Cornelis Dopper: De blinde van Casteel Cuillé (1894)

Wereldpremière: 17 December 1894, Dierentuinzaal Den Haag. Henry Engelen (Gervais), Jean Tijssen (Baptiste), Clémence Dirckx-Van de Weghe (Margareta), Louise Culp-Kiehl (Jeanne), Cato Engelen-Sewing (Ange), Jaques Urlus (Paul), Koor en Orkest van de Nederlandsche Opera o.l.v. Cornelis van der Linden. Regie: Alexander Saalborn.
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29 mei 2016, 401Concerts 3, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
‘O Margareta, ‘k heb mijn ziel verkocht’ (Arioso Baptiste)
‘Krasssende raven’ (Slotzang Margareta)
Denzil Delaere (Baptiste), Jolien De Gendt (Margareta), Pieter Dhoore (piano)
Downloadbaar via 401Concerts 3.

Synopsis

Text: René Seghers with help from Joop Stam, Dopper's biographer.
Partners: Nederlands Muziek Instituut, Kröller-Müller Museum

The rich farmer Gervais forces his son Baptiste to marry the equally rich Ange, which means that he will have to break his vows to the poor Margareta, who became blind. While Baptiste curses himself for not being able to withstand his father’s pushing, a chorus of bridesmaids is heard from behind the scene, singing 'De wegen sier’ bloesem, de velden tooi’ kruid” (The roads bath in blossoms, the fields in scents). The marriage is programmed for the very next morning. The bride plays, sings and dances with the chorus of bridesmaids. Ange then notices the fortuneteller Jeanne, who warns her. Although Ange mocks the fortuneteller, she leaves the bridesmaids terrified. Once Jeanne is removed from the festivities, the celebration continues. Along with her bridesmaids, Ange sings her aria, ‘We gaan ons vermeien!’ (We are going to have a good time). Paul arrives on the scene accompanied from his blind sister, while the chorus of bridesmaids passes. Paul is sad because he and Margaret have not been invited to the wedding. Once the blind girl learns who the groom is, she urges her brother to go there anyway, saying that she will arrive just a bit after him. Once alone she sings her arioso ‘Mijn doodsklok luidt!…’ (The bells of death ring for me). Jeanne greets Margareta. She pretends to be oblivious of the proceedings and asks Jeanne if Baptiste is about to arrive, since Jeanne once prophesized that she would marry him. Jean then advises her to pray to God, in order to make her love Baptise less.

Once Jeanne is gone it turns out that Margareta has deliberately pretended to be unaware of Baptiste’s betrayal. Thoughts of death take root in her. Paul returns, upset with the injustice done to his sister, yet sad also that he can’t join in the merry celebrations. Margareta tells him to just go and join the procession, since she has relieved Baptise of his vow on the day she turned blind. Paul shouldn’t be concerned about her fate. The falling night should not concern him, since day and night are the same to her. Gervais urges Baptiste to keep his word, which signals his aria of despair, ‘O Margareta, ik heb mijn ziel verkocht’ (O Margareta, I have sold my soul). Margareta arrives. They sing a duet interrupted by the chorus of bridesmaids. Pity and love arise in Gervais simultaneously, yet when Margareta embraces him, happy to be near him again, he pushes her away and leaves her in misery.

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</div>Gervais brings his son to Ange’s house and doesn't care for Baptiste’s indifference. Aiming not to provoke his son too much, he merely toasts to the bride, while Baptiste starts drinking heavily. The procession then marches up the stairs in the rock that lead to the chapel. Paul and Jeanne have joined the procession. Once the ceremony starts and singing can be heard from the chapel, Margareta is seen wandering in the surroundings. Against a background of a priest’s chorus that blesses the couple, she sings her madness aria, “Krassende raven, zwieren om de toren” (Shrieking ravens warble around the tower; excerpts of this aria and of 'O Margareta' can be heard in the video trailer here presented of 401Concerts 3):

'Krassende raven
Zwieren om de toren.
Luistert! – Hoort ge, de klok luidt!
De vischarend krijscht een klagende schreeuw.
Toen vader op zijn doodsbed lag
En wij schreiden…
Krassend spotte hij met ons lijden.
Ginder is mijn vaders graf!
‘k Wil op de kille steenen weenen,
Knielen en weenen.
Uw holle oogen staan droef en strak!
Waarom verrijst gij uit uw graf?
O vader, mijn harte doet pijn,
Mijn liefde is dood.

Chorus (in de kapel)
Veni creator spiritus
Mentes tuorum visita
Impie superna gratia,
Quae tu creasti pectora.

Tenor solo
Hoste repellas longius,
Pacemque dones protinus
Ductore sic te preavis.
Victimus omne noxium.

Mannenkoor
Deo ptria sit gloria
Et Filio qui amortuis,
Sirrexit de Paraclito
In saeculorum saecula.
Veni sancte priritus,
Beple tuorim
Corda fidelium.

Bas solo
Et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.

Margareta (heeft zich op een vooruitgestoken rotspunt boven de branding begeven)
Aan ’t heilig altaar
Staat de priester.
De mis is gelezen,…
Hij zegent den trouwring,
Baptiste neemt dien ring,
En aan mijn vinger
Steekt hij dien ring…
Baptiste waar is mijn ring?
De zee ruischt!
Baren vloeien op ‘t strand!
Ze zingen: Baptiste gaf Margreet zijn hand!
Komt en danst!
Huppelt vrolijk in de rijen,
Zingt en juicht bij ’t spelemeien!
‘k draag den krans.'

Day breaks. The bridal procession approaches. The dancing Margareta missteps and falls into the abyss.  

Download 401Concerts 3 with De blinde van Casteel Cuillé

The recording of our third 401DutchOperas concert in the Kröller-Müller Museum is downloadable via 401Concerts 3. Apart from highlights of De blinde van Casteel Cuillé it also includes highlights from Willem Landré's De roos van Dekama, Daniël de Lange's Lioba, Gerard von Brucken Fock's Jozal, Julius Röntgen's Agnete en De lachende Cavalier, Jan van Gilse's Helga von Stavern, Jan Brandts Buys’ De kleermakers van Marken (Die Schneider von Schönau) and Richard Hageman's Caponsacchi .

Tickets voor 401Concerts 3 in het Kröller-Müller Museum

Via de website van het Kröller-Müller zijn kaarten voor het concert op 29 mei 2016 te koop via deze ticketlink. Het concert is onderdeel van een bijzondere presentatie. De prijs van euro 85 is inclusief alle hapjes en drankjes en meet & greet met de musici. U steunt hiermee dit project dat vanwege het unieke karakter van de eenmalige uitvoeringen, bedoeld om dit vergeten muzikale erfgoed vast te leggen op beeld en geluid, veel kostbaarder is dan concerten die eindeloos kunnen worden herhaald.

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