Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au Bucher
French Dramatic Oratorio 'Joan of Arc at the Stake' in One Act
Oct 25, 2007
Arthur Honegger's dramatic oratorio Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher (Joan of Arc at the Stake) in One act is considered a mixture of opera (seria), drama and oratorio. The period was the beginning of German occupation of France. Joan of Arc was an immediate success and performed in many cities.
His greatest achievement in this opera was integrating speaking voice into the musical flow of events. Honegger is a member of a prominent group of French composers 'Les Six' including Tailleferre, Milhaud, Poulenc, Auric and Durey.
- Composer: Arthur Honegger (March 10, 1892 – November 27, 1955)
- Composed: 1935
- Libretto / Text: Paul Claudel. Based on historical characters.
- Language: French.
- First performance: Zürich, Stadttheater, June 13, 1942. Concert premiere in Basel: May 12, 1938.
- Setting: France in the early 15th century. Dramatic Oratorio.
The Main Characters / Roles in Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher (Joan of Arc at the Stake)
- Jeanne d'Arc (speaking part)
- Brother Dominique (speaking part)
- Porcus/Voice (tenor)
- First herald/Clerk (tenor)
- Second herald/Voice/Second peasant (bass)
- Marguerite (soprano)
- Catherine (contralto)
Synopsis of Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher (Joan of Arc at the Stake)
Joan of Arc is at the moment of her death in the flames. She is into a dialogue with St. Dominique, and the spirit of the girl returns to examine her life's events as a flashback. She frees herself from earthy bonds.
Prologue. The chorus introduces Jeanne d'Arc.
Scene 1. While the chorus hums, a dog is heard barking.
Scene 2. Brother Dominique, carrying a book, greets Jeanne and reads.
Scene 3. With the chorus he reviles Jeanne as a heretic and should be burned. The pious Jean wonders why the priests should condemn her.
Scene 4. The usher and the third herald convene the court that is to judge Jeanne. The tiger, the fox and the serpent refuse to be judges, but Porcus volunteers. The assessors are sheep, an ass, the recorder. The sheep laugh at the ass. Porcus pronounces sentence: Jeanne will be burned at the stake. He calls on Jeanne to confess that she did not overcome the English by her own strength, but she does. He asks again if the devil helped her, Jeanne denies it, but the ass writes that she agrees.
Scene 5. Jeanne asks Dominique what dog is howling, and Dominique says it is Yblis howling in the depths of hell.
Scene 6. The heralds introduce the kings of France and England and the Duke of Burgundy – three of the kings in the card game. The fourth is death. He also introduced the queens, and the knaves: the Duke of Bedford, Jean de Luxembourg, Regnault de Chartres, and Guillaume de Flavy, who delivers Jeanne to Bedford and Regnault.
Scene 7. Jeanne hears Saints Catherine and Marguerite praying as they did when she was a little girl.
Scene 8. The chorus celebrates the reunion of Grinder Trusty and his wife, Mother of Barrels. The King goes to Rheims for his consecration.
Scene 9. Jeanne recalls that she was the one who led the reluctant king to his consecration. Jeanne exults in her hope and faith.
Scene 10. Jeanne asks for a prayer.
Scene 11. A priest tries to make Jeanne confess, but she refuses. She glories in the love of God as she is burned at the stake.
Opera / Oratorio Works by Arthur Honegger
- Judith 1925
- Antigone 1927
- Le Roi David (King David, as oratorio, 1921
- Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher (Joan of Arc at the Stake, dramatic oratorio) 1935
Sources:
Opera, edited by Andras Bátta, Könemann (2000)
The Da Capo Opera Manual by Nicholas Ivor Martin, Da Capo Press (1997)
 |
