Opera on the Move in the Nordic Countries during the Long 19th ...

204 Joakim Tillman
The positive reviews
A common feature in the four positive reviews is the general agreement
that Die Meistersinger was a work that made new and different demands on
the audience:
“And in addition all this glorious music! However, it is music that cannot
be described, it must be heard, and indeed, it must be heard several
times if you are to become fully familiar with it.” (Karl Valentin GHT B
16/4 1887)
“You have to study Die Meistersinger; its beauties do not reveal themselves,
and not until you make the effort to conquer them, to understand
their peculiar nature and creative temperament, you will capture them.”
(SvD)
“Almost certainly, without certain prerequisites you will neither understand
nor enjoy this work, which differs to such a large extent from the
operas our audiences are used to hearing. Therefore you must not believe
that a single experience is enough if you want to form an opinion
about the grandeur and importance of this work.” (Andreas Hallén VL
1/4 1887)
“… someone who only hears it once, or has to have the text at hand in
order to follow the action, will hardly get a clear impression of the work.”
(Fredrik Vult von Steijern DN 7/4 1887)
Vult von Steijern was the critic who most clearly pointed out the characteristics
that made these new demands on the listeners:
“Many will find the extremely polyphonic treatment, which lets every
part in the orchestra speak its own language and gives every singing part
its independent rank, no less than the completely new and wonderfully
multifarious rhythm that makes it possible to build up a colossal work
from a few simple motifs, difficult to understand at first unmediated acquaintance,
mostly because of unfamiliarity with the part the orchestra
is given: it no longer merely provides accompaniment, but has been assigned
a leading role, it has become the bearer of mood and characterisation.”
According to Vult von Steijern it was important to understand that everything
in Wagner’s “Gesammtkunstwerk” 12 had to interact in order to convey
12 The word is usually written Gesamtkunstwerk In the Wagner literature, but von
Steijern’s spelling, Gesammtkunstwerk is the one Wagner used.