Babylon (opera)

Babylon is an opera in seven scenes by Jörg Widmann, with a libretto in German by Peter Sloterdijk. The opera describes life in a multi-religious and multi-cultural metropolis. It was premiered by the Bavarian State Opera, conducted by Kent Nagano, on 27 October 2012.

Babylon
Opera by Jörg Widmann
The composer in 2006
LibrettistPeter Sloterdijk
LanguageGerman
Premiere
27 October 2012 (2012-10-27)
Bavarian State Opera, Munich
Widmann, Babylon, opening performance of the Internationale Maifestspiele 2022 at Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, curtain call including the composer

Background and performance history

The stage work Babylon was written by Jörg Widmann on a commission by the Bavarian State Opera.[lower-alpha 1][1] The opera was composed from 2011 to 2012.[2] Librettist and composer were not held to any restrictions.[3] The librettist Peter Sloterdijk[4] describes life in a multi-religious and multi-cultural metropolis,[5] the rise and fall of an empire.[6] His essay God's Zeal, that deals with the three major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, possibly influenced the libretto.[7]

The Bavarian State Opera presented the world premiere of Widmann's Babylon,[lower-alpha 2] conducted by Kent Nagano on 27 October 2012 in National Theatre Munich.[2][1] The production was directed by Carlus Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus).[4]

A revised version of the opera[lower-alpha 3] was premiered on 9 March 2019 at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin.[8] Conductor of the new production by Andreas Kriegenburg was Christopher Ward, replacing Daniel Barenboim.[8] In the revision Widmann used live electronics for the first time at the end.[9] The action takes place in a cave-like underground.[10]

In 2022, a new production of the opera, based on the revised version, was performed by the Staatstheater Wiesbaden. It was part of the May Festival Wiesbaden. The setting is an airport lounge.[11] Sarah Traubel appeared as Inanna,[12] Daniela Kerck directed her own stage design,[13] projections by London-based video designer Astrid Steiner,[14][15] and Albert Horne was the conductor and chorus master.[16]

The first performance of Widmann's Babylon Suite, a commission of Grafenegg Festival and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, took place on 21 August 2014 in Grafenegg under the direction of Kent Nagano.[17] The Babylon Suite is the concertante version of Widmann's opera.[17]

Reception

The premiere of Babylon was reviewed critically by several newspapers.[6][18][19][20] The New York Times noted that Widmann's hard work received a major forum, that Sloterdijk's libretto is overstuffed and often inscrutable, and the production is extravagant.[4] Die Zeit wrote about an indifferent libretto, a monstrous score and old men's lust (Altherrenerotik),[21] Süddeutsche Zeitung about howling wind players, opulent pictures and strange music.[22] Die Welt wrote: "alphabet soup of sound salad: orgiastic, bombastic" ("Buchstabensuppe an Klangsalat, orgiastisch bombastisch.").[23] Die Deutsche Bühne wrote 2022: "colorful, visually stunning staging".[10]

The premiere of the revision of the opera in 2019 received positive and mostly negative "icely"[24] reviews.[8][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]

Die Deutsche Bühne wrote about the 2022 Wiesbaden production: "Wiesbaden made a convincing plea for Widmann's Babylon, but it remains to be seen whether the piece will be suitable for the repertoire."[10]

Music

Babylon is a polystylistic opera.[33] A special musical style is Widmann's version of the Bayerischer Defiliermarsch and Tiroler Holzhackerbuab`n from his composition Dubairische Tänze in Scene III "The New Year Festival".[34] Self-quotation within the opera are Teufel Amor, Con brio, Antiphon and Messe.[35] Another example is a baroque chorale.[10] The work is characterized by cinematic editing techniques and various multimedia layers.[9] Widmann remains on the ground of tonality, but pushes it to the limits of the diatonic.[10] Significant are the colossal chord layers in the manner of Gustav Mahler or Alban Berg.[7] References are made to Strauss's Salome and Mozart’s Magic Flute. [36][37]

