Tempo and rhythm
Carl Nielsen's opera Masquerade is an adaptation of Holberg's comedy dating back to 1724. With singers, orchestra, choir and ballet. A show of everything the Royal Danish Theatre could muster. From the word go - in the overture - things move fast with a swiftly paced, teeming torrent of notes signalling life and activity. Then Henrik kicks the show off, putting the fun into action. Henrik is a servant with the young burgher Leander, son of starchy old Jeronimus, Henrik's diametrical opposite. There is no doubt that Carl Nielsen identifies himself with Henrik, giving him the lead role in the opera. In the first act, Henrik and Jeronimus each sing their own ditty to the masquerade - Henrik insisting that the charade brings all its participants happiness - Jeronimus taking a more negative stance in his song "There was peace and quiet on the streets in days of old" ("Fordum var der fred paa gaden"). He sings out all his hostile feelings to an aggressive string accompaniment, far from the calm and friendliness of the song. Once again the ambivalence. There's courting, there's dancing, non-stop - and in the end the right couples end up together, accompanied by glorious music of great gusto.
Sacrilege
Holberg was such an important part of the middle class cultural scene in Copenhagen that many people considered the very idea of setting one of the great playwright's plays to music as sacriligious. Nonetheless it became apparent on the evening of the première on November 11 1906 that Holberg had not in any way suffered from being set to opera - on the contrary, his comedy had gained a life-enhancing, utterly up-to-date counterpart from the exercise! The critics had to surrender. The opera's success was assured. And the piece has been performed several hundred times in the century that has passed since its première.
Finn Gravesen is an author and editor, his latest work being "Who owns the music?" ("Hvem ejer musikken?") (2006) commissioned by the Ministry of Culture.
Masquerade, 2005, Photo: Bill Cooper.