Inspire me, Divine race!
Audio of the Month, October 2008
Charles Gounod: La Reine de Saba
Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre
The work managed only fifteen performances at the Paris Opera and while it contains some fine music the Parisians stayed away. The usual charges of 'Wagnerism' were made together with murmurings of disquiet about what was perceived to be strong overtones of Freemansonry. The opera contains the plottings of Guilds of various workmen together with mysterious handsignals, a frequent invoking of Tubal-Kain (apparently a deity foremost in the lore of Freemasonry), mentionings of the 'sons of fire' and references to water and fire, all considered to be linked with Freemasonry, although Gounod or Barbier and Carre were not freemasons.
The story is after a tale by Gerard de Nerval (le voyage en orient) which is completely fictitious and tells of the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Soloman where she renews her love for the king's architect, Andoniram. They plan to elope but Andoniram is killed by jealous workmen and the Queen is left to mourn him. The story is weak, the libretto even weaker and Gounod's music could not save it. About all that is left is Andoniram's aria, “Inspirez-moi, race divine', together with one or two other pieces and while the aria survived as a tenor showpiece, even that is sinking into obscurity although the tenor Rolando Villazon has recently included a fine version on CD. There is also a quite recent complete recording of the opera available, but it is heavily cut and may well be considered unsuitable.
After the Paris failure, the opera was given an unsuccessful run in London where it suffered the indignity of being re-named as 'Irene' with the location being changed to Istanbul at the time of Suleyman the Magnificent and since then, it has received the odd performance but it has to be regarded as being a lost cause.
Note
While the operatic story has no foundation, the Queen of Sheba was of course a real person who existed about 1000 B.C. and has been known by a variety of names to different people at different times. The Bible (book of Kings) has her linked to King Soloman as 'The Queen of Sheba' without any suggestion of a romantic involvement, while to the Ethiopians she is known as 'Makida', a figure of great importance as the Ethiopian Imperial dynasty trace their family line directly back to her. She is also mentioned in the Koran although never by a name although the Koran account of her and Soloman has striking similarities to the Biblical account. The vast realm ruled by this fascinating queen has never been categorically established but is thought to have been in East Africa, possibly Southern Nubia (now the Sudan) which could very well have included Ethiopia and what is now known as Eritrea or even extending across the Red Sea into the Arabian Peninsula in the area of the Yemen.
- The Tenors -
Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)
Hardly needs a mention but please refer to Grandi-Tenori 'Tenors library.'
Cesare Vezzani (1888-1951)
Please refer to AM for March 2008 and AM for November 2007.
Walter Widdop (1892-1949)
Please refer to AM for March 2008.
Rolando Villazon (1972-)
One of the foremost of current tenors. Born in Mexico City in 1972, he entered the Espacio Academy for performing Arts when he was aged eleven where he studied music, acting, contempoary dance and ballet. He took up vocal studies in 1990 with Arturo Nieto then entered the National Conservatory in 1992 where he studied with Enrique Jaso. After winning two national competitions he continued his studies and in 1998 he joined San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program, later becoming a member of Pitsburgh Opera's young artists program. Since then he has become one of the world's leading lyric tenors.
Frank Mullings (1881-1953)
He was born in Walsall, Staffordshire, where he became a pupil then schoolteacher at Bridge School, Walsall where he first sang in public, aged eleven. He made his operatic debut in 1907 as Faust; he was then a member of the 'Denhof travelling opera company' where he met Thomas Beecham and from 1916 to 1921 he was a member of the Thomas Beecham opera company. From 1922 to 1926 he was with the British National opera company where he sang such roles as Radames, Tristan, Otello and Canio. He was an impressive actor but with a flawed vocal technique so his performances ranged from electrifying to extremely poor. He retired from singing at the start of WW2 and after hostilities, he taught at the Manchester College of music.
Guy Cazenave (1883-1937)
Little is known about this French singer. He made his debut at the Paris Opera in 1912 as Radames, and from that point until the 1930's, he was a regular performer there as well as in the provinces and in Algiers. He retired to Algiers and was brutally killed there in 1937.
