who tells him that this is his second death: he is told that he is dead if he does not believe any more. Now Lāčplēsis wants to return to his people, but is faced with three multiheaded monsters, the jodi. When he has chopped off all but one of their heads, the last jods begs for mercy and tells him that the rocks around are actually bewitched people. Lāčplēsis awakens them and returns home.
The devils are now frightened; they curse and cry that people were already under their rule, and the local songs and language were almost exterminated. Dīterihs announces that only Kangars can help them and orders the devils to search for Kangars among the Latvian people. The devils try to convince Koknesis to join them, but he refuses, saying that Lāčplēsis is his friend and Lāčplēsis can count on him. After that, Laimdota appears and Lāčplēsis asks her why she is crying. She answers that she is dishonoured and dirty. Lāčplēcis tells her that she will become clean in his tears and they are both reborn through each other's tears; then they are married. Meanwhile Kangars has finally discovered the weakness of Lāčplēsis and reveals it to the enemy: Lāčplēsis' power is in his ears, because he hears his motherland and feels her every movement with his ears. If they make Lāčplēsis deaf, he will be unbelieving and unremembering and therefore easy to defeat. Only then does Kangars realise what he has done and cries that he loves Latvia. The crusaders arrange a tournament for Lāčplēsis and the Black Knight, a creature that has no eyes, no ears and no language: belief and memories are drawn out of anyone who comes near him. Lāčplēsis feels doomed but still asks his motherland to call him. The narrator says that his fight with the Black Knight has not ended yet but there will come a time when Lāčplēsis will kill him.
Act II
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
Lāčplēsis is a Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on the Latvian national epic
National epic
A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation; not necessarily a nation-state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group with aspirations to independence or autonomy...
Lāčplēsis
Lacplesis
Lāčplēsis is an epic poem by Andrejs Pumpurs, a Latvian poet, who wrote it between 1872-1887 based on local legends. Lāčplēsis is regarded as the Latvian national epic.-Synopsis:...
. The libretto was written in 1986/87 by Māra Zālīte
Mara Zalite
Māra Zālīte is a Latvian writer.-Bibliography:Mara Zalite was born in Krasnoyarsk where her family had been deported. In 1975 she graduated department of Philology in University of Latvia...
, with music composed by Zigmārs Liepiņš
Zigmars Liepinš
Zigmārs Liepiņš is a Latvian composer.-Works:*Lāčplēsis, rock opera*Adata, musical drama-References:...
. It premiered in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
on 23 August 1988. According to Māra Zālīte's homepage there were 43 shows, each attended by 4,000 people.
Political and cultural significance
Lāčplēsis was first shown at the beginning of the Third Latvian National AwakeningLatvian National Awakening
The Latvian National Awakening refers to three distinct but ideologically related National revival movements:* the First Awakening refers to the national revival led by the Young Latvians from the 1850s to the 1880s,...
. It has clear anti-Soviet undertones and it inspired the rising independence movements in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
.
Summary
Unlike in the original poem, Kangars and Lāčplēsis are the best of friends. They are both heroes, they both have weaknesses, but Kangars' is easily noticeable: he is very ambitious. The rock opera mostly deals with Kangars' being blinded by the desire for fame, unaware of his betrayal until he reveals Lāčplēsis' weakness to the foreign invaders. Kangars is contrasted to Koknesis, who refuses even to think of betrayal. Laimdota and Lāčplēsis are characterised as symbols of Latvia and the Latvian peopleLatvians
Latvians or Letts are the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia.-History:Latvians occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which may have originated from the word Latve which is a name of the river that presumably flowed through what is now eastern Latvia...
in many ways: Laimdota appears to represent Latvia herself, while Lāčplēsis stands for the people of Latvia. The villains are the crusaders
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, represented by their leader Dīterihs, aided by devils and informers.
Plot
Lāčplēsis and Kangars are sent to study at Burtnieki. On the way they visit AizkraukleAizkraukle
Aizkraukle is a town in Vidzeme region in Latvia, the administrative centre of Aizkraukle municipality on the right bank of the Daugava River.-History:Aizkraukle before the World War I was formerly known by its German name of Ascheraden...
Castle where Kangars is taken captive and tortured by devils, asking him to betray his people by drawing them into slavery and establishing Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. When he refuses, the torture is interrupted by the head devil Līkcepure who brainwashes him by saying that Kangars would win all fame if Lāčplēsis were not standing in his way.
Meanwhile Lāčplēsis is dropped into the Daugava by two witches, but is saved by Staburadze, who tells him that this is his first death. He is supposed to die and come back to life three times, and go through three periods of transition from oppression to freedom. When he asks if he is dead, he is told that he is alive as long as he remembers Staburadze, sunken castles, flying lakes and who he is: he has been nursed by all Latvian mothers and his soul is made from the souls of all Latvians. Then Koknesis appears, telling Lāčplēsis to build a homeland for Latvians, and promises to supply him with wood. Afterwards, at Burtnieki, Lāčplēsis flirts with Laimdota; together they listen to songs of Burtnieki castle and Laimdota sings a prayer to Saule, the sun deity. After listening to her, Lāčplēsis tells Laimdota that through this song he hears his motherland even louder than before and raises the sunken castle of Burtnieki. The devils try to stop him, saying that his nation has no history, only old wives' tales, but he succeeds and is engaged to Laimdota, who is the very soul of Latvia.
