Page 122 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2019. Vloga nacionalnih opernih gledališč v 20. in 21. stoletju - The Role of National Opera Houses in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 3
P. 122
vloga nacionalnih opernih gledališč v 20. in 21. stoletju
1) opera and national culture in the pre-state period until 1918;
2) the first Latvian original operas in the context of national musical
culture throughout history and the concept of “My (our) White
House” (to be commented further);
3) the relationship of opera and national culture today in- and out
of house: Latvian operas in the repertoire of the Latvian National
Opera and Ballet (LNOB), and world-famous Latvian opera sing-
ers as national brand and cultural “ambassadors” of Latvia estab-
lishing a perception of opera as a national brand.
The pre-state period (until 1918)
At the beginning of the 20th century the idea of the national state was rep-
resented in the symbolic drama “Fire and Night” by Rainis (real name and
surname Jānis Pliekšāns), one of the most important Latvian poets and
playwrights. He wrote the first two acts of “Fire and night” in 1903/04 as a
potential libretto for the national opera competition organised by the Riga
Latvian Society Music Commission, but he did not succeed in winning the
competition. Instead, the first prize was awarded to the libretto for the op-
era “Baniuta” by Artūrs Krūmiņš, a 2nd year architecture student at the time
and a future academic. After 1905, Rainis was exiled due to his left-orient-
ed political views, but the play was completed and published in four parts
in the monthly cultural magazine, then published and in 1911 premiered
by the Riga New Theatre – the new democratic and progressive Latvian
troupe as a turnover in Latvian theatre history both artistically and tech-
nically. The production (included in the Latvian Cultural Canon) included
a large chorus and orchestra. During WW1 the opera of the same title was
composed by Jānis Mediņš. The structure of the symbolic drama, initial-
ly composed as an opera libretto, is classical, and so are the characters – a
mythical hero, a traitor, a trickster (personification of evil) and two female
characters around the central protagonist. The main character is Lāčplē-
sis (literally: Bear Slayer), borrowed from the Latvian literary epos (1888),
a man with bear’s ears. He represents physical strength without much wis-
dom, therefore he is sent to acquire wisdom; the main female character is
Spīdola (the Shining One), who represents art, wisdom, metaphysical and
magic powers; the second female character Laimdota (literally: given by the
Latvian pagan goddess of all good/fortune/happiness) represents the na-
tional idea, sometimes referred to as Latvia in the text – potentially flour-
120
1) opera and national culture in the pre-state period until 1918;
2) the first Latvian original operas in the context of national musical
culture throughout history and the concept of “My (our) White
House” (to be commented further);
3) the relationship of opera and national culture today in- and out
of house: Latvian operas in the repertoire of the Latvian National
Opera and Ballet (LNOB), and world-famous Latvian opera sing-
ers as national brand and cultural “ambassadors” of Latvia estab-
lishing a perception of opera as a national brand.
The pre-state period (until 1918)
At the beginning of the 20th century the idea of the national state was rep-
resented in the symbolic drama “Fire and Night” by Rainis (real name and
surname Jānis Pliekšāns), one of the most important Latvian poets and
playwrights. He wrote the first two acts of “Fire and night” in 1903/04 as a
potential libretto for the national opera competition organised by the Riga
Latvian Society Music Commission, but he did not succeed in winning the
competition. Instead, the first prize was awarded to the libretto for the op-
era “Baniuta” by Artūrs Krūmiņš, a 2nd year architecture student at the time
and a future academic. After 1905, Rainis was exiled due to his left-orient-
ed political views, but the play was completed and published in four parts
in the monthly cultural magazine, then published and in 1911 premiered
by the Riga New Theatre – the new democratic and progressive Latvian
troupe as a turnover in Latvian theatre history both artistically and tech-
nically. The production (included in the Latvian Cultural Canon) included
a large chorus and orchestra. During WW1 the opera of the same title was
composed by Jānis Mediņš. The structure of the symbolic drama, initial-
ly composed as an opera libretto, is classical, and so are the characters – a
mythical hero, a traitor, a trickster (personification of evil) and two female
characters around the central protagonist. The main character is Lāčplē-
sis (literally: Bear Slayer), borrowed from the Latvian literary epos (1888),
a man with bear’s ears. He represents physical strength without much wis-
dom, therefore he is sent to acquire wisdom; the main female character is
Spīdola (the Shining One), who represents art, wisdom, metaphysical and
magic powers; the second female character Laimdota (literally: given by the
Latvian pagan goddess of all good/fortune/happiness) represents the na-
tional idea, sometimes referred to as Latvia in the text – potentially flour-
120
