Rued Langgaard - Antikrist (6/7)

Antikrist - Church Opera in Six Scenes (1921-23, rev. 1926-30)

This is a highly imaginative philosophical-religious opera by Danish organist and composer Rued Langgaard (1893-1952). "Antikrist" is an apocalyptic vision with surrealist or absurdist influences, intended as a critique and condemnation of Western civilization and its supposed egoism and soullessness.

In this performance conducted by Niels Muus at the Tiroler Landestheaters in Innsbruck, the opera is performed in German. The original Danish libretto can be found here:
http://langgaard.dk/musik/vaerker/antilibretto.htm

I provide an English translation of the libretto below:

HATE
"He that standeth against thee", he is thy lord, for he is strong. Righteously he commandeth. Every man's life arose in him, praised him; praised "the Church Void of Noise". Thither he went to see thee, to stand before thee as master and god. Thou wouldst not see. Slaves thou soughtest here and there, stood in his path, always more of him thou cravedest. If he said "enough", thou saidst "not enough". His work was to command: thou wouldst not hear, and therefore the glory of they selfhood shall now be riven to dust.

(Breaks the staff. Demons rip holes in her garment.)

HATE
"Stand thou silent -- and get thee into darkness, O queen!"

(Hate and demons suddenly disappear)

THE LIE (hypocritically)
Ave Maria gratia plena ora pro nobis: pray for her whose destiny was to sin.

(To the Whore)

Pray to the Virgin, pray for thy salvation, pray for me, for all ... for the poor souls of Purgatory.

(Kneels)

Sancta dei genetrix, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.

(Far off, a sound of frantically ringing church bells)

THE GREAT WHORE
No, I will not pray: the bells of madness are ringing.

THE LIE
Thou! They ring for thee, peal for me. Ring for violence, peal for blood.

THE GREAT WHORE
The bells of Lucifer are ringing!

THE LIE
Babylon! Whore! They ring over thy grave.

THE GREAT WHORE
The bells swell. Enjoy! Enjoy joy-wrath! Lust-torment!

THE LIE (enraptured)
Spasms of the world; bloody lies; Ragnarok bells; the sound of ruin.

THE GREAT WHORE
Lucifer's organ swells: I will! I will! Descend! Descend! Life! Life! Life! Death! Death! Death! Descend! Life is mine.

VOICES
The stars are falling! ...

(silence)

THE LIE
Hearest thou! The star-falling time! Thy kingdom falls, O Queen! No more must I bear thee, and sorrow shalt thou see.

THE GREAT WHORE
Rain of stars! Ha! Bridal torches rush across the firmament!

THE LIE
The storm whirls up the stars: twinkling, sweeping, encompassing, dancing, making rings, burning, dazzling, flashing! Suddenly quenched in the night of the pit.

THE GREAT WHORE
As mother of the world, in trembling flame I light up the planets and sparkling lights.

Видео Rued Langgaard - Antikrist (6/7) канала musicanth