Roles
Role[2] Voice type Premiere cast,
27 October 2012
Conductor: Kent Nagano		 Premiere cast (revision),
9 March 2019
Conductor: Christopher Ward
Inanna high soprano Anna Prohaska Susanne Elmark
Die Seele (The Soul) high soprano Claron McFadden Mojca Erdmann
Tammu tenor Jussi Myllys Charles Workman
Priesterkönig (Priest King) bass-baritone Willard White John Tomlinson
Der Tod (The Death) bass-baritone Willard White Otto Katzameier
Euphrat dramatic mezzo soprano Gabriele Schnaut Marina Prudenskaya
Skorpionmensch (Scorpion Man) countertenor Kai Wessel Andrew Watts
Priester (Priest) tenor Joshua Stewart Florian Hoffmann
Ezechiel narrator August Zirner Felix von Manteuffel

Instrumentation

Widmann scored Babylon for a large orchestra with 90 players:[2][3]

  • Woodwinds: 4 flutes (all doubling piccolo, 3rd doubling alto flute, 4th doubling bass flute), 4 oboes (2nd doubling oboe d'amore, 3rd doubling cor anglais, 4th doubling heckelphone), 4 clarinets in B♭ (2nd doubling clarinet in E♭, 3rd doubling bass clarinet, 4th doubling double bass clarinet), 4 bassoons (3rd and 4th double bassoon)
  • Brass: 4 horns (doubling 4 natural horns), 4 trumpets, 4 trombones (3rd and 4th doubling bass trombone or contrabass trombone), tuba
  • Strings: 14 violins I, 12 violins II, 10 violas, 8 cellos, 8 double basses (4 of them 5-stringed)
  • Percussion: 4 players, timpani
  • 2 harps, celesta, accordion, glass armonica (2018 revision), piano, organ

Synopsis

The opera is about the conflicts that arise from the love of Tammu, a Jew in exile, to Inanna, a Babylonian priestess in the temple of free love.[38]

Each of the seven scenes comes with its own musical form, Widmann adds seven septets, seven dancers.[7]

The seven scenes of the opera:[lower-alpha 4][41][2]

Prologue
  • "In Front of the Relics of the Walls of a Ruined City"

The Scorpion Man dwells upon the ruins of Babylon, declaring whoever rebuilds this city shall be cursed.[lower-alpha 5]

Scene I
  • "Within the Walls of Babylon" (duration: 45 min)[43]

The soul, a stranger in the Babylonian world, mourns its loneliness for its "brother", Tammu, a Jewish exile. Tammu struggles to convince his feelings of love to the Babylonian goddess Inanna. Inanna succeeds into comforting Tammu and dispelling his doubts, and they fall in love with each other. Inanna, however, gives Tammu a herb that allows him to see the "truth" of Babylon and love in his dreams.

Scene II

The Euphrates leaves its bed, the flood comes expressed by chaos and confusion.[40] After the flood, peace and order will be achieved between heaven and earth through a human sacrifice.

Scene III
  • "The New Year Festival"
    • genitalia septets
    • monkey septet

An orgiastic, carnival-like New Year festival held by the Babylonians and Inanna with Bavarian-Babylonian marches, processions, cabaret numbers, and excesses has begun.[42] The celebration is however interrupted by the Jews and their leader Ezechiel, who considered this a blasphemy. Tammu then begins to question himself of his true belonging.

Scene IV
  • "At the Waters of Babylon"

The Jews reflect about their religion. Ezekiel has the writer write down his promptings, which deal with the Flood and of which Tammu claims that Ezekiel took over the story from the Babylonians. He writes down that Noah did not sacrifice his son, but animals, in gratitude for surviving. Tammu is selected by the Babylonian Priest King to be sacrificed.

Interlude
  • "Babylon Idyll, Night Music for Hanging Gardens"

(2012 Munich premiere only, not included in the revised version) The soul addresses to the audience that stars are not just light in the night sky, rather they are twinkling messengers. A solo clarinetist is also seen onstage.

Scene V
  • "The Feast of the Sacrifice"

Tammu is sacrificed by the Priest King. Upon discovering the sacrifice, Inanna and the Soul vow to rescue Tammu from the underworld.

Scene VI
  • "Inanna in the Underworld"

Inanna enters the underworld, with all of her jewelry stripped from her, with the underworld porters stating "Also sind sie Gesetze der Gebieterin! (Thus are the laws from our mistress!)". Inanna convinces her sister Death, to release Tammu from the underworld, eventually rescuing Tammu from the underworld.

