Antikrist

An unconventional opera by an obscure Danish composer might not seem an inviting prospect, but this strange, powerful piece by Rued Langgaard (1893-1952), written and revised during the 1920s, proves an unlikely masterpiece. More modern mystery play than conventional narrative (and staged as such by Staffan Valdemar Holm), Antikrist resembles a liturgical exercise, with sequences portraying the initial unleashing and final destruction of the Antichrist bookending five scenes that spotlight his attributes—doubt, vainglory, despair, lust, and strife—before concluding in a heavenly chorus. Langgaard's text, which frequently uses neologisms and near gibberish, is clearly a critique of modernity's arrogance and loss of moral values, and the opulent music, oddly reminiscent of both Richard Strauss and Carl Nielsen, condemns contemporary artistic excess while also partially emulating the same. This 2002 production from the Royal Danish Opera, which came on the heels of its world premiere in Innsbruck three years earlier, was mounted in a perfect space—the Ridehuset in Copenhagen, a riding school specially converted for the purpose—and it's brilliantly sung and played by the Danish National Symphony under Thomas Dausgaard's inspired direction. More oratorio than opera, Antikrist is an extraordinary work that is likely to be embraced by adventurous music-lovers, especially those intoxicated by the idiom of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Franz Schmidt, and Franz Schreker. The fluid camerawork and sound recording (with DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo options) are unfailingly superb, and the fine DVD extras here include a running audio commentary by Holm and Dausgaard, a briskly authoritative documentary on the opera's history, and the only known film of Langgaard—a snippet showing him directing a cathedral choir. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)