Saint-Saëns: L'ancêtre (The Ancestor)

[Collrec]

The following information was given on the back cover of the March 2019 issue of the UK Opera Magazine.

More than a hundred years after its creation, Saint-Saëns drama lyrique, L'ancêtre, will be staged at the Prinz Regenten Theater in Munich, Germany on March 20 through March 30, 2019 by the August Everding Theater Academy and the Münchner Rundfunkorchester.

More information can be found on the following website <www.theaterakademie.de>. No information was given on any broadcast or recording but lets keep our fingers crossed that there will be.

The website gave a little information in German on the plot of the opera and I have translated it into English below.

The sun is rising over Corsica. A peaceful hum can be heard when the hermit Raphaël sends out his bees for honey-gathering. But this idyll is deceptive. For decades, a bloody family feud rages between the Pietra Neras and the Fabianis, which demands more and more victims. Driven by the hate of the ancestor Nunciata, the young Vanina gets into a murderous conflict between love and loyalty. A love story unfolds between Vanina, her milk sister Margarita and the young Tébaldo from the clan of Pietra Neras. Their outcome seems predetermined.

[Revilod]

I hope it does get recorded. I've very much enjoyed getting to know Saint-Saens' other operas as they have become available.
The plot does seem a little over familiar, though. Sounds like another "Romeo and Juliet" spin-off...the  old love versus loyalty dilemma.

[BerlinExpat]

The opera production is in collaboration with Palazzetto Bru Zane so I guess the chance of a recording is pretty good. I'll try to find out more when I'm there.

[Alan Howe]

The production features the Munich Radio Orchestra which PBZ has used at least twice before in opera recordings. The conductor is to be Matthias Foremny.

[Mark Thomas]

It all looks very promising, and Saint-Saëns' operas have been such a revelation.

[Alan Howe]

I'd qualify that assessment myself : I think they've been a mixed bag, with Ascanio the only true revelation. IMHO, of course.

[Mark Thomas]

A revelation isn't necessarily all positive, or positive at all come to that, but in this case I have been very pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the operas we've been lucky enough to "discover", which is not to say that they're all masterworks.

[mjmosca]

One of the intriguing aspects of L'Ancetre it is possible that Saint-Saens may have used bolder dissonances than in earlier works- in Rees's biography ["Saint-saens, A Life"] de Lassus, the Librettist described the music [Saint-Saens would play excerpts for him while they were making changes to the ending] as having"resonances like cracked saucepans"! Sounds remarkable. As to the other operas that have come to light, I find that Henry VIII, Ascanio and Etienne Marcel are masterpieces- and would make great experiences on the opera stage. Proserpine also, even if the libretto is slightly old fashioned. Happily there are good recordings of live performances of each. If I may, I would recommend each highly. Also, Chandos issued a fine recording of a Swiss-Italian live performance of La Princesse Jaune- a delightful bauble; it is paired with a fine performance of the Suite Algerienne!

[Alan Howe]

Here, by the way, is Etienne Marcel in a rather poor-sounding recording from 1994:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WciZ2PAvKm8

[Ebubu]

And here's another Saint-Saëns rarity, "Phryné". Not a masterpiece, but containing a few very pleasant pages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF2KMCTQkxU

[BerlinExpat]

BTW in Grove it states that the first act of Saint-Saëns' "Phryné" was orchestrated by Messager.

[Ebubu]

Yes, I vaguely remember it being mentionned in the recently published Messager biography.

[BerlinExpat]

The Munich production of L'Ancêtre will be broadcast on Bayern Radio Klassik at 19:05 (CET) on 28th April 2019.

It would be great if someone could record it as I will be on my way back from a performance of the new edition of Othmar Schoeck's Das Schloß Dürande in Meiningen. See new thread in 'Recordings and Broadcasts' for broadcast of this and the new CD of the concert version in Bern last year.

[Mark Thomas]

Can I echo BerlinExpat's request, please? I shall also be away when it's broadcast.

[adriano]

Will do this - provided there are no technical problems with my cable provider :-)