Scene VII

Once Tammu and Inanna arrive back to Babylon, a new covenant with humankind, based on number seven, replaces the old sacrifice.

Epilogue
  • "The constellation of the Scorpion"

There are two endings to this opera.

2012, Munich: The scorpion directs its sting on itself, it kills the illusion, to be reborn in its higher form, the eagle.[45]

2019, Berlin, Revised Premiere: The scorpion directs its sting on itself, and two children sing a rhyme.

Notes
  1. Babylon is Widmann's second large-scale opera. His first opera is Das Gesicht im Spiegel.
  2. 2011–2012, duration: 160 minutes (Taken from original score DNB-IDN 1028649541).
  3. 2018, duration: 130 minutes.[2]
  4. The number seven appears frequently in Babylonian magical rituals.[39] In the opera it is used to establish of order.[40]
  5. Taken from Epic of Gilgamesh.[42]
  6. The seven scenes get progressively shorter, the opera is constructed like a Ziggurat temple.[44][5]

References

Citations
  1. Jörg Widmann, List of Published Works. Mainz: Schott Music. September 2012. p. 9. ISMN 979-0-001-18462-5. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  2. "Babylon (Score)". Schott Music. 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  3. Bruhn 2013, p. 169.
  4. Loomis, George (6 November 2012). "Carnal Knowledge in a Modern Metropolis: Babylon". The New York Times. New York. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  5. Bruhn 2013, p. 170.
  6. Büning, Eleonore (29 October 2012). "Fette Zeiten in alten Städten". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Frankfurt. Archived from the original on 10 February 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  7. "Wiesbaden, Hessisches Staatstheater, BABYLON – Jörg Widmann, IOCO Kritik, 07.05.2022". IOCO (in German). 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  8. Pachl, Peter P. (11 March 2019). "Alle sieben Jahre: "Babylon"-Uraufführung von Jörg Widmann: Neufassung an der Staatsoper Unter den Linden". neue musikzeitung (in German). Regensburg. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  9. Besthorn, Florian Henri (2019). "Jörg Widmann". KDG Online. Komponisten der Gegenwart.
  10. Zegowitz, Bernd (2 May 2022). "Jörg Widmann: Babylon". Die Deutsche Bühne (in German). Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  11. Zibulski, Axel (2 May 2022). "Jörg Widmanns Oper "Babylon": Zwischen Sintflut und Erdaufgang". FAZ.NET (in German). Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  12. Uske, Bernhard (2 May 2022). ""Babylon" bei den Maifestspielen: Im Warenlager der letzten Bedeutungen". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  13. "Daniela Kerck". Daniela Kerck. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  14. "Astrid Steiner". Astrid Steiner. 3 January 2020. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  15. Kinnersley, Hannah (15 June 2022). "Video Creates Emotional Canvas For Epic Opera 'Babylon'". Live Design Online. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  16. "Babylon, Jörg Widmann (*1973) Oper in sieben Bildern In deutscher Sprache. Mit Übertiteln". Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden (in German). Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  17. Jarolin, Peter (22 August 2014). ""Babylon-Suite" von Jörg Widmann uraufgeführt". Kurier (in German). Vienna. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  18. Woolfe, Zachary (15 April 2013). "On Clarinet, the Composer". The New York Times. New York. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  19. Dick, Alexander (29 October 2012). "Bayrilonisches Sprachengewirr". Badische Zeitung (in German). Freiburg. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  20. Koch, Juan Martin (28 October 2012). "Die "Zauberflöte" für das 21. Jahrhundert ist noch zu schreiben: "Babylon" von Jörg Widmann und Peter Sloterdijk an der Münchner Staatsoper". nmz online (in German). neue musikzeitung. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  21. Weber, Mirko (31 October 2012). "Tuttifrutti". Die Zeit (in German). Hamburg. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  22. Mauró, Helmut (28 October 2012). "Jubel für den babylonischen Untergang". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). München. Archived from the original on 18 January 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  23. Brug, Manuel (28 October 2012). "Die "Große Hure" aus der Megacity". Die Welt (in German). Hamburg. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  24. Allen, David (20 March 2020). "A Composer Finds the Old in the New". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  25. Helmig, Martina (10 March 2019). "Diesem "Babylon" fehlt die Vielfalt". Berliner Morgenpost (in German). Berlin. Archived from the original on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  26. Schreiber, Wolfgang (13 March 2019). "Völker, lebt gefährlich!". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Munich. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  27. Büning, Eleonore (13 March 2019). "Völkerverständigung kann so einfach sein! Jörg Widmanns und Peter Sloterdijk haben ihr "Babylon" neu gefasst". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Zürich. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  28. Swed, Mark (13 March 2019). "Operas in Berlin and Hamburg go Babylonian, with Trump and an immigration crisis". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 14 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  29. Hablützel, Niklaus (10 March 2019). "Männer, die sich wichtig nehmen". Die Tageszeitung (in German). Berlin. Archived from the original on 11 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019. Premiere in der Staatsoper: Jörg Widmann und Peter Sloterdijk haben ihr Stück "Babylon" überarbeitet, Andreas Kriegenburg hat es inszeniert. Doch was soll ein Regisseur mit dem Getöne dieser Männer anfangen? Gar nichts?
  30. Friedrich, Uwe (10 March 2019). "Zäher Mythen-Mischmasch". BR-Klassik (in German). Munich. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  31. Brug, Manfred (10 March 2019). "Nicht besser: Jörg Widmanns und Peter Sloterdijks wenig bearbeitete "Babylon"-Neufassung an der Berliner Staatsoper". Die Welt (in German). Berlin. Archived from the original on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  32. Badelt, Udo (11 March 2019). "Die Stadt braucht ein Update". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Berlin. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  33. Bruhn 2013, p. 189.
  34. Bruhn 2013, p. 182.
  35. Bruhn 2013.
  36. "Babylon". Staatsoper Berlin. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  37. "Jörg Widmann Babylon in der Staatsoper Berlin Multikulturalismus und Multireligiosität in der Oper (Rubrik)". Opera Online (in German). Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  38. Powell, Andrew (23 November 2012). "Widmann's Opera Babylon". Musical America. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  39. Collins, Adela Yarbro (2000). Cosmology and Eschatology in Jewish and Christian Apocalypticism. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-11927-7.
  40. "Babylon". Schott Music. 27 October 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  41. Bruhn 2013, p. 173.
  42. Bruhn 2013, p. 171.
  43. "Werk der Woche: Jörg Widmann – Babylon". Schott Music. Mainz. 29 May 2017. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  44. Camilleri, Jenny (5 June 2017). "Stenz conducts an impressive Babylon at the Holland Festival". bachtrack.com. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  45. "Skorpion". Schott Music. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2020.

