Rihm, Wolfgang – Oedipus
Schmidt; Pell; Dooley; Carlson; Murray; Golden; Deutsche Oper Berlin; Christoff Prick
ArtHaus Musik 101 667
Oedipus Rex, the tragedy by Sophocles, seems a perfect subject for an opera: prophecy, patricide, incest, suicide, self-blinding – it is all here. This well-known story receives a special treatment from the composer and librettist, Wolfgang Rihm. He was fascinated by post-structuralism and Derrida, so simply following the Greek play would not do. Additional texts came from the interpretation of the Oedipal myth by Nietzsche and Heiner Müller. The resulting “musical theatre” (Rihm initially refused the "opera" label) was created in collaboration with Götz Friedrich, who was the been the artistic director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1981 to 2000. Aside from deconstructionism, Rihm favoured incorporating the classical humanities, a trait he shared with Friedrich. It is more of a meditation on the human condition and human frailty represented in the Oedipal urges in all of us, as interpreted by Freud, than a straight retelling of the myth. To add to the originality of the work, it is scored for the most part exclusively for wind instruments, with two violins making a guest appearance when Oedipus gouges his eyes out. Rihm, who is as innovative as he is prolific, shows the influence of both Luigi Nono and Karlheinz Stockhausen, with whom he studied in the 1970s. Deserving of special mention is Andreas Schmidt (himself a student of Fischer-Dieskau and Schwartzkopf) and the offstage Greek chorus of 16 individual singers from the Deutsche Oper ensemble (rather than chorus members).
It is hard to believe that this DVD is a recording of an event that took place 26 years ago. The music sounds fresh and contemporary, and the staging is sumptuous and reminiscent (or prescient) of Robert Lepage's recent work. Some of the principals, like Andreas Schmidt (Oedipus), have advanced their careers to become regulars at, among others, the Bayreuth Festival. Others have passed away (the elegant baritone-turned-tenor, William Pell [Kreon]), or continued in relative obscurity, despite an extensive performance schedule (Emily Golden [Jokasta]).
