Horia (Bretan)

Horia is a 1937 Romanian-language opera by Nicolae Bretan to a libretto by Ghiţă Pop.[1][2][3] The story is based on the story of Vasile Ursu Nicola "Horia", the 1784 Transylvania Romanian peasants revolt led by Horia, Cloșca and Crișan. The opera premiered on January 24, 1937 at the Romanian Opera, Cluj.[4] It received its radio premiere on July 27, 1975.[5]

Roles
Principal characters
Role Voice type World premiere cast[4] 1980 Bucharest cast[6] 1985 recorded selections[7]
Horia, Supreme Commander of the uprising Bass-baritone M. Săveanu Gheorghe Crăsnaru Vasile Cătană
Cloșca Baritone M. Arnăutu Emil Iurașcu Mugur Bogdan
Crișan Tenor I. Rânzescu Marcel Angelescu Ion Lazăr
Dochia, Horia's wife Contralto L. Pop Iulia Buciuceanu Georgeta Orlovski-Bogdan
Ileana, their daughter Soprano M. Nestorescu Cornelia Pop
Ionel, her fiancé Tenor I. Andreescu Corneliu Fănăţeanu
Baron Kemény, governor of Transylvania Bass V. Siomin Dan Zacu Titus Pauliuc
Baron Nyíl Tenor/Baritone Ch. Moarcăș Lucian Marinescu
Baroness Hunfy Soprano M. Mihai Matilda Onofrei-Vioculeţ
Nuţu, Baroness Hunfy's serf Tenor Gh. Znamirovschi Constantin Iliescu
Pavel, a serf Baritone Tr. Miclea Nicolae Urziceanu
Costan, a priest Bass-baritone S. Chirvai Adrian Ștefănescu

Instrumentation

The opera is scored[4] for the following instruments:

Synopsis

Horia, a peasant, arrives at the court of Baron Kemény to plead for reforms to ease the plight of the serfs. The men disagree over gradual versus drastic reform, and disagreement ends with the Baron threatening Horia with death. Meanwhile, Horia's wife, Dochia, and daughter, Ileana, are visited at their home by Ileana's fiancé, Ionel. Sensing danger is at hand, the women plead with him to remain at home, but Ionel leaves to join Horia. The women are then visited by Baron Nyíl, who intends to take Ileana for himself. Dochia grabs an axe to defend her daughter and herself, when they are interrupted by Horia, who swears justice will be done before dismissing the baron.

In a tavern two serfs discuss their treatment at the hands of the nobility. Pavel is despondent over the loss of his wife, but Nuţu is resolved to avenge his wife's and son's deaths. Both decide to join Horia's rebellion. The serfs convene and Horia tries to quell their fears, extolling virtue and humanity over vengeance. Horia's vision of a just, peaceful cause wins out, and leaders are elected: Cloșca will lead the Romanian campaign, Crișan will lead the Hungarian campaign, and Horia is named commander. The compact is sealed with a pledge of faith.

After the rebellion is underway, the serfs demand retribution for their grievances. Nuţu plans to execute Baroness Hunfy for killing his relatives, but Horia stops him. Nuţu brands Horia a traitor to the peasantry for his friendship to Baron Kép, who saved Horia's life. Nuţu reveals that Kép was visiting Hunfy and that Nuţu has set her castle alight, killing the baron. News arrives that the aristocracy have fled to Fort Deva and that imperial troops will rescue them unless the peasants can get there first.

As the next scene opens the revolt has been quashed and from Deva the nobles plot the capture of Horia. They search the captive peasants for one who will betray their leader: Ionel refuses and kills himself, but Nuţu agrees.

The leaders are captured; Crișan has committed suicide, Horia and Cloșca are sentenced to death. Horia's pleas for the people fall on deaf ears, as do Ileana's petitions for clemency. Horia and Cloșca are taken to be executed and the curtain falls.[8]

Recordings
  • Horia on Nimbus NI5513/14 (1980, CD issue 1997) (Cornelia Pop, Buciuceanu, Fânăţeanu; Bucharest National Opera Choir, Bucharest Opera Orchestra/conductor: Cornel Trailescu) (live recording)
  • Horia (Selecțiuni) on Electrecord – ST-ECE 02703 (1985) (Ansamblul Operei Române din Cluj-Napoca, conductor: Ion Iancu)

References
  1. William Schoell The Opera of the Twentieth Century 1476605564 2006 p138 "In 1937, he came out with his best-known opera Horia. (“For lovers of old-fashioned opera, Horia is a stirring score, singable and expressive,” opined Opera News.) "
  2. Horia Stanca Fragmentarium Clujean - 1987 Page 157 "Cu încă o tragedie îşi va încheia în 1937 Nicolae Bretan prolifica sa activitate componistică dîndu-ne cu opera Horia, pe un libret extras din piesa lui Ghiţă Pop, o evocare a unui moment istoric de puternic substrat politic şi a unui erou intrat în ..."
  3. The American Music Teacher - Volumes 26-27 - Page lvii 1976 "The National Public Radio network plans at least six nationwide broadcasts of Bretan music in 1976-77. The first nationwide broadcast (in October 1975) by NPR of Bretan's opera Horia, performed by the Romanian Opera of Cluj and recorded ..."
  4. Gagelmann, Hartmut. Nicolae Bretan: His Life—His Music. Translated by Beaumont Glass. Pendragon Press, Hillsdale, NY, 2000. p. 114
  5. "FM News" (PDF). Forecast!. Vol. 12 no. 5. Silver Spring, MD: Forecast FM, Inc. July 1975. p. 32. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  6. Horia on Nimbus NI5513/14 (1980, CD issue 1997)
  7. Horia (Selecțiuni) on Electrecord – ST-ECE 02703 (1985)
  8. Gagelmann, p.100-110
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