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 Detail from the vocal score published by SchottThe
first notes of the opera trace a route through Czech musical history back to
the famed composer Antonin Dvorak. In his Requiem,
Dvorak uses a motif for death that sounds as follows…
Play excerpt
from Dvorak’s Requiem
Dvorak’s
son-in-law, Josef Suk was also a prominent Czech composer. In 1904 and 1905,
Suk suffered the loss of both his beloved wife and his mentor, Dvorak himself. His
Asrael symphony, named for the Angel
of Death, was written in memoriam of both these major figures in his life. Suk
pays further tribute to his father-in-law by echoing his theme of Death…
Play excerpt
from Suk’s Asrael
Through these two major compositions, this melodic
theme became a Czech national symbol of Death. Asrael is even performed at most major state funerals. Ullmann
surely had this in mind when he developed it into a leitmotif for both the
Emperor and the Loudspeaker character, who proclaims all the Emperor’s
announcements. Listen to this trumpet fanfare, heard throughout the work, and
see if you can hear an echo of Dvorak and Suk…
Play excerpt
from the Prologue of Der
Kaiser von Atlantis
Another
musical quotation appears when the protagonist, Harlequin, is lamenting his
unhappy life under the Emperor’s reign. Even he, a jester, can no longer laugh.
Ullmann draws on a movement from Gustav Mahler’s Song of the Earth symphony: “Wine in Spring.” The text is of a
young man enjoying life, laughing and drinking the day away:..
Play excerpt
from Mahler’s symphony
It is
with sad irony that Harlequin’s woebegone aria imitates Mahler’s joyful
declaration. Fittingly Harlequin even bemoans a lack of wine…take a listen…
Play excerpt
from Harlequin’s aria
One of
Ullmann’s most dangerous musical statements was his use of the German National
Anthem, Deutschland Uber Alles.
Already the name of Emperor Uberall
was a sly signal to the Nazis—the use of their anthem was beyond subversive.
Here is how it sounds…
Play excerpt
from Deutschland Uber
Alles
Now
imagine the riskiness of using this same music, in a minor key, during a scene
where the evil Emperor’s mandate of War is announced throughout the land.
Listen for the anthem as a Drummer rattles off the Emperor’s many titles, it won’t
be hard to find…
Play excerpt
from the Drummer’s aria
The
conclusion of the opera also hearkens back to a historical piece, Bach’s
Cantata number 80, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” Based on the Lutheran
Reformation hymn, the cantata’s final Chorale reaffirms faith in God, his Word,
and his kingdom…
Play excerpt
from Bach’s cantata
Now
listen to the Finale of the Emperor of Atlantis, where Death takes the place of
the Cantata’s God, welcomed with open arms against life’s sufferings. Even
the 1st of the 10 Commandments is altered with the closing line—“The
great and sovereign name of Death must not be lightly taken!”
Play excerpt
from the Finale of Der
Kaiser von Atlantis
Other
elements of Ullmann's music reflect a wide variety of influences,
from jazz and dance music to the political cabarets of Kurt
Weill. Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Gustav Mahler were
also inspirational mentors. His unique style blends modern
and traditional tonalities, and his unique instrumentation
makes for a compelling array of varying timbres. Other quotations
in the work include fragments of an earlier composition, The
Fall of the Anti-Christ. With a similar theme of victory
over tyranny, this work championed Art as the ultimate weapon
with which to overcome the weaknesses of humanity. Ullmann
also features the traditional German lullaby Schlaf, Kindlein,
Schlaf, more of Dvorak's Requiem, and an additional
work by Ullmann himself, the now-lost Symphonische Phantasie
of 1925.
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