Rienzi on Blu-ray / DVD

Vocal Values and Distracting Subplots

by Jerold A. Diamond

Wagner's Rienzi, his first successful stage work, was inspired by the legendary fourteenth-century Roman Tribune Cola di Rienzo, who gained power through a revolt against the entrenched nobility  The action of opera traces the protagonist’s predictable journey from liberator to absolutism to despotism and downfall.

Although audio recordings of the opera have previously been released, this live-performance DVD is a first for Rienzi. Unitel Classica/Arthaus-Musik’s Blu-ray release of the opera’s 2010 Deutsche Oper production preserves the work’s dramatic intent, along with its distracting subplots.

The result is an overly-choreographed but ultimately affecting rendition of the rise and fall of der Letzte der Tribunen.

Wagner’s Source Material

According to Conrad L. Osborne’s book, The Complete Operas of Richard Wagner, in addition to Wagner's reputed source, Bulwer-Lytton's 1835 novel Rienzi, Last of the Roman Tribunes, the opera bears a striking resemblance to Mary Russell Mitford's 1828 English play, Rienzi.

However, when Wagner met Bulwer-Lytton's son, Robert, 1st Earl of Lytton (who later became Viceroy of British India) in Vienna in 1863, the composer assured Earl Lytton that his father's novel had been the only source of inspiration for his opera.

Prima Singers

The glorious vocal scoring for the role of Rienzi recalls the considerable vocal and musical talents of  the first Rienzi, Bohemian tenor Josef Tichatschek, who sight-read it all the way through at the first rehearsal.  In his mid-thirties and at the height of his vocal prowess at the time of Rienzi’s premiere, Tichatschek’s vocal staying power as well as his previous experience singing Gluck, Mozart and Spohr made him an ideal choice for the sustained lyricism of this hochdramatischen role.

Torsten Kerl, who sings Rienzi on the Deutsche Oper DVD, evokes these same qualities with his gracefully proportioned, polished singing.

However, the anchor and instigator of Wagner’s drama in Rienzi is Adriano Colonna, a trouser role Wagner wrote specifically for his favorite Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient and performed in this Berlin production by mezzo-soprano Kate Aldrich with unrelenting intensity and dramatic urgency. 

Wagner considered Schröder-Devrient to be among the greatest singers with whom he ever worked. Thus, the emergence of Adriano as the work’s most sympathetic (and conflicted) character.

Medieval Corruption

Corruption by the two most powerful Roman noble families, the Colonna and the Orsini, has destroyed the social, moral and political fabric of the once great city, which during the medieval era had lost its imperial luster.

The opera begins outside the Lateran Church in Rome, where Paolo (bass-baritone Krzystof Szumanski), ruler of the powerful House of Orsini, attempts to abduct Irene, sister of Rienzi (a papal notary who has courageously condemned the corrupt ruling aristocrats of Rome). 

Adriano, son of the ruler of the House of Colonna, is in love with Irene, portrayed by soprano Camilla Nylund. Adriano repels Orsini, successfully rescuing Irene. The commotion draws a crowd and develops into a brawl between rival factions of the two powerful ruling families. Rienzi enters and quells the mob.

Rienzi, whose brother was murdered by a Colonna, becomes reconciled with Adriano, who supports Rienzi’s ideals but fears the nobility will eventually instigate the Roman populace to turn against him.

Rienzi proclaims himself Protector of Rome as the crowd pledges enthusiastic support for him.

Citizens of Rome (chorus and extra chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin) seated in front of a video projection of Torsten Kerl as Rienzi. Photo Bettina Stoss

Hatching a Plot

Elsewhere in Rome. Steffano Colonna (bass-baritone Ante Jerkunica) and Paolo Orsini put aside their rivalry and join together to plot Rienzi’s assassination at a banquet held in his honor. Orsini stabs Rienzi but Rienzi is protected by his armor. The assassins are arrested and sentenced to death, but Rienzi pardons them, and the nobles and their retinue quickly depart Rome.

The retreating nobility amass an army, return and attack Rome.  Rienzi and his troops defend the city and are victorious in the battle, but the resulting destruction and the number of casualties undermines the support of Rienzi’s Roman constituency. During the battle, the corpse of Adriano’s father, Stefano Colonna, is brought in and Adriano curses Rienzi, swearing vengeance.

Back in front of the Lateran Church, leading Roman citizen Baroncelli (tenor Clemens Bieber) discusses with other Romans the recent departure from the city of Lateran Church Cardinal Orvieto (baritone Lenus Carlson) along with the German papal diplomats in disagreement with Rienzi over the choice of Holy Roman Emperor. 

Baroncelli claims Rienzi pardoned the nobles as a political ploy in order to get their support. Vengeful Adriano joins this group of discontented Romans and pledges his support in their conspiracy against Rienzi.

