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Seductive Queen or Virtuous Woman? Learned King or Firebrand? Overlapping Triangles in Hungarian Opera “Königin von Saba”
by Bruce-Michael Gelbert      |   follow us...

   

Wedding Scene photo by Attila Nagy (inset: Hungarian State Opera House photo by Michael C. Testa)
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The Hungarian State Opera began its short stay at the former New York State Theater, on October 30, with Ferenc Erkel’s “Bánk Bán,” a Hungarian opera in Hungarian, written for the Hungarian audience, and continued with another rarity, on November 2, Karl (Károly) Goldmark’s Biblical and often Wagnerian grand opera “Die Königin von Saba” (the Queen of Sheba, 1875), written by a Hungarian Jewish composer, in German, for Vienna, and very popular at the Metropolitan Opera during its first couple of decades, 1885 till 1906.
“Königin von Saba” was conducted by János Kovács, directed by Csaba Káel, choreographed by Marianna Venekei, and designed by Éva Szendrényi (sets) and Anikó Németh (costumes). Dancers, as exotic animals and birds, and a glittering gold confetti shower heralded the entrance of the eponymous Queen. A steep and treacherous-looking grand staircase, down which there were mercifully few entrances, dominated stage right. The opera was sung in Salomon Hermann Mosenthal’s original German. Surtitles were in English, by Arthur Roger Crane and, curiously, also in Hungarian, by Eszter Orbán.
Two more or less love triangles dominate the plot, overlapping like the triangles that make up the Star of David, seen in the set: the wise King Solomon (sturdy baritone Zoltán Kelemen, not to be confused with the singer of the same name who sang Alberich for Herbert von Karajan), the temptress Queen of Sheba (rich-voiced high mezzo-soprano Erika Gál), and the firebrand hero Assad (formidable high tenor Boldizsár László, more than equal to the demands of the bel canto ‘hit tune’ “Magische Töne,” magical sounds), the last two making up the sides of a second triangle with the virtuous Sulamith (high dramatic soprano Eszter Sümegi), daughter of the High Priest. Will the Queen go for her host, the King, or for the passionate young hero? Will Assad go for the steadfast Sulamith or the seductive Queen, who snubs him in public?
Lászlo gave generously of his pinging tone, in a part which became more and more Tannhäuser-like—Sheba or Sulamith, Venus or Elisabeth—as the opera progressed. Her voice ringing out forcefully over all in the early scenes, Sümegi’s Sulamith later impressively contributed a sort of somber ‘Liebestod,’ about love and death. Soprano Eszter Zavaros distinguished herself in the supporting role of Astaroth, the Queen’s maid, whose Eastern-flavored vocalise lured Assad to Sheba’s side. Low-voiced male singers Péter Fried (the High Priest), Lajos Geiger (Baal-Hanan) and Ferenc Cserhalmi (the Temple Watchman) completed the cast. The chorus assisted in the grand ensembles, as the principals voiced varied reactions to the surprising events, and decried the sacrilege when Assad saluted Sheba as his goddess during what was supposed to be his wedding to Sulamith.
It’s easy to see why this compelling opera was so admired in its day.


 

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