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

238 Jens Hesselager
when he performs the role of Precentor during the Passover ceremonies
in Act II, for instance. The major musical “hit” of the opera, Eleazar’s aria
“Rachel, quand du seigneur”, also lends itself to performance in a Jewish
cantor’s vocal style. 28
Although it is Eleazar who performs the role of Precentor, it is Rachel’s
voice that is heard over the ensemble, as the choir repeats Eleazar’s phrases
in responsorial style, characteristic of much of the liturgical music used
in moderate, or “reformed” Jewish communities in the nineteenth century
(Hallman 2002, 177ff). 29 In fact, the review in Berlingske Tidende in 1842
singles out this passage for special praise: “The way in which she [Rachel],
at the table along with the others, repeats the prayer is among the most
beautiful and most touching moments in the art of dramatic singing we have
experienced here in Denmark.” 30
As we have seen elsewhere, special attention is given here to Rachel’s
contribution to ensemble scenes, and in this case – as in her finale performance
in Act II in 1838, according to Hans Christian Andersen – part of the
effect must have had to do with the way in which a sense of community was
communicated. As in the Passover ceremony described in Goldschmidt’s
En jøde (quoted above), this scene is all about the collective expression of
positive religious feelings within the closed circle of a Jewish household.
And significantly, the Jewish voices heard during this scene were not staged
as defying comprehension across cultures or sounding like a burglary to a
stranger, but as voices that expressed such sentiments in a beautiful, touching
way.
In the opera a young gentile, Leopold, who is in love with Rachel, but
takes part in the ceremony disguised as a young Jewish man named Samuel
is also present in this scene. Shortly afterwards, as Rachel and Samuel/Leopold
are alone, he reveals that he is not Jewish at all, but merely
28 Cf., for instance, Richard Tucker’s performance of the role or Neil Shicoff’s. Several
historical recordings of the aria sung by professional Jewish cantors are also available
(e.g. Misha Alexandrovich, Moshe Koussevitzky on the CD Cantors in the <strong>Opera</strong> House,
Israel Music, 2006). Particularly famous, of course, are Enrico Caruso’s renditions of
“Rachel, quand du seigneur”.
29 In Denmark this style must have appeared relatively modern in 1842. According
to Jane Mink Rossen, the “reformed” style of the Viennese cantor Salomon Sulzer
(comparable to the style represented in Act II of Jødinden) was introduced gradually by
Isidor Rosenfeldt and Moritz Moses Mirkin, who became cantors at the Copenhagen
synagogue in 1843 and 1844 respectively (Rossen and Sharvit 2006, 28, 40-41). Cf. also
(Sulzer 1839/1989) and (Rosenfeldt n.d.).
30 ”Den Maade, hvorpaa hun ved Bordet, med de Andre, gjentager Bønnen, er Noget
af det Skjønneste, og meest Gribende, vi have oplevet af dramatisk Sang herhjemme.”
(Berlingske Tidende 9 March, 1842).