從門外漢到歌劇通

主持：Joanna C.Lee 編譯：辛時雨

圣誕氛圍

The Christmas Spirit

現場歌劇團制作的《 阿馬爾與夜訪者》劇照

小瓊：又到了年末，整個世界都在迎接新年，不少節日氛圍濃厚的演出上演了。

小薇：我知道亨德爾的清唱劇《彌賽亞》無論在業余還是專業合唱團當中都很受歡迎，那歌劇領域怎么樣呢？有沒有專門關于圣誕的作品？

小瓊：第一部以圣誕為主題的歌劇在1622年12月25日首演。這部《耶穌救世主的降臨》由喬瓦尼·巴蒂斯塔·達格里亞諾與雅各布·佩里（均為克勞迪奧·蒙特威爾第同時代人）作曲，但音樂后來失傳了。

小薇：太可惜了！我聽說過另一部圣誕前后首演的歌劇：恩格爾伯格·洪佩爾丁克的《漢澤爾與格蕾泰爾》，于1893年首演。這部“童話歌劇”紅極一時，至今還迷住一代又一代的孩子。

小瓊：若把時間再往后推移，20世紀最杰出的圣誕題材歌劇當屬《阿馬爾與夜訪者》（1951）。作曲家吉安·卡洛·梅諾蒂受委托寫下了這第一部電視歌劇，電視是當時美國新興的流行媒介。所謂“夜訪者”實際上指的是尋找圣嬰的三位國王。作曲家甚至指定要求阿馬爾——這個年輕的、來自貧窮家庭的跛腳男孩角色，必須由男童高音來飾演。

Joan:It’s the end of the year again, and the entire world begins celebrating the holiday season with many a festive performance.

Valery:I know that Handel’sMessiahis a huge favorite among amateur and professional choruses.But what about operas? Are there any that specifically address Christmas?

Joan:The first opera on a Christmas theme was premiered on December 25, 1622.Composed by Giovanni Battista da Gagliano and Jacopo Peri(contemporaries of Claudio Monteverdi), the music toIl gran natale di Christo salvator nostro(The Great Nativity of Christ, Our Savior) has since been lost.

Valery:What a pity! I know of another opera that premiered right around Christmas: Engelberg Humperdinck’sH?nsel und Gretel, in 1893.This“fairy-tale opera” became an instant hit, enchanting generations of children.

Joan:If we move closer to the present, the most prominent Christmas opera of the last century isAmahl and the Night Visitors(1951).Composer Gian Carlo Menotti was commissioned to write the first opera for television, which was then a new and popular medium in America.The “night visitors” are actually the Three Kings in search of baby Jesus.The composer even stipulated that Amahl—a young,crippled boy from a poor family—must be played by a boy soprano.

圣何塞歌劇院制作的《漢澤爾與格蕾泰爾》劇照

小薇：我發現從2000年起，不少歌劇院團都在委托制作圣誕主題的新作品。

小瓊：能有機會上演新劇目的世界首演向來都是讓人興奮的。此外，大家都希望創作出圣誕題材的、老少皆宜的新經典，因為只要其獲得了成功，該作品每年都可以在佳節搬演，吸引成千上萬的觀眾。

小薇：狄更斯以慈善為主題的中篇小說《圣誕頌歌》是多部歌劇的靈感來源。紐約的迪卡珀歌劇團在2000年演出了《上帝保佑我們，每一個人！》（當中引用了狄更斯原著中的最后一句話）。而最近一部改編自該小說的歌劇于2014年在休斯敦大歌劇院首演，由伊恩·貝爾作曲，英國男演員西蒙·卡洛作詞。

小瓊：這些作品之中同樣有原創故事。馬克·阿達莫作詞曲的《圣誕老人成長記》2015年在達拉斯歌劇院首演。還有，你知道嗎？所有首演都安排在12月中旬前后，那是家人團聚的好日子，也是一起看歌劇的好機會！

Valery:I realize that since 2000, quite a few opera companies have commissioned new works for Christmas.

Joan:Well, it’s always a thrill to be able to put on a world premiere.Moreover, everyone wants to create a Christmas classic that appeals to young and old,because if it ever becomes successful, the work can reach millions of people, year after year.

Valery:Charles Dickens’s novella A Christmas Carol,which is about charity and kindness, has inspired multiple operas.New York City’s Di Capo Opera put onGod Bless Us, Every One!(quoting the last line of Dickens’s story) in 2000, and the most recent opera based onA Christmas Carolpremiered at the Houston Grand Opera in 2014, composed by Iain Bell with libretto by British actor Simon Callow.

Joan:There are original stories too.Becoming Santa Claus, with libretto and music by Mark Adamo,premiered at the Dallas Opera in 2015.And guess what? All of these premiere dates occurred around mid-December, which is a great time for families to gather … and watch operas together!