Johann Gottlieb Naumann

* Gustav Wasa

Anders Andersson, Nicolai Gedda, Tord Wallstroem, Lena Nordin, Eva Pilat
a.o Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Swedish Opera/Philip Brunelle VIRGIN
Classics VCD 5-45148-2 [2CDs]

Anno 1518 the Danish king Christian II conquered Sweden to reach his goal
to unite the whole Scandinavia, he 1520 massacered 82 swedish noblemens
in Stockholm in what has been called "the bloodbath of Stockholm", after
a rioting of them, and the rest was imprisoned in Denmark.  But the young
Gustav Eriksson Wasa, whose father had been killed in the bloodbath, didn't
give up so easy.  He escaped the danish prison for Hansan in Luebeck.  When
he had ensured Hansans support, which he could easily get as Hansan wanted
two nations to control Oeresund to keep fees down, he returned to Sweden
1521 to gain the peoples support.  He tried with Dalarna [Dalecarlia].  The
people of Dalecarlia didn't wan't to support him at first, and Gustav gave
it up and fleed to Norway, but the Dalecarlians changed their minds and
sent after him and set up an army for him, with which Gustav could kick
out the danish king.  For this Gustav Wasa was made king of Sweden by the
Dalecarlians, and has since then been honoured as the father of Sweden.
It's first king and creat creator.

The swedish king Gustav III {1746-1792} did alot for culture in Sweden.
He sent after musicians from Germany to refine the Swedish musical life.
He already had Bellman of course, but the king wanted symphonies and
especially operas, and he let build an operahouse in his capital, and gave
his german composers; Naumann, Haeffner, Kraus, Grensner, Vogler...a for
the time rather large orchestra, 75 men.  The music was inspired by Gluck
whose operas, and especially "Orfeus", had a great success in Stockholm.
"Orfeus" was given 70 times the years after its premiere.  It should fall
on Naumanns luck to write what should become the most famous piece from the
Gustavian repetoire.  The opera "Gustav Wasa".  It saw its first premiere
in 1786, and was given about 150 times until 1823 when it was taken out of
the repetoire.  It has never been performed outside Stockholm as far as I
know.  The opera has a nationalistic thema, and fitted well in the time as
Sweden was at war with Russia, and all nationalistic expressions were very
welcomed by the king.  Naumann a foreginer in Sweden succeded to give
Sweden that opera it was in need for.

Despite Naumann for Dresden used to write Italian opera seria, he choosed
to write this opera in french style, what we hear already in the relatively
slow ouverture.  The overture is rather slow, with Rameau-like dotts in
strings, turning out in a second part that is fuga like.  Everywhere the
nationalistic element is ubiquitous.  Perhaps Naumann choosed to do it so
as he was a foreginer and didn't know any swedish tunes.  The ouverture
rings out and we are in the dungeon of the castle of Stockholm, where
the wives, widows and children of the leading Swedish nobles are hold
improsoned by the danish.  The dungeon is lit by a single lamp, which
throws out a weak and melancholy light.  In the middle of the pit sit
Gustav's mother Cecilia af Eka and her daughter, Joachim Brahes widow,
who holds her son, the young Pehr Brahe.  Anna Bijelke sits next to them,
and around them sits the other Swedish women with their children.  They all
display the deepest sorrow and despair in theyre song, in which they ask
God to give revenge or end their lives.  After the very effectful starting
choir, Cecilia and Margareta sing their recitatives.  Cecilia [Dorrit
Kleimert] has a much clearer diction than Margareta [Eva Pilat], and
Cecilia has also the more difficult parts, while it at times goes very
high and switches high-low-high.  The music and singing are solemn and
dignified.  The choirs of the swedish women are almost psalm like, to show
that the swedish stands on Gods humane side in the world.  The Swedish
women sing about their wretched lives until a danish soldier bring them
with to king Christjern.  Meanwhile the scene changes to the main hall of
the castle the orchestra plays a timetypical military marsch.  Then it is
Christjerns [Nicolai Gedda] turn to sing his recitativ and aria about how
good he is.  This part is really excellent sung, and on the whole in the
opera Gustavs role [Anders Andersson] is not so exciting as Christjerns,
it lacks in a comparision both to how it is written and how it here is
performed.  When Christian has finished his rather long -but because of
the brilliant singing it doesn't feel long - arias, the people praise their
hero, but it is not really made clear if they sing for Christjern or if
this is a tribute to Gustav.  Between the peoples cheering has Naumann
rather randomized put in two rather childish balletts, a Pas de quatre a
l'espagnol, spanish style, and a polonaise.  When the women have been taken
to Christian they get to know that Gustav lives - before they thought he
was dead - and also Christians plans; he threatens to kill them if Gustav
don't surrender to him.  Christan sends his great admiral Severin Norrby
 [Thord Wallstroem] and Christina to Gustavs camp to inform him about the
conditions.  Christina, who is better in her recitatives than the arias,
has here a pretty long aria.  Naumann was in this way presented with long
texts by Kjellgren, texts that in their art not are especially musical,
with other words; we don't need to doubt that Naumann had to use much
imagination and skill to set musically interesting and effectful music to
this parts, but Christinas aria in the end of act I stands as a prove on
Naumanns good work.  The first act ends with a septett, Norrby, Christina,
Cecilia, Margareta and Anna.  I can't hear what they sing here, but
beautiful it is.

