FULL Teharski plemiči (Ipavec) Celje 2008 Andreja Zakonjšek, Barbara Sorč, Matjaž Stopinšek, Boštjan Korošec
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: Teharski plemiči (The noblemen of Teharje)
- Composer: Ipavec Benjamin
- Libretto: Anton Funtek Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: Slovenian Folk Theater, Celje, Slovenia
- Recorded: 2008
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Andreja Zakonjšek, Barbara Sorč, Matjaž Stopinšek, Boštjan Korošec, Janko Volčanšek, Borut Alujevic, Martina Zapusek, Miha Hlis, Marko Grad
- Conductor: Simon Dvoršak
- Orchestra:
- Chorus Master: Gregor Deleja
- Choreographer: Goga Stefanovič Erjavec
- Stage Director: Miha Alujevic
- Stage Designer: Matija Kovač
- Costume Designer: Darja Vrebac
Information about the Recording
- Published by: RTV Slovenja
- Date Published: 2008
- Format: Broadcast
- Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
- Subtitles: nosubs
- Video Recording from: RTVSLO FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
The noblemen of Tehar is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Ipavac . The christening performance took place on December 10, 1892 in Ljubljana , five months after the opening of the new theater. The baptism performance was followed by five more repetitions. The libretto was written by Anton Funtek , based on Žavčanin’s story about Mlinarjev Janez , which was extremely popular at the time.. The librettist greatly shortened the story, right up until Janez’s departure to the wider world. Thus, all the work takes place on our soil, he dramatized the fable, renamed the main character Ivan, created several mass scenes that give the work theatrical features and made the basis for the national opera. The reworked story in verse was published under the title Teharski plemiči (with the subtitle a song play in three acts) in the fifty-fifth volume of Slovenske Talia in 1890 . The publisher and publisher was the Dramatic Society from Ljubljana.
First act
In front of the Tehar Mayor Pengar’s house; future newlyweds Marjetica and Ivan step into the foreground. The opening men’s chorus “Solesen spev skoz vas doni”, which honors Slovenian girls, leads us to Pengar’s aria “To you, God, in the heights of the world”, in which he gives his blessing to the lovers and calls them for a good future. The event is continued alternately by a mixed choir and a female choir until the appearance of a pilgrim who disrupts the celebration and asks for a place to stay. The mayor welcomes him kindly and treats him. When he sits on a chair, his robe accidentally unzips, under which he hides a long knife, and despite the fact that he quickly hides it, Valentin does not let it out of his sight. Meanwhile, Marjetica begins to have bad premonitions caused by the newcomer with his cold gaze. Ivan calms her down and together they sing a love duet “A beautiful memory is alive in my heart”.
Valentino’s revelation of the pilgrim’s true purpose follows, and he admits to them that his master is the Count of Celje himself. There is a commotion at the scene when, under the threat of a knife, he reveals Celjan’s hellish plan to them with the words:
The girls are frightened, and Ivan swears that he will defend the girls and their honor, supported by the male chorus, which plays a relatively strong role in the libretto. The main tenor aria of the first act follows:
Pengar curses the count, and the first act ends with the men’s chorus “Za dom, za čast”, in which the people of Tehar announce their revenge on Urhu.
Second Act
It is introduced by the scene and Ivan’s romance “The Earth is Covered by Night”, in which he is haunted by bad forebodings as he stands guard under the Daisy Window. This is followed by a duet between Ivan and his friend Valentin, and the sad conversation between Marjetica and her companion Jerica “Holy Deva, look down” echoes in the background. When the clock strikes exactly midnight, exactly as planned, the Count’s song is heard in the distance. Ivan and his men are waiting in an ambush, and when Urh sings to Marjetica, “Tebi le se glasi”, they grab him. Podoknica, however, became an instant hit due to its simple and fresh melody, and later underwent quite a few adaptations.
As the count resists and threatens revenge, Ivan and his companions plan to lock him in the cellar. This would tarnish the reputation of the noble man from Celje, so he proposes to them that he will reward all the brave Tehar residents with gold in exchange for his release. Ivan rejects him. Therefore, the count decides to recognize their superiority and promises them that on St. Anne’s day he will elevate everyone to noble status. The proposal is sincere, a victory has been achieved, so Urha is released and the act ends with a mixed chorus extolling the honesty of the Slovenian race.
Act Three
Under the mighty village lime tree , the opening chorus “Hear the Bells” presents us with the morning landscape before the festive day. From the conversation between Valentin and Ivan, we learn that the latter will be elected leader of the boys’ swarm. Before the count’s arrival, Ivan calms the still frightened Marjetica and in the quartet “Zabi, kar prebila” together with Pengar and Jerica ensures her complete safety. The scene of the choir “Kolo pleše četa naša” heralds the start of the ceremony. The horn announces the arrival of the count, and the messenger announces the news that Ivan has been chosen as the leader of the swarm by Urho’s order. Ivan is clothed in knightly armor, and Celjan and the other heroes Teharius raise him to noble status. Next comes Ivan’s tip to the homeland. The final scene of the opera is dedicated to a better and brighter future for all of our generation: