Franck: Ghiselle

[mikehopf]

Here's a rarity worth staying up for:

NTR Opera Live: César Franck, Ghiselle (Opname: AVRO, 31 mei 1987)

Frédégonde ..... Mary Willems, sopraan
Theudebert ...... Ruud van der Meer, bariton
Gonthram ..... Zeger Vandersteene, tenor ..... Ghiselle
Thea van der Putten, sopraan
Gudruna ..... Lucia Meeuwsen, mezzosopraan
Bisschop Ambrosius ..... Lieuwe Visser, bas
Groot Omroepkoor Radio Symfonie Orkest
KENNETH MONTGOMERY (4 hrs.)

Broadcast on Radio 4 Netherland on Saturday 20 Feb.

[MartinH]

Rarity doesn't do it justice. Wish I could get it here. On Arkivmusic's site they don't even list Opera as a composition type of Franck. Has this ever been recorded?

[eschiss1]

Ignore Arkivmusic, we know Franck wrote at least -one- opera (Hulda)... (which was recorded , not just the ballet from it, on Melodram LP). (Also the 1841 opera Stradella.)
As to Ghiselle, not sure. I do see from IMSLP:

"The composer only orchestrated Act I before his death. Act II was orchestrated by
Pierre de Bréville, Vincent d' Indy and Ernest Chausson, Act III by Samuel Alexandre Rousseau
and Act IV by Arthur Coquard".
(There is also a Wikipedia article @ Ghiselle.)

[eschiss1]

btw, some of Ghiselle has been (commercially?) recorded- an organ arrangement of the prelude. "Stradella" (1841) and perhaps Hulda also have been more fortunate.

[Mark Thomas]

Fascinating. I'll see if I can record it, but don't let that stop anyone else having a go, please.

[Mark Thomas]

Unfortunately my attempt at recording Ghiselle tonight failed miserably. Did anyone else manage to make a successful one?

[BerlinExpat]

I have recorded it even though for some time now my PC recordings have got numerous blips in them. I can't identify why that is happening. The broadcast included other music by C. Franck but Ghiselle itself lasts for 135 minutes.

If no one else has a blip free recording I can upload it.

[Mark Thomas]

I would really appreciate it if you could, please. Very many thanks in advance.

[jdperdrix]

I've just uploaded it. I got it from the replay section of radio 4. If there are blips, which I didn't check, it's radio 4's fault!

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks Jdperdrix. Could you please post a link to Nederland Radio 4's replay section - my Dutch isn't what it used to be!

[jdperdrix]

Here you go:
https://www.nporadio4.nl/concerten

NB My Dutch is inexistant, but google translate works pretty well from Dutch to English! (Less so to French)

[Mark Thomas]

Great. Thanks again, it'll be a fascinating listen.

[MartinH]

That was great! Very enjoyable. I have no idea what was going on, but the music was sure fine!  Cesar Franck remains the least-known of the great composers. Thanks for posting the link.

[Mark Thomas]

I have no idea what was going on

Here's the synopsis in Dutch - Google translate gives an approximate, but understandable translation.

[Mark Thomas]

For those with an aversion to Google Translate, here's my tidying up of its translation of the synopsis. As you'll see it's an everyday story of country folk:

ACT I: The great hall of the Palace of Thermes in Paris at the time of the regency of Frédégonde, in the sixth century AD.
Frédégonde receives her victorious Neustrian army which, under the command of the brave Gonthram, defeated the Austrasians. The Queen gives the victor a seat next to her. She's in love with Gonthram. The nobleman Theudebert sings a hymn to Gallic wine and asks if a poet could sing of victory for the entire meeting, as is customary. The Queen gives that task to Ghiselle, an Austrasian of noble blood who has been a prisoner at the Neustrian court for 20 years. Gonthram, who is in love with Ghiselle, doesn't think that's a good idea, but Frédégonde believes this is a exquisite, humiliating assignment for Ghiselle. When Ghiselle appears, she is confused on seeing Gonthram: she is in love with him, but he is the conqueror of her homeland and she should hate him. Frédégonde asks her to sing about the victory of the Neustrians in a war song. Ghiselle sings, but gradually reveals her hatred of the "cowardly sons of Neustria". Frédégonde and her men become restless, but Ghiselle does not stop until she has blamed her enemy for all the misery that has happened to her: her father and her brothers have been killed, her mother has disappeared and she herself has been stripped of all that was dear to her. Gonthram places himself between the furious nobles and Ghiselle, at which Frédégonde realizes to her great annoyance that Gonthram is in love with Ghiselle. She sends all but two of the nobles away; they guard Ghiselle, before whom she tries to seduce Gonthram by offering him her hand and the crown of Neustria. Gonthram replies that a holy love binds him to another. He leads Ghiselle to Frédégonde and asks if the Queen will allow their marriage, but Frédégonde calls back Theudebert and gives him Ghiselle as a slave, instructing him to take Ghiselle away. Theudebert and Gonthram clash, but are separated by returning noblemen as no fighting is allowed in the palace. The two men agree to meet in a clearing in a nearby forest.

