Will love or a marriage of convenience triumph? This is the theme of Telemann’s opera Miriways, which will be performed in Magdeburg using the Urtext edition of the Telemann Selected Edition. The music brilliantly portrays the emotions depicted, making the rediscovery of the work a rewarding untertaking.
In the history of 17th and 18th century opera, events from contemporary history are seldom used in plots. But this was the case with the opera Miriways, first performed on 26 May 1728 at the Opernhaus am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg. The newspapers in Hamburg reported the events which gave rise to the libretto, and in addition to this, an anonymous report on the life and deeds of Miriways, protector of Persia, was published in 1723 under the title “Der persianische Cromwell”. The librettist probably gained his knowledge of the ambience and tone from this, but also the stimulus for the characterisation of Miriways as a just and far-sighted ruler who preferred to conduct his business through diplomacy when he could.
This report relates how, following a military victory, Miriways appointed the Persian prince as king of the conquered province. The location of the story is Isfahan, Miriways’ Persian residence. It begins with a conversation in the royal apartment. Miriways confers with Samischa, his secret wife. They have a daughter from their earlier relationship, which had to end because of Miriways’ marriage – something which threw Samischa into depression. However, the mother is unaware that she is in residence. Miriways wants to find this daughter so that he might marry her for tactical reasons to Sophi, to whom he has promised the dominion of Persia. Sophi loves Bemira, about whom we know only that he grew up in a good family together with Nisibis. She and Bemira are devoted to each other in sisterly love. Nisibis is a widow and loves Murzah, who scarcely dares to confess his love to her. Zemir takes advantage of this in order to show Nisibis in a favourable light in comparison, and to drive Murzah out.
The very first dialogue between Miriways and Samischa sets out the theme of the opera, from which the conflicts develop: the collision between individual desire and duty, in which the concept of rational love comes into play. Although Miriways once had to leave the beloved lady, he desires a marriage for reasons of state. Sophi defends himself to the point of stubbornness and wants to remain faithful to Bemira. However, Bemira beseeches Sophi to follow Miriways and is prepared – even though it will cause great pain – to relinquish her beloved.
Through Zemir’s intrigues, Nisibis ends up in a fix; he allows her to believe that he saved her from the flames of her summerhouse. Convention requires that she joins forces with the supposed rescuer. But because of her love for Murzah she is reluctant to do this. The characters, with their own (moral) conceptions are portrayed clearly and at the same time sensitively, and the strands of the plot are linked with this in a dramatically meaningful way.
With his music, Telemann deepens this character portrayal and unfolds a tonally sophisticated spectrum of the various emotions and temperamental upheavals, ranging from intimate reflection to great entrances. Some scenes are emphasized further by the use of horns, which occasionally also lend tone colour. All in all, in this opera Telemann pursued an elegant and finely-facetted style, rhetorically inspired and finely elaborated, through which the intimate chamber drama-like aspects are particularly vivid.
Ute Poetzsch
from [t]akte 2/2011