The Kiss (opera)
Encyclopedia
The Kiss is an opera
in two acts, with music by Bedřich Smetana
and text by Eliška Krásnohorská
, based on a novel by Karolina Světlá
. It received its first performance in Prague
on November 7, 1876.
, has always been in love with Vendulka. Unfortunately for the young couple, his parents insisted that he marry another girl. However, his wife has since passed on and since they are both still young, Lukáš intends to woo the very eligible Vendulka.
Paloucký, Vendulka's father, opposes the match: he reasons that since both Lukáš and Vendulka are stubborn people, they would make an incompatible couple. Vendulka is dismayed at his position, so Paloucký withdraws his objection, but his misgivings remain.
With friends and relatives in his wake, Lukáš arrives at Paloucký's home to formally make his intentions towards Vendulka known. Paloucký gives his blessing to the couple with a certain amount of reticence, which annoys Lukáš. The young widower means to kiss Vendulka, she evades it, and, as Paloucký predicted, the couple are already arguing. Only a well-timed drinking song
from one of Lukáš's kinsmen can stop the fight.
When Lukáš and Vendulka are alone, he tries to kiss her again, but again he is rebuffed: she refuses to kiss him until they are married. When he insists, she threatens to throw him out of the house. Incensed, he leaves.
Later, after falling asleep, Vendulka is awakened by the sound of a polka
outside Paloucký's home. It is Lukáš, dancing with and kissing the village girls. Vendulka is both enraged and mortified, and swears to leave home.
n frontier, a band of smugglers lies in waiting. Lukáš, regretting his previous behavior, mourns the disappearance of Vendulka. Tomeš, Lukáš's brother-in-law, tells him to apologize: he notes that while Vendulka is swift to anger, she is also swift to forgive. When they go off, the smugglers indicate that they have overheard, and they laugh at Lukáš's plight. They are waiting to meet Vendulka's aunt, Martinka, who does business with the smugglers.
Martinka arrives with Vendulka, who is profoundly unhappy. The smugglers, however, like the audience, know that it will all turn out well in the end. After the smugglers leave, Martinka does her best to persuade Vendulka to return home.
The next morning, Lukáš arrives at Martinka's cottage, with his friends and relatives. He apologizes to Paloucký for his actions towards his daughter, and awaits Vendulka. When she arrives, both are overjoyed. She goes towards him, but first he publicly begs forgiveness before they finally kiss.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in two acts, with music by Bedřich Smetana
Bedrich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He is thus widely regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music...
and text by Eliška Krásnohorská
Eliška Krásnohorská
Eliška Krásnohorská was a Czech feminist author. She was introduced to literature and feminism by Karolína Světlá...
, based on a novel by Karolina Světlá
Karolína Svetlá
Karolina Světlá was a Czech female author of the 19th century. She was a representative to the literary May School. She married Professor Petr Mužák in 1852, who had taught her music. She also had an affair with Jan Neruda. She introduced Eliška Krásnohorská to literature and feminism...
. It received its first performance in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
on November 7, 1876.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, November 7, 1876 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Paloucký, a peasant | bass-baritone Bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende... |
|
| Vendulka, his daughter | 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... |
|
| Lukáš, a young widower | 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... |
|
| Tomeš, brother-in-law of Lukáš | 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... |
|
| Martinka, Vendulka's old aunt | 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... |
|
| Matouš, an old smuggler | bass | |
| Barče, a servant girl | soprano | |
| A frontier guard | tenor | |
Act I
Lukáš, a peasantPeasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
, has always been in love with Vendulka. Unfortunately for the young couple, his parents insisted that he marry another girl. However, his wife has since passed on and since they are both still young, Lukáš intends to woo the very eligible Vendulka.
Paloucký, Vendulka's father, opposes the match: he reasons that since both Lukáš and Vendulka are stubborn people, they would make an incompatible couple. Vendulka is dismayed at his position, so Paloucký withdraws his objection, but his misgivings remain.
With friends and relatives in his wake, Lukáš arrives at Paloucký's home to formally make his intentions towards Vendulka known. Paloucký gives his blessing to the couple with a certain amount of reticence, which annoys Lukáš. The young widower means to kiss Vendulka, she evades it, and, as Paloucký predicted, the couple are already arguing. Only a well-timed drinking song
Drinking song
A drinking song is a song sung while drinking alcohol. Most drinking songs are folk songs, and may be varied from person to person and region to region, in both the lyrics and in the music...
from one of Lukáš's kinsmen can stop the fight.
When Lukáš and Vendulka are alone, he tries to kiss her again, but again he is rebuffed: she refuses to kiss him until they are married. When he insists, she threatens to throw him out of the house. Incensed, he leaves.
Later, after falling asleep, Vendulka is awakened by the sound of a polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
outside Paloucký's home. It is Lukáš, dancing with and kissing the village girls. Vendulka is both enraged and mortified, and swears to leave home.
Act II
In a forest near the BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n frontier, a band of smugglers lies in waiting. Lukáš, regretting his previous behavior, mourns the disappearance of Vendulka. Tomeš, Lukáš's brother-in-law, tells him to apologize: he notes that while Vendulka is swift to anger, she is also swift to forgive. When they go off, the smugglers indicate that they have overheard, and they laugh at Lukáš's plight. They are waiting to meet Vendulka's aunt, Martinka, who does business with the smugglers.
Martinka arrives with Vendulka, who is profoundly unhappy. The smugglers, however, like the audience, know that it will all turn out well in the end. After the smugglers leave, Martinka does her best to persuade Vendulka to return home.
The next morning, Lukáš arrives at Martinka's cottage, with his friends and relatives. He apologizes to Paloucký for his actions towards his daughter, and awaits Vendulka. When she arrives, both are overjoyed. She goes towards him, but first he publicly begs forgiveness before they finally kiss.
Discography
- Pro Arte 3PAL-3005 (US issue): Eduard HakenEduard HakenEduard Haken was a Czech operatic bass who had a lengthy career at the National Theatre in Prague during the 20th century. Although he mostly performed within his own nation, Haken did appear at a number of important international music festivals and opera houses in Europe while traveling with the...
, Eva Děpoltová, Leo Marian VodičkaLeo Marian VodičkaLeo Marian Vodička is a Czech operatic tenor who has had an active international career since the early 1970s. He has sung on a number of complete opera recordings and appears in several filmed opera performances....
, Václav ZítekVáclav ZítekVáclav Zítek is a Czech opera singer. A lyric baritone with a beautiful timbre and a wide vocal range, he was one of the leading Czech singers of the postwar generation. He particularly excelled in portraying Janáček and Smetana heroes...
, Libuše MárováLibuše MárováLibuše Márová is a Czech operatic mezzo-soprano who has been a principal artist at the National Theatre in Prague since 1969...
, Karel Hanus, Božena Effenberková, Zdeněk Jankovský; Brno Janáček Opera Orchestra and Chorus; František Vajnar (conductor)
Sources
- Earl of HarewoodGeorge Lascelles, 7th Earl of HarewoodGeorge Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, KBE AM , styled The Hon. George Lascelles before 1929 and Viscount Lascelles between 1929 and 1947, was the elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood , and Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and...
, ed. The New Kobbé's Complete Opera Book. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1976. ISBN 0-370-10020-4
External links
- Upcoming performances from Operabase.com