Although a concert performance of Venjamin Fleischmann’s one-act opera, Rothschild’s Violin, had been produced by IOpera in a chamber ensemble version for the Port Fairy Music Festival in 2008, thanks to the combined efforts of The Orchestra Project and IOpera, the Australian premiere of the full orchestral version was presented at Melba Hall on Sunday afternoon.
As a notable educator, co-founder of IOpera and passionate advocate for music that has been unjustly neglected, Peter Tregear has been responsible for bringing a number of arresting works to Melbourne’s stages. His 30-minute pre-concert talk was an illuminating insight into the genesis of Rothschild’s Violin and the degree to which Shostakovich contributed to what we were about to hear – still a mystery due to the loss of the incomplete original score. In the end it hardly matters, but Shostakovich’s stamp was very clearly audible in what we heard.
Fleischmann studied at the Leningrad Conservatorium between 1939 and 1941 and was one of Shostakovich’s most promising composition students. Following Shostakovich’s suggestion, he based his opera on a short story of the same name by Anton Chekhov. Tragically, Fleischmann died in 1941 during the siege of Leningrad. He had joined the civil brigades as a volunteer and was among the first to be killed in action – “cannon fodder” best describing his participation. Shostakovich rescued Fleischmann’s manuscript and finished it in 1944 as an act of homage to its author and to the vanishing world depicted in the opera.
A genius of layered meanings simply told, Chekhov’s humanity shines in his story and the opera. The setting is a small Russian village, where the irascible Yakov Matveyevich Ivanov (known as “Bronza”) is the coffin maker and occasional amateur fiddler in the town’s band of Jewish musicians, led by Moses Ilyich. While playing at a wedding a quarrel breaks out between them and Bronza accuses the young Rothschild of spoiling the music with his mournful flute playing. The others turn against Bronza and eventually, in disgust he packs his violin and goes home. A character full of negativity and self-pity he is obsessed with counting his losses. On his deathbed, he comes to acknowledge the harm that he has inflicted on his wife Marfa, who has just died from typhoid fever after enduring years of servitude and neglect, and remembers his dead child and happier times and possibilities. Repenting too his treatment of Rothschild and his own anti-Semitism, he bequeaths his violin to Rothschild.
The story had been set up effectively before the orchestra began to play as the beginning of Chekhov’s story was narrated by Tregear with short passages of relevant dialogue being read by the singers: Christopher Hillier (Bronza), Asher Reichman (Rothschild), Robert Macfarlane (Moses Ilyich Chakhes and gravedigger), Shakira Dugan (Marfa) and Thomas Drent and Christopher Watson (band musicians).
Upon entering Melba many attendees were struck by the amount of equipment crammed onto the stage for the 50 instrumentalists – an indication that a solid orchestral sound was in store, at least for part of the time. It seemed that an exceptional voice would be needed to cut through the full orchestra; and Hillier was just the baritone to do so. His focused, well-projected voice and excellent diction made most of the libretto clearly audible – a huge asset since this role was by far the longest, especially the final scene as Bronza is dying. Much of the text was audible from all singers when the orchestra played more softly and with fewer instruments, but surtitles, in addition to the scene descriptions projected onto the large screen at the back of the stage, would have been very helpful.
Robert Macfarlane injected some real energy and colour into his much smaller roles, his vibrant tenor voice characterful in timbre, and always pleasing to the ear. Asher Reichman was sometimes overwhelmed by the orchestra, but used his generally strong tenor voice effectively; it would be interesting to see what this talented singer and actor could do in a full production. Mezzo-soprano Shakira Dugan was occasionally a little under-voiced, but delivered Marfa’s nostalgic reminiscence of happier times with sensitivity. As the band of musicians, Drent and Watson made as big an impact as was possible in such a brief appearance.
Shostakovich’s score is brilliantly evocative in its colour and variety. Along with the emotional power of the full orchestra in climactic moments, there was the oom pah pah of the village band featuring some mighty tuba playing, the melancholy lower woodwinds and solo flute reflecting Rothschild’s persona, and a soulful violin, skilfully played by concertmaster Ben Spiers. Extended passages for orchestra culminated on a triumphant note but one with an undertone of discord and melancholy, reflecting both Rothschild’s temperament and the times.
Hopefully, Peter Tregear’s initiative and this outstanding performance will inspire the funding of a fully staged production for Melbourne in the near future.
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Heather Leviston reviewed the performance of “Rothschild’s Violin”, presented by The Orchestra Project and IOpera at Melba Hall, University of Melbourne, on September 29, 2024.
