Golem (Bretan opera) explained

Golem is a one-act opera by Nicolae Bretan^[1] to his own libretto, based on the legend of the Golem as expressed in a drama by .^[2] It was written over a brief period in 1923,^[3] and was first performed on 23 December 1924 at the Hungarian Opera, Cluj.^[4]

Roles

Roles	Voice type	Premiere Cast, 1924 (Conductor: Nicolae Bretan)
Rabbi Lőw	tenor	Ö. Réthely
Anna, (his granddaughter)	soprano	E. Bethlen
Golem	baritone	M. Takács
Baruch, the Rabbi's disciple	bass	F. Harksay
Chorus of the Autumn Winds

Instrumentation

The opera is scored for the following instruments:

• 3 flutes (piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons
• 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
• timpani, percussion
• strings

In 2018 the opera was arranged for chamber orchestra by Tobias Schwencke for a production at Neuköllner Oper, Berlin.^[5]

Synopsis

Prague in the 16th century.^[6] Rabbi Lőw (based on the historical figure), has created the Golem, a living creature, from clay. The Golem falls in love with the Rabbi's granddaughter, thereby infecting her with a fatal illness. The Rabbi destroys the Golem to save his granddaughter.^[7]

Recording

• Moldova Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Cristian Mandeal. Nimbus Records NI5424 (1987).

Notes and References

1. Web site: Magyar Színházművészeti Lexikon: Bretán Miklós; Bretan, Nicolae . 1984 . Magyar Elektronikus Könyvtár . Akadémiai Kiadó és az Országos Színháztörténeti Múzeum . August 11, 2020.
2. Gagelmann, Hartmut. Nicolae Bretan: His Life–His Music. Translated by Beaumont Glass. Hillsdale: Pendragon Press. 2000. p. 87: "Then when [Bretan] saw Kaczér's play, Golem ember akar lenni ("Golem wants to become human"), at the Hungarian Theater in Cluj in October 1922, he immediately made contact with the author and obtained permission to write an operatic version."
3. Web site: The One-Act Operas of Nicolae Bretan . Wood . Charles E. . 2008 . Texas Tech University . July 16, 2020 . "Bretan wrote Golem in nine frenzied days in the summer of 1923. … He started the work on June 29, 1923 and finished it on July 8, 1923.".
4. Gagelmann, p. 94: "World premiere: December 23, 1924 at the Hungarian Opera, Cluj. / Characters of the drama: / Cast of the world premiere: / Voice type:"
5. News: Wenk . Erik . 2018-06-07 . Der Golem oder Das Märchen vom Menschen 2.0 . German . Der Tagesspiegel . Berlin. 2020-11-18.
6. Web site: The One-Act Operas of Nicolae Bretan . Wood . Charles E. . 2008 . Texas Tech University . July 16, 2020 . "The opera, like the play, is set in Prague in the 16th century.".
7. Gagelmann, p. 88: "[Golem] alone knows what is wrong with Anna and why she is doomed to die. For he, Golem, loves Anna and has touched her and kissed her. … The rabbi wants to save the life of his granddaughter and to do that he must destroy his man of clay. He had awakened him to life by means of a mysterious parchment inscribed with the ineffable name of God that Golem carries under his tongue. … the rabbi tears it from his creature's mouth: Golem must die so that Anna may live."