Later Laimdota meets Kangars, who asks her to be with him. When she refuses Kangars threaten to rape her and share her with anyone who wants her. Then he kidnaps her and tells Lāčplēsis that she has fled together with "her lover" Koknesis and suggests that Lāčplēsis should leave. Broken-hearted, Lāčplēsis follows his advice. In his wanderings Lāčplēsis meets Ziemeļmeita (personification of the aurora borealis), who tells him that this is his second death: he is told that he is dead if he does not believe any more. Now Lāčplēsis wants to return to his people, but is faced with three multiheaded monsters, the jodi. When he has chopped off all but one of their heads, the last jods begs for mercy and tells him that the rocks around are actually bewitched people. Lāčplēsis awakens them and returns home.
The devils are now frightened; they curse and cry that people were already under their rule, and the local songs and language were almost exterminated. Dīterihs announces that only Kangars can help them and orders the devils to search for Kangars among the Latvian people. The devils try to convince Koknesis to join them, but he refuses, saying that Lāčplēsis is his friend and Lāčplēsis can count on him. After that, Laimdota appears and Lāčplēsis asks her why she is crying. She answers that she is dishonoured and dirty. Lāčplēcis tells her that she will become clean in his tears and they are both reborn through each other's tears; then they are married. Meanwhile Kangars has finally discovered the weakness of Lāčplēsis and reveals it to the enemy: Lāčplēsis' power is in his ears, because he hears his motherland and feels her every movement with his ears. If they make Lāčplēsis deaf, he will be unbelieving and unremembering and therefore easy to defeat. Only then does Kangars realise what he has done and cries that he loves Latvia. The crusaders arrange a tournament for Lāčplēsis and the Black Knight, a creature that has no eyes, no ears and no language: belief and memories are drawn out of anyone who comes near him. Lāčplēsis feels doomed but still asks his motherland to call him. The narrator says that his fight with the Black Knight has not ended yet but there will come a time when Lāčplēsis will kill him.
Song list
Act I:- Prologs (Prologue)
- Koris "Tas ir laiks" (Chorus: "It is the time")
- Lāčplēsis "Es dzirdu" (Lāčplēsis: "I hear")
- Lielvārdis "Uz krustcelēm" (Lielvārdis: "On the Crossroads")
- Krustnešu koris un Dīterihs (Chorus of crusaders and Dīterihs)
- Dīterihs un četri ziņotāji (Dīterihs and four informers)
- Lāčplēsis un Kangars ceļā (Lāčplēsis and Kangars on the way)
- Aizkraukles pilī (In the castle of Aizkraukle)
- Spīdzināšana. Līkcepure un Kangars (Līkcepure and Kangars: "Torturing")
- Pie Staburadzes (With Staburadze)
- Koknesis "Ozols mans tēvs" (Koknesis: "The Oak is my Father")
- Laimdotas un Lāčplēša duets (Duet of Laimdota and Lāčplēsis)
- Burtnieku pils skanēšana (Singing of Burtnieki castle)
- Laimdotas dziesma (Laimdota's Song)
- Lāčplēša dziedājums "Cīņa par gaismu" (Song of Lāčplēsis: "Fight for the light")
- Kangars un Laimdota. Laimdotas aizvešana. I cēliena fināls (Kangars and Laimdota. Abduction of Laimdota. Finale of act I)
Act II
- Kangara melu aina (Scene of Kangar's lies)
- Koris un Dīterihs (Chorus and Dīterihs)
- Lāčplēsis pie Ziemeļmeitas (Lāčplēsis and Ziemeļmeita)
- Lāčplēsis un trīs jodi (Lāčplēsis and the three jodi)
- Lāčplēsis un koris "Atgriešanās" (Lāčplēsis and chorus: Return)
- Dīterihs un ziņotāji "Nolādēts" (Dīterihs and informers: "Damn")
- Līkcepure. Koknesis "Tu vari paļauties uz mani" (Līkcepure. Koknesis: "You can count on me")
- Laimdota un Lāčplēsis "Tu raudi" (Laimdota and Lāčplēsis: "You are crying")
- Kāzas (Weddings)
- Lielvārdis "Latvju zeme vaļā stāv" (Lielvārds: "The Latvian lands stand opened")
- Lāčplēsis "Es dzirdu" (Lāčplēsis: "I hear")
- Nodevības aina. Dīterihs, ziņotāji un Kangars (Scene of betrayal. Dīterihs, informers and Kangars)
- Teicējs un koris (Narrator and chorus)
- Lāčplēsis "Kas tu esi?" (Lāčplēsis: "Who are you?")
- Koris "Tas ir laiks" (Chorus: "It is the time")
- Epilogs (Epilogue)
Cast
- Lāčplēsis – Igo
- Laimdota – Maija Lūsēna
- Kangars – Imants Vanzovičs
- Lielvārdis – Juris Rijkuris
- Ziemeļmeita – Žaneta Ondzule
- Koknesis – Aivars Brīze
- Dīterihs – Niks Matvejevs
- Līkcepure – Zigfrīds Muktupāvels and Viesturs Jansons
- Staburadze – Mirdza Zīvere and Daiga Blaua
- Narrator – Jānis Skanis
- Girls– Ramona Fogele, Dita Podskočija, Aija Siliņa, Dana Purgaile, Lolita Sauliete
- Ziņotāji (informers), jodi, velni (devils) –Ainars Ašmanis, Aigars Grauba, Aigars Krēsla, Aigars Grāvers
Instrumentalists
- Zigmars Liepiņš, Uldis Marhilevičs – keyboards
- Harijs Zariņš, Aivars Hermanis – guitar
- Guntis Vecgailis, Eduards Glotovs – bass guitar
- Oļegs Upenieks, Vilnis Krieviņš – percussion
- Recordings of the folklore music bands "Skandinieki" and "Iļģi" were also used.