Bibliography
  • Bruhn, Siglind (2013). Die Musik von Jörg Widmann (in German). Waldkirch: Edition Gorz. pp. 169–192. ISBN 978-3-938095-16-4.
  • Zuber, Barbara (2013). "Verschiebung und semantische Überschreibung. Der Doppelchor der Juden in Jörg Widmanns Babylon (Bild 5)". In Tadday, Ulrich (ed.). Jörg Widmann, Musik-Konzepte 166 (edition text+kritik) (in German). München: Richard Boorberg Verlag. pp. 55–78. ISBN 978-3-86916-355-0.

Further reading
  • Miller, Malcolm (2013). "Munich, Bayerische Staatsoper: Jörg Widmann's 'Babylon'". Tempo. 67 (264): 71–72. doi:10.1017/S0040298213000119. JSTOR 43927824. S2CID 143813268. Retrieved 6 March 2021. (subscription required)
  • Widmann, Jörg; Rennicke, Rafael (2012). ""Babylon hat mein komponieren verändert": Jörg Widmann Im Gespräch über seine neue Oper "Babylon"". Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (in German). 173 (6): 8–11. JSTOR 23994422.
  • Widmann, Jörg; Ward, Christopher; Kriegenburg, Andreas; Thor, Harald B.; Hofmann, Tanja; Haerter, Zenta; Reeger, Roman; Staatsoper Unter den Linden (2019). Babylon Oper in 7 Bildern (2012/rev. 2018), Musik von Jörg Widmann, Text von Peter Sloterdijk (in German). Berlin: Staatsoper Unter den Linden. OCLC 1301035307.
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