Harry Evan Williams (7.11.1867 to 24.5.1918)
He was born in Ohio, into a Welsh family and sang as a youngster in his local church choir. While working as a coal miner, he won a tenor competition in Akron and in 1893, he went to New York where he became a salaried soloist at All Angels Church. His professional debut was at Massachussetts in 1896 and he appeared in 'Elijah' in 1901/2. As well as giving voice lessons, he became one of the most successful concert tenors of his era, making hundreds of records for Victor in the USA and for HMV in England. His career was in concert and oratorio, mainly in England although he occasionally had vocal problems which caused much distress. He died comparatively early in 1918, after contacting blood poisoning.
Gustave Botiaux (1926-)
Was born in 1926 at Puteaux and was first a farm worker in Morvan. He was an active member of the French Resistance during WW2 after which entered the Paris Conservatory where despite serious health problems, he won a first prize. He was a prize winner in the famous competiton at Cannes, in the company of Roger Gardes, Alain Vanzo, Guy Chuvet and Tony Poncet, with whom he formed a lasting friendship. He sang at the Monnaie in Brussels and regularly in Paris. He also sang in Riga, Leningrad, Kiev and in Japan, as well as throughout the French Provinces. Despite his good looks and athletic figure his health remained fragile and he took a break from professional singing for four years before returning to the stage at the Opera Comique and finally retiring in 1973.
- Audio -
- The Lyrics -
Faiblesse de las race humaine! ...
Quelle oeuvre faisons-nous?
Tache impuissante et vaine!
Un palais pour l'orgueil,
digne a peine d'un homme!
Tout grandeur absente!
Et c'est la ce qu'on nomme
creer pour l'eternite! ...
Fils de Tubal-Kain, o grande et forte race!
Bienfaiteurs de humains! O sublimes esprits!
Qui de votre passage avez laisse la trace
sur le Liban superbe, en de vastes debris!
Etait-ce vos oeuvres colossales,
quand vos mains batissaient le murs d'Henochia,
gigantesques travaux, aux formes ideales!
Tels que le Createur memes s'en effraya! ...
Inspirez-moi, race divine!
Nobles aieux en qui j'ai foi.
Maitres puissants que je devine,
inspirez-moi!
Nobles aieux, inspirez-moi;
au grede de mon reve en delire
je veux laisser au genre humaine
une oeuvre digne qu'on l'admire;
cette vasque aux puissants contours,
la mer d'airain?
Dane le sable deja moule,
quelle y soit d'un seul jet colee!
Et vous, fils de Tubal-Kain,
enflammez mon genie
et conduisez ma main!
Inspirez-moi race divine, etc.
Oh, the frailty of mankind!
What is this work we do?
A useless, futile task!
A palace for debauchery!
A temple to pride,
hardly worthy of a man!
All greatness is lacking!
And this is what they call
creating for posterity!
Sone of Tubal-Kain, o great and powerful race!
Benefactors of mankind! O sublime spirits,
who have left the traces of your passage
on proud Lebanon in these vast ruins!
These were your colossal artifacts,
when your hands built the walls of Henochia,
gigantic works of ideal form,
such as the creator himself might fear!
Inspire me, divine race!
Noble ancestors in whom I have faith,
powerful masters whose presence I sense,
inspire me !
Noble ancestors, inspire me;
Spurred on by my fevered dream
I want to leave to the human race
a work worthy of admiration:
this vessel with such strong contours,
the 'sea of bronze'.
Aready sand-cast,
May it be poured in a single stream!
And you, sons of Tubal-Kain,
spark my genius
and guide my hand!
Inspire me, divine race, etc.
Credits
Written by Geoffrey Mallinson, August 2008Acknowledgements:
- To: Matthew Boyden: The rough guide to Opera
- To: www.charlesgounod.com
- To: Keith Shilcock for the voice of Caruso (better than my own recording), for the voice of Evan Williams. (2nd Part of a 1908 recording), and for assistance with brief biographies.
- To: Mike Richter, www.mrichter.com for providing the rare recording of Frank Mullings. (Thank you, Mike).
- To: Joern Anthonisen once again for the graphics and presentation.
- To: Anyone whom I have overlooked – my apologies.
Image source: http://www.allposters.co.uk/