The Holy See issues a Papal Bull banning Rienzi and his followers.  After a second failed assassination attempt on Rienzi’s life, this time involving Adriano as well as the disillusioned Romans, Rienzi and Irene are forced to retreat into an underground bunker beneath the Capital, where Rienzi prays for support.

Incited by the rabble on the street in front of the capital, Rienzi comes out of the bunker to give a speech imploring support, but he is murdered by the mob, who break into the bunker and also kill Irene. Adriano, mortally wounded in the skirmish, goes down into the bunker to die next to Irene.  

French Opera Antecedents

Wagner completed the score of Rienzi on 19 November 1840.   Apparently hoping for a Paris premiere at Salle Le Peletier, Wagner wrote the opera within the formal structure of the French grand opéra tradition.  He even went to live in a suburb of Paris for most of 1841, where he spent his time writing Der fliegende Holländer and trying unsuccessfully to rally support for a Paris premiere of his Rienzi.

In late 1841, Wagner received a confirmation that Rienzi was accepted for performance at the Hofoper in Dresden.  Buoyed by the prospect of working with his favored singers of the day, Tichatschek and  Schröder-Devreint, Wagner left France and returned to Germany, where Rienzi premiered at Dresden’s Hofoper on 20 October 1842.

For a revival of Rienzi at the Hofoper during the following season, Wagner abandoned his original French grand opéra five-act division of the opera, instead separating it into two parts.

The Deutsche Oper 2010 version preserved on Blu-ray/DVD is also presented in two parts. 

At the time he composed Rienzi, Wagner had not yet mastered the art of the recitative. There is some interesting vocal writing for the singers. But there is also a great deal more rhythmically monotonous accompagnato and arioso, much of it emulative of a Spohr or Mendelssohn oratorio, rather than the dynamically scored recitativo and parlando heard in Wagner's next opera, Der fliegende Holländer.

Too many uninspired pages of imitative German romantic classicism are included in this Deutsche Oper performance, replacing the score’s much more entertaining, vivid and lively kitsch ensembles, choruses and dances. The missing military marches, waltzes, polkas, etc. evoke an old tradition of popular folk entertainment, and, for many, are the score’s primary attraction.

Vocal Values

Kerl’s hochdramatischen Rienzi exemplifies balanced, skillful and lyrically-modulated singing.  His bel canto-like rendition of Rienzi's prayer (“Allmächt’ger Vater”) caps this performance. The tenor’s elegant phrasing and consummate musicianship are a welcome relief from the barking stentorian tenor singing associated so often with Wagner performances.

Stage director Stölzl and Video director Grebert fill in the gaps in the drama, particularly in their depiction of the heartfelt relationship between Rienzi and his sister Irene, as the two characters face defeat in the last part of the drama when they are confined to an underground bunker.

Nylund, who appears as Elisabeth in Sebastian Baumgarten's Bayreuth production of Tannhäuser, is well versed in the German romantic style of singing.

She gave Irene a very human dimension. Her natural stage presence and congenial vocalizing, heard effectively in the terzetto and duet in Act 1 as well as in most of the ensembles throughout the work, brings relief from the black-and-white monotony of much of the proceedings in this staging.

Camilla Nylund as Irene, Rienzi's sister, in an underground bunker. Photo Bettina Stoss

Kate Aldrich, who unintentionally resembles Joan Crawford in the 1928 Hollywood silent film "Our Dancing Daughters", gives an animated and enthusiastic interpretation of Adriano.  

The youthful sounding mezzo-soprano was an ideal vocal choice for Adriano, her whitish vocal timbre firmly supported the arched metallic lines of “Gerechter Gott”.  Aldrich’s expressive singing added a welcome spontaneity to  the opera’s conservative solo vocal writing.

Lightning Rod

Conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing obviously has a great deal of respect and affection for this score, which is evidenced by the Deutsche Opera Orchestra’s spirited playing from the very beginning of the performance.

The well-rehearsed, vocally disciplined and exciting choral singing of the citizens of Rome (chorus and extra chorus of the Deutsche Opera) made the entire musical experience worthwhile.

However, the ancient Greek-style clichéd overacting by the individual members of the chorus was at odds with the omnipresent flickering of the faked 1930’s black and white newsreel footage screened at the back of the stage. The result was a visual experience that unintentionally mimics the discomfort and alienation the on-stage Romans experience in this opera.

The Blu-ray quality is excellent and extremely clear, both visually and audibly.

But to fully enjoy this music, one has to accept the fact that Wagner has failed to create a lucid dramatic progression in Rienzi. A gesamtkunstwerk this is not.

The Deutsche Oper will revive the production, with some cast changes, in April 2012.

Recommended audio recording: Edward Downes conducting the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra. John Mitchinson, Lorna Haywood, Michael Langdon, Raimund Herincx. 1976 (Ponto POCD1040) (Most complete audio recording available)

2010 Performance Reviews

• Fiona Maddocks (Guardian)
• Von Klaus Geitl (Berlin Morgenpost)
• A. J. Goldman (Opera News)
• RML (I Hear Voices)

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