If even the best-informed opera lover is not aware of Rudi Stephan's Die Ersten Menschen, there's a good reason for it, and it has nothing to do with the music. The libretto, based on the "erotic mystery" by Otto Borngräber, merges religiosity with sexuality to an extent that would have made Gabriele D'Annunzio blanch. The plot concerns the twisted dynamics of the Original Family: Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel. Eve is depicted as a nymphomaniac who spends the entire opera in a frenzy of unfulfilled lust, and Adam as her passive ...
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If even the best-informed opera lover is not aware of Rudi Stephan's Die Ersten Menschen, there's a good reason for it, and it has nothing to do with the music. The libretto, based on the "erotic mystery" by Otto Borngräber, merges religiosity with sexuality to an extent that would have made Gabriele D'Annunzio blanch. The plot concerns the twisted dynamics of the Original Family: Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel. Eve is depicted as a nymphomaniac who spends the entire opera in a frenzy of unfulfilled lust, and Adam as her passive, frigid partner. While Cain's arousal in her presence is overt, Abel's is somewhat more sublimated, and although none of this swirling sexual energy gets consummated, it comes way too close for comfort. In any case, the music of the opera has much to commend it, so the best strategy for appreciating it might be to resist the urge to read the libretto and just listen to the music with as little attention to the words as possible. Stephan's post-Wagnerian musical language is...
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Rudi Stephan. New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Die Ersten Menchen to cart. $45.42, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Naive.