ACT II: A forest clearing outside Paris, near a cottage.
An old woman, Gudruna, mother of Ghiselle, is mixing herbs for her potions before her cottage. The sorceress and priestess of Odin summons the spirits of her deceased relatives, and sees her dead children in front of her, but amongst these shadows she doesn't see Ghiselle. Where is her daughter, for whom she has searched everywhere? Gonthram appears and, when Gudruna asks for alms, he throws her his gold medallion. The sorceress reads his palm and predicts his death. Theudebert arrives at the clearing and challenges Gonthram. He's followed by Ghiselle, who gives Gonthram her support. He quickly overcomes Theudebert, but lets him live. Furious, Theudebert leaves. Gonthram thanks the Christian God, and Ghiselle calls upon the pagan gods. The pair swear eternal allegiance. A marching band in the distance announces the arrival of a hunting procession and, before the pair can flee, Frédégonde, Theudebert and the royal entourage arrive. Frédégonde is angry about Theudebert's defeat and determines to destroy the love between Gonthram and Ghiselle by sending her to a monastery. Gonthram wants to prevent that, but Frédégonde puts a price on the rebel's head, prompting Theudebert to throw his spear at Gonthram, who is falls to the ground, shouting "I die". Ghiselle is led away and Frédégonde ironically bids farewell to Gonthram's corpse. Gudruna emerges from her cottage and tends Gonthram's wound. He gradually revives with the name "Ghiselle" on his lips, reminding the sorceress of her daughter.

ACT III: Saint-Etienne convent in Paris, adjacent to the Merovingian basilica of Saint Mary.
Through large doors we see part of the nave of the basilica, where Frédégonde sits on the throne, surrounded by her vassals, watching the ceremony as Bishop Ambrosius conducts the ordination of Ghiselle as a nun. She proclaims the promises of chastity, humility and poverty; she has given up the love of Gonthram because she thinks he is dead, and devotes herself to the Lord Jesus. Ambrosius then calls her the wife of the Lord, holy deaconess and his sister. Frédégonde and her vassals approach to mock Ghiselle. The bishop orders the Queen to stop doing so, and when she ignores him, he forces her to leave the church. The bishop comforts Ghiselle. Left alone, Ghiselle surrenders to her despair. She cannot forget Gonthram and begs Jesus to make him appear before her, to no avail. She then Ghiselle calls on the pagan gods of her youth, at which Gonthram appears, with bloodied face. He wants to run away with Ghiselle, but they're prevented by the bishop. He tells them that they must part, and threatens to curse them if they don't. Gonthram takes Ghiselle to the steps of the altar and hugs her there. Surrounded by his priests, the bishop curses them and as he leaves instructs the priests to close the gates of the baptistery, to entomb them. Gonthram suggests flight, but she has lost her mind and no longer recognizes her lover. Outside, hammers can be heard nailing shut the gates. A crowd set the chapel on fire, a wall collapses and Gonthram leads Ghiselle through the opening. They find a boat on the banks of the Seine, reach the opposite side and flee. The bishop surrenders the fugitives to the vengeance of the people.

ACT IV: Gudruna's cottage.
Gudruna is contriving her spells, and consults the runes to find out if Ghiselle is still alive. As she, convinced that Ghiselle lives, exclaims "Come! Come! Come!" the door suddenly opens: a bloodied Gonthram enters the hut, pulling Ghiselle with him. He asks for shelter, which Gudruna refuses. Ghiselle, who now believes Gonthram is a devil, asks Gudruna for protection from him, but the sorceress pushes her away. Ghiselle begins to sing a lullaby that Gudruna sang to her during her childhood and her mother recognizes her. Soldiers, searching for the escapees, are approaching and Gonthram wants to kill Ghiselle and then stab himself. The sorceress prevents him, but then suggests drinking poison. She glorifies love and death and then allows the pair to drink poison after she has consecrated their marriage through a mystical ceremony. Ghiselle throws herself into the arms of her husband, who she finally recognizes. The poison as it begins to work causes them to have delusions: they see the paradise of Odin, a world that frees them from every obstacle and gives them eternal love. As they die, Gudruna calls on Odin to receive them into Valhalla. At that moment, the soldiers and a mob appear at the door of the hut. Full of bravado, the sorceress shows them the two lifeless bodies.