Strauss's penultimate opera has a slightly complicated performance history: he didn't want it to be performed until after the war was over, but then it was going to be done in 1944 until, after the failed attempt to assassinate Hitler, theaters were closed. It was allowed to be performed, once, in a dress rehearsal, so Strauss could see it (what swell guys those nazis were!), but the public debut didn't take place until after Strauss's death, in 1952. That's neither here nor there, but I thought I should mention it.
The plot is really something. Regarding Phaëton, I noted that some of it seemed to be completely fabricated, non-mythological stuff, but there was nothing there of a sort that you <i>wouldn't</i> find in mythology. Nothing that contradicted anything. But this is completely different: it takes mythological figures and puts them in situations totally unlike anything the Greeks and Romance did.
So: Danae was the princess whose father receive a prophesy that his grandson would kill him, so he locked her in a tower to prevent her from ever having kids (was she really supposed to stay there until she was past child-bearing age? That is fucked). But Jupiter visited her in a shower of gold, and the result was Perseus.
Well, forget all that. It's not relevant here, except the "shower of gold" thing as a kind of metaphor. Danae is the son of King Pollux (not mythological); he wants to marry her off to a rich dude to resolve his financial woes. She thinks about this in terms of the aforementioned shower of gold, which I absolutely cannot refer to as a "golden shower" for obvious reasons. Word comes that Midas, who can turn things to gold (but is here not a king and has nothing else in common with the source), is up for marrying her. The idea is that he was a humble donkey-cart driver, until Jupiter showed up and gave him this power, with the proviso that he could take Midas' place whenever he wanted, seemingly just to pick up girls. Not sure he really need the help, but whatevz. So anyway, Midas' servant shows up to bring Danae back (back where? Not sure) for the marriage, only it's actually Midas himself, with Jupiter disguised as Midas so HE can marry her (which seems a very needlessly baroque scheme). There are also three former conquests of Jupiter--Leda, Alcmene, Europa, and Semele--just kind of hanging around and teasing him. Anyway, the problem with Big J's scheme is that Danae and Midas fall in love. She turns to gold when they kiss, but then turns back, I guess because of her love. Jupiter, in anger, takes away the golden touch, but this does not deter them, because they're so in love. Realizing that his feelings for Danae run deeper than wanting to make another quick conquest, makes a last-ditch appeal to her, but when he sees that it's hopeless, is forced to renounce her. He's definitely a better loser than you'd likely expect from the mythological Jupiter.
So that's that. It's nuts, but in a really good way. I will level with you: this opera is incredible. Was Strauss the greatest composer of the twentieth century? All signs point to yes. Impossibly gorgeous music, and--everybody points to this, but there's a reason for that--Jupiter's renunciation of Danae at the end HOLY GOD. I did not know that music could be this good. My gast is flabbered. It's not performed often...or so people say, but there ARE two separate productions on DVD, plus the Fisher Center performance that I saw. But if it's not, it SHOULD be. This is a good production, but there is one very big problem, which is that the subtitles are badly mistimed. FUCK, people. Do you not realize what a big problem that is?!? Well, that's neither here nor there. I think I'll watch one of the other versions one of these days. This well merits multiple viewings.
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