FULL SVÄTOPLUK (Eugen Suchon) Nitra Castle 1995 Peter Mikuláš, Richard Haan, František Livora, Ivan Ožvát

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: Svätopluk   
• Composer: Suchoň Eugen   
• Libretto: Eugen Suchoň, Ivan Stodola, Jela Krčméra-Vrtelová, loosely adapted fromIvan Stodola's drama King Svätopluk .    Libretto Text, Libretto Index
• Venue & Opera Company: Nitra Castle, Slovakia  
• Recorded: June 26, 1995
• Type: Staged Opera Live
• Singers: Peter Mikuláš, Richard Haan, František Livora, Ivan Ožvát, Vladimír Kubovčík, Elena Holičková, Jozef Ábel, Ida Kirilová, Anna Czaková, Igor Pasek
• Conductor: Ondrej Lenárd   
• Orchestra: Orchestra of the Slovak National Theatre  
• Chorus: Choir of the Slovak National Theatre  
• Stage Director: Branislav Kriška  
• Costume Designer:   

Information about the Recording

• Published by: STV2  
• Date Published: 1995  
• Format: Broadcast
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: yessubs, gensubs, othersubs  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

Svätopluk is a Slovak opera by Eugen Suchoň with the subtitle Musical Drama in Three Acts to a libretto by Eugen Suchoň, Ivan Stodola and Jela Krčméra-Vrtelová, loosely adapted fromIvan Stodola’s drama King Svätopluk .

Suchoň used the form of a large closed three-part symmetry, in which the third act corresponds to the first, while the middle act represents a contrast. Svätopluk is a monumental historical fresco, which can be boldly described as directly following on from similar works by great composers, especially of the Russian national school – e.g. Mussorgsky , Glinka , or the Czech national school – Smetana , Dvořák , etc. The authors of these works, whether they were the operas Boris Godunov , Life for the Tsar or Libuše , aimed to awaken interest in the history of a given nation, but especially to awaken national consciousness at a given time, by capturing real historical events from the history of that nation. It was no different in the fifties, when Suchoň worked on his second opera. He creates a work of exceptionally strong expressive value, which combines the drama of an individual – the ruler and his relationship to God and his sons, as well as the drama of the entire Slovak nation. The basis of Suchoň’s creative approach is the dynamic depiction of individual characters, which he created as alive, not clearly positive or clearly negative, but characters in the story, in motion, who react to the given facts of the story.

Story

The opera is set in Great Moravia around 894 , when King Svatopluk , sensing his imminent death, hands over the reign to his two sons. The fictional plot is partly based on historical events and historical figures.

Act 1: Igric Záboj loves Princess Ľutomíra, who is secretly trying to get to the Great Moravian throne of her father, the Pannonian prince Braslav. Záboj reveals to her secret news that Svätopluk is concentrating an army beyond the Danube and is preparing to attack the Franks . Ľutomíra sends this important message by dove to Pannonia . King Svätopluk solemnly appoints the new leaders of the empire – his sons Mojmír and the young Svätopluk . Mojmír is a follower of the teachings of Constantine and Methodius , he wants to lift the people from slavery, rid the empire of Frankish priests and abolish serfdom. Young Svätopluk, on the other hand, is ambitious, fame-loving and would like to seize the throne himself with the help of the Franks. The slave girl Blagota asks for help for her daughter Milena, who has been captured by pagans and wants to make her a living sacrifice to their gods. Svätopluk has this matter judged by his sons – Mojmír wants to free the girl immediately and disperse the pagans, on the contrary Svätopluk Jr. stands up for the pagans, seeing them above all as good warriors and his allies. An argument breaks out, in which both sons attack the king with reproaches for the death of their uncle Rastislav , after Svätopluk announces to them that he is preparing an attack against the Frankish Empire. The soldier brings the message he found in a shot dove – it was the message sent by Ľutomír. This infuriates the king, he orders the army to set up and he himself leads the attack against the Franks.

Act 2: Pagan burial ground. In the spirit of ancient rituals, at the funeral of a hero from a noble family who died as a hero in battle, a young girl must die as his posthumous bride. Svätopluk the Younger comes to the pagans. The pagan priests predict the will of the god Perun to him: kill the king – your father and you yourself will rule us. Svätopluk agrees and flees. At that moment, a regiment of Mojmír’s army bursts in, scatters the pagans, destroys their idols and frees the young Milena, who offers herself to his service out of gratitude. Mojmír’s soldiers call on them to conquer his father’s castle and for Mojmír to take the throne, but Mojmír refuses to do anything against his father, but wants to go to him and negotiate with him about the next way of ruling Great Moravia. Ľutomíra, who has heard everything, decides to destroy Mojmír through intrigue and desires to become the Princess of Great Moravia herself.

Act 3: Svätopluk’s advisor Dragomir learned about Mojmír’s act and had him captured. Mojmír admits that he killed the pagans, but denies the accusation that he wanted to kill his father. At that moment, Ľutomir appears and cunningly declares that she saw Mojmír write the letter that she wrote and that was intercepted by the royal guards. This upsets the king and he has Mojmír imprisoned. Milena, who has become Mojmír’s faithful companion, throws herself at the king’s feet and begs for Mojmír, claiming that she heard that not Mojmír, but his second son, is to be the parricide. Although no one believes the girl, Dragomir nevertheless has the king guarded more closely. At the full moon, Svätopluk the Younger arrives and raises his weapon against his father, at which point the guards stop him and the king cannot believe his own eyes. He is going through a deep personal and emotional crisis – both sons are against him, both have tried to take his life. In despair, he sees an apparition of bloodshot eyes, which reminds him of his ancient act of betrayal of his uncle Rastislav. In his delirium, his third son Predslav, who is a monk and has come to encourage his father, to ask for his brothers to be forgiven by the king and the death penalty they are facing. The king says: “There is no need”. Feeling that his life is ending, he calls together the people and his sons, forgives them and divides the reign between them. Here he takes up rods and warns his sons against disunity. “One by one, each of them will bow down lightly, bind them together, no one will break them”. The king dies and the strife between the sons begins. Svätopluk the Younger is not satisfied with his fate and attacks Mojmír, who has become the heir to the royal crown, with a sword. Mojmír is saved with his own body by Milena, who dies almost at the same moment as the king. Svätopluk the Younger runs away with the words: “Mojmír, we will meet again on the battlefield!” and the fate of the Great Moravian Empire is sealed.

Quoted from Wikipedia

 

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