RUDOLF SCHOCK: 'THE OLYMPIANS' by ARTHUR BLISS & J.B. PRIESTLEY, LONDON 1949 (English)

                                                                         FROM THE OLYMPIANS 1949

                                                                       Adele Leigh & Rudolf Schock in

                                                                              duet Hector/Madeleine:

                                                                                                                                        

Sir Arthur Bliss (1891-1975)

was a versatile English composer.
He wrote music for orchestra, solo voice and special music for harmony orchestras and brass bands.
He had a specific preference for the theater.
He composed ballets and stages/film music.
During the Second World War he headed the BBC's music department.
In 1949 the world premiere of his opera 'The Olympians' took place.
In 1960 a second short opera was released: 'Tobias and the Angel'. Because I still remember the name of this television opera, I suspect that it was broadcast on Dutch television.
Arthur Bliss was ennobled in 1950 and in 1953 he received the honorary title 'Master of the Queen's Music'.

Laborious premiere of the 'Olympians'

In an interview at the beginning of the 1970s, Arthur Bliss revealed historical facts about the first performance of his opera.

Renowned novelist John Boydon Priestley (1894-1984) wrote the opera libretto:
It is out of boredom, Olympic gods who, according to legend, descend to Earth once a year to present themselves as a wandering theater group to ordinary mortals (see the poster above!).

Priestley & Bliss are closely involved in the rehearsals, which is not good for their blood pressure:
They are annoyed by the lack of preparation in their eyes. Conductor Karl Rankl (1898-1968) does all sorts of things at the last second, and the time he plans for rehearsals is too short.
In addition, Rankl and the later star director Peter Brook (1925) don't even talk to each other. They communicate through pieces of paper
The premiere on September 29, 1949 is received with mixed feelings: some critics praise the performance, others are extremely negative.
Priestley is of the opinion that the first act looks great, the second produces partly incoherent stuff, and the third and last act is a failure without further ado.

London, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden 1949:
James Johnston & Rudolf Schock in 'The Olympians' as the poet Hector de Florac.

Adele Leigh & Rudolf Schock in 'The Olympians'

Rudolf Schock emphasizes in his biography that he sang the Hector role not in the first, but - two days later - in the second performance of the 'Olympians'.
In the first performance, James Johnston sings and plays Hector, the male half of the earthly couple, .
James Johnston (1903-1991) is one of the 'leading tenors' from British operatic history.

DISCOVERY!

Ebbe Foege Bak, my Danish fellow campaigner in the documentary "Rudolf Schock, I sing that too!" made a significant discovery on the Internet.
He opened a link to a sound recording including Rudolf Schock from the opera 'The Olympians'. They come from a broadcast on December 28, 1949 by BBC Overseas Service with fragments from the opera.

Krijn de Lege, August 5th, 2020