Tragédie en musique in 3 acts
Libretto by the composer
World premiere April 24 1931, Opéra Garnier, Paris
Sung in French with German & English surtitles
Introductory talks (in German) begin in the Holzfoyer 30 mins before curtain up and available here shortly after opening night
There's a chamber music concert at 11am on February 9 inspired by this work
Conductor Marie Jacquot / Lukas Rommelspacher
Guercoeur Domen Križaj
Giselle Claudia Mahnke
Heurtal AJ Glueckert
Vérité Anna Gabler
Bonté Bianca Andrew
Beauté Bianca Tognocchi
Souffrance Judita Nagyová
Guercœur, who led his country to freedom, died unexpectedly, leaving behind his beloved Giselle who promised, on his deathbed, to be true to him forever, and his protegé Heurtal. Act 1 Guercoeur can’t bear being in the afterlife, where all human passions dissipate in everlasting bliss. Nothing the other shadows say can persuade him otherwise. Guercœur wants to live again, if only for a day. The goddesses Vérité, Bonté, Beauté and Souffrance disagree about whether or not to grant his wish. Souffrance argues that: He ought to find out about something he never experienced - suffering. Vérité rules that Guercœur’s earthly existence should be restored. Act 2 Two years have gone by since Guercœur died. The political situation’s changed, the people are disgruntled, making their feelings known in protests. Giselle fell in love with Heurtal and they live in Guercœur’s house, but she’s wracked with guilt about her dead husband. Heurtal, ruling as consul, threw Guercœur‘s democratic principles overboard. He now intends to use the political unrest to rule the country as a dictator. In Guercœur‘s House: Heurtal leaves Giselle alone in the house after a night of love. She suddenly finds herself face to face with Guercœur. Giselle’s terrified and can’t believe he’s alive again. Guercœur, overjoyed, dreams of their future life. She confesses her love for Heurtal and desperately begs Guercœur to forgive her. Wounded to the core, he finally agrees. Giselle falls asleep, exhausted. Guercœur meets Heurtal coming back and reminds his former friend of the principles of friendship, love and freedom. Heurtal finds Giselle, slowly coming to her senses. She tells him that Guercœur appeared to her in a dream and forgave her. In Parliament. The politicians are divided. Many blame democracy, so Guercœur, for the country’s deplorable state of affairs. They believe that only a »good tyrant« can restore law and order. Others disagree, calling Heurtal, petitioning for a dictatorship under his rule, a traitor. The atmosphere becomes increasingly heated and aggressive. After Heurtal‘s supporters carry the vote, Guercœur’s erstwhile protegé is named dictator. Guercœur tries to remind the people who once cheered him about democratic principles and his opposition to a dictatorship. But nobody listens. They attack him, killing him. Act 3 Guercœur’s livid when he wakes up in the afterlife surrounded by shadows. His disillusionment turns into cynicism: He asks the four goddesses to forgive for his arrogance and thanks Souffrance for »opening his eyes«. Vérité prophesies that one day in the distant future the dream of love, freedom and peace will come true and man become aware of his own finiteness.
Finding no peace in the world hereafter, Guercœur wishes himself back to earth – to his great love Giselle and his people, who he led to freedom ...
Four deities, Vérité, Bonté, Beauté and Souffrance grant Guercœur’s wish to return to earth, but the world’s moved on ...
Hardly anyone's heard of Albéric Magnard today, a passionate feminist and supporter of Dreyfus, who was killed in his own home in 1914: while trying to fend off an attack by German soldiers, who then set it on fire. The manuscript of Guercœur, written between 1897 and 1901, perished in the flames with him. The score was reconstructed with the diligence of Magnard’s friend, the composer Joseph-Guy Ropartz.
This concentrated work hovers between opera, oratorio and mystery play, combining symbolist reflection of core questions, including unrecognised happiness and human finiteness, with psychologically deeply elucidated intimate dramatic moments and realistically drawn crowd scenes. Magnard created a late romantic sound world where Wagner's influence is audible, sometime striking heroic tones while shimmering in the transparent glow of French fin de siècle.