When act II begins the szene changes to Gustavs tent, with his bed covered
by a bear-skin, and his weapons hanging over his head.  Through the back
of the tent which is open the Swedish camp is visible, and in the distant
the Danish camp.  Gustav stands at the entrance to his tent surrounded
by Swedish knights and his principal officers.  Gustavs arias are here
beautiful, though the playing is uneven.  Gustav call his ancestors to a
thick woodwind playing which reminds of szenes in "Die Zauberfloete".  And
also an italian would have said the part contains to many notes.  This is
the most famous part from the opera.  It is in this place Anders Andersson
is at best with his lyric herotenor.  Here sounds a trumpet as it announces
the arrival of Sten Stures widow Christina and Severin Norrby.  Gustav
reads the letter from Christian and according to the libretto he shall here
react first with horror, than with despair and finally with fury, but I
think he sounds the same all the time.  In a aria and duett, that are a
little too long.  Norrby who has been standing beside listening has now a
bleeding heart, and praises their courage, but here the dry Kjellgren had
tried a bit humour, because Norrby realizes he is talking about the enemy
and changes his opinion.  "...your courage!  What am I saying? A cruel
inhumanity..." etc.  In this part Gustav sings with another voice, it is
brighter, but I don't know exactly what it is supposed to mean, if it is
supposed to mean anything.  Gustav ask his soldiers what he shall as the
most prudent option answer the Danish request.  The soldiers choose the
fight.  Norrby leaves and Gustav is alone.  Two trumpets in the distant
plays a cheerful melody, which Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795) stole and
used in his Fredmans song nr.21 "Saa lunka vi Saasmaaningom", an indeed
macaber association.  Gustav is alone in the tent and have to take the
desicion if he shall attack the danes and risk to sacrifice his relatives,
or give up the fight, he lays on his bed thinking with this pain pressuring
on his heart, when he falls asleep, and he starts dreamimg.  Swedens
Gaurdian Angel descends on a cloud, holding in her right hand a diamond
studded sceptre, and resting her other hand on the head of a lion which has
in its claws a celestial orb with Swedens three crowns.  She and the noble
dreams the Glory, the Victory and Pallas Athenae crowns him with laurel,
and Gustav sees in his dream how he captures Stockholm, and is taken up to
the temple of immortality.  He wakes up as the genii disappeares, and he
walks out of his tent sure to win the battle.  So ends the second act.  The
scene changes and we see now Christians tent where he is sleeping, dreaming
horrifying dreams.  He is alone and wakes up in alarm and wonder where he
is.  This is really fun.  I smile every time I hear this upwaking.  Really
good propaganda!  He talkes as best about his revenge on Gustav when Norrby
enters, and in a cheerfully cute duet Norrby says he refuses to kill the
people if it comes necessary.  "I am a soldier, not a murder!", and he is
imprisoned by Christian.  When Christian goes back to his tent two boys
rise up; it is the shades of the two Ribbing brothers and they threatens
Christian.  Soon also Sten Stures and other noblemens shades attack
Christian.  Here the music really sounds horrifying in the mighty bass.
Naumann has used much work on effects and the trombone background really
sounds very creepy.  Naumann has succeded well in his ambition.  When the
shades and ghosts disappear Christian is laying screaming oin his bed, when
an officer comes in and informs him about the swedish attack.  Here is a
bit humour used again to ridicule the danish king.  But it quickly turns
serious again, Norrby has fled, and Christian commands his soldiers to
slaughter the noble swedish women who are imprisoned on the fleet, but
Norrby comes thereto quicker and set them free.  The scene is changing
again to the fortress of Stockholm, and in the sea in the distant lays the
Danish fleet for anchor.  This the sixth scene is the battle scene with
choruses and hurrays.  It is nothing wrong with the szene except that it
is too short, at least relatively.  However, even if it is short it is
effectful.  At the first performance in Stockholm in Jan.  1786 the
audience screamed "Clobber them!  Clobber them!  When the Swedish soldiers
attacked the Danish.  I can't know what you had expected, but the danish
loose, and flees to the harbour where the fleet is.  Gustav celebrates his
victory and get to know that Norrby has set the women free, as reward to
Norrby he then sets the captured danish soldiers free and send them to
admiral Norrby.  The swedish king is of course not a cruel one.  Everything
ends in scene eleven where the swedish people sing "Long live our king".
The choir is very grand and I think it had been a proper ending of the
opera, but obviously Naumann didn't think so as he added a chaconne after
it, which in my opinion works a little too much like an anticlimax.

There are some few parts with demands on the singers, but on the whole
"Gustav Wasa" might not be difficult to perform.  On the whole the music
sounds like Martin Kraus', which more people are familiar with.

A work like "Gustav Wasa" is nowadays not more than "interesting".  It
doesn't lack the artistic and there are parts which are very beautiful.
But mainly the piece is interesting as the most successful attempt to unite
the Italian, which was Naumanns credo, with the French and Gluckian which
was Kjellgrens, and the nationalistic.  The composer has used much work on
the piece, and give the recitatives - the right power in its declamation.
The few rounded solosongs Kjellgren gave Naumann opportunity to, has been
composed in two parts, in a rather scanty style, and this scantiness he
perhaps didn't like.  More use has been made of choirs and ensembles.
The orchestra is finely used, as well in the purely orchestral parts like
the ouverture, and dances and pantomimes, as well as in accompanment in
solosongs and ensembles, where it strengthens the moods.  Also Naumanns
talent of useing the certain characteristics of different instrument
triumphs, for example military music with trumpets and timpani, and the use
of trombones when Sten Stures ghost shows up for the Danish king.  Straint
satz, canon and imitations don't appear seldom.  A certain homogenousness
in the music works tieing and is dramatically effectful.  Sometimes there
appears real memorizingmotifs, sometimes one and the same motif or almost
the same motif is used for in the drama conflicting interests and persons,
everything in purpose to tie the parts harder together, and it is
systematically skilled done.  "Gustav Wasa" is a so called good work.

That it for so long were looked upon as the sweds national opera is of
course thanks to the subject - the kicking out of the danish and Gustavs
capturing of Stockholm, everything overflowing of patriotism.  But
something is missing:  there is no love story, only love to the country.
If the work had contained more human passion, let us say that Gustav had
had an affair with Sten Stures widow or something like that, the works
perhaps still would be popular.  After all it is a pity that the Gustavian
opera got no successors, I should have liked to know what it was like.

I think a little disclaimer note would be appropriate here:  I have never
made any resarch on primary sources.  The background info to the music is
provided by Bertil H. van Boer in the liner notes of the CD set.

Now I am interested in feedback from you so I can improve my listening!
Private mail is ok.

Mats Norrman
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