Choruses for Athalie by
Jean-Baptiste Racine (1639-1699)
On
February 25, 1804 the following announcement appeared in the Diario
de Madrid:
In the theatre of the Caños del Peral, at 7:30 in the evening will be presented, for the first time, Racine’s tragedy in five acts, entitled Athalie, translated by the most excellent Señor Don Eugenio Llaguno y Amirola. The choruses, composed of thirty persons of both sexes, come between and divide the acts; every effort has been made that the costumes as well as the decoration of the hall have the greatest propriety and decency possible. The latter has been executed by Don Melchor Sánchez, painter of the theatre, and the choruses by Señor Manuel García.
García
had been first tenor and director of opera for Madrid’s theatres
since 1802 while the famous actor Isidoro
Maiquez (1768-1820) was the director of spoken drama: they
were friends and often worked together. Thus, García prepared
the choruses for Racine’s Athalie as well as Esther,
both directed by Maiquez and performed during the Lenten season
of 1804.
The
Spanish translation used in the 1804 performances is available
on the internet (Atalía)
and so it is possible to reconstruct the scenes in which the
choruses were interpolated.
The
story of Athalie:
Here
is a plot summary (from Wikipedia):
Athalie, widow of the king of Judah, rules
the country and believes she has eliminated all the rest of the
royal family. She has abandoned the Jewish religion for the
worship of Baal. However, the late king's grand-son Joash was
rescued by the wife of the high priest.
* Act 1 - Joad, the Jewish high priest, ensures Abner, a
military officer, that he would support a possible descendant of
the king of Judah if he appeared. Then he agrees with his wife
Jehoshebath to reveal the existence of Joash and dethrone
Athalie, thus bringing the country back to the true religion.
* Act 2 - Athalie goes into the Jewish temple and finds a
baby she has seen in a dream. She does not know that this child
is Joash. She asked Joad to bring the child and she invites him
to come live with her at the palace. But Joash, was educated in
the Jewish religion by the high priest.
* Act 3 - Fearing a plot by Joad, Athalie wants Joash
sent as a hostage. The high priest is preparing to proclaim
Joash as king to hasten things.
* Act 4 - Joash reveals he is the descendant and
successor of the kings of Judah. The priests barricade the
Temple.
* Act 5 - Athalie prepares to dislodge the rebels from
the Temple. She comes to claim the child. Joad tells her that he
is Joash. Outside, the attackers panic and flee. Joad executes
Athalie.
This is an early work
(García was 29 years old) so it is written in a somewhat
"adolescent" 18th-century style. Nonetheless, the choruses would
have worked well in the archaic Racine tragedy. There are some
nice touches: the pianissimo ending of the 1st chorus; a wild
deceptive cadence at m. 64 of the 2d chorus (which may be an
error, but it seems clearly written in the parts); the clarinet
solo in the 3rd chorus; the strange wind trio that accompanies
the 4th chorus; the voice interchange on p. 37 of the 5th chorus.
The following presents
García's choruses (indicated by bold type) within the context of
the play.
ATHALIE, by Jean Racine
(1691).
Translation
of the original French by Eugenio de Llaguno y Amírola, 1754.
English
translation by J. Radomski, 2010.
[Racine, Athalie, Act 1,
scene 3]
JOSABET
JEHOSHABEATH
Ya la
trompa sagrada
I hear already the sacred trumpet:
Escucho:
en breve al Templo
Soon entrance
Permitirán
la entrada.
into the Temple will be permitted.
Vosotras,
entretanto
You [women], meanwhile,
Que me
dispongo, bendecid humildes
as I prepare to march: humbly bless
Al Dios a quien buscais con vuestro canto. the God whom
you seek with your song.
Coro 1o en la
Atalía
Chorus No. 1 in Athaliah
[Racine, Athalie, Act 1, scene 4]
De su magnificencia
The universe is filled
Lleno está el universo.
With His magnificence.
En vano injusta fuerza
In vain does an unjust force
Querrá imponer silencio
Wish to impose silence
Al pueblo que le alaba:
Upon the people who praise Him:
No morirá su nombre
sempiterno.
His eternal name will not die.
El día anuncia al día
Day announces to the day
Su gloria y brazo excelso.
His glory and lofty arm.
De su magnificencia
The universe is filled
Lleno está el universo.
With His magnificence.
A revelar venía
He came to reveal
Sus divinos preceptos,
His divine precepts,
Sus luces immortales
His immortal light
A los felices hijos del
Hebreo.
to the happy children of the Hebrews.
De su magnificencia
The universe is filled
Lleno está el universo
With His magnificence.
Coro 2o en la
Atalía
Chorus No. 2 in Athaliah
[Racine, Athalie, Act 2,
scene 8]
JOYADA
JEHOIADA
Abrazando a Joás.
Embracing Joash.
Abnér
amado,
Beloved Abner,
Siempre me
encontrarás agradecido
You will forever find me grateful
A tu
importante obsequio. Que te acuerdes
For your important favor. I beg you
Te ruego
de la hora señalada.
to remember the appoined hour.
Y nosotros
a quienes esa fiera
And we, whose prayer that
Sacrilega
muger, reina homicida,
wicked and sacriligeous woman,
Perturbó
la oración, y mancillada
homicidal queen, disturbed;
Dejó la
vista con mirarla solo,
and whose vision was blemished
Entremos
donde con la sangre pura,
just by seeing her;
Por mis
manos vertida,
Let us enter where pure blood,
Lave aun
el marmol que pisó atrevida.
shed by my hands,
May cleanse even the marble
upon which she trod.
El coro
Chorus
¡Qué luminosa estrella
What a luminous star
A nuestros ojos brilla!
Shines before our eyes!
Ninõ tan admirable
Such an admirable child:
¿Qué será en algun día?
What will he be one day?
¿Quién de tu nacimiento
Who can tell us
Nos podrá dar noticia?
of your birth?
Dichoso tu mil veces,
A thousand times happy,
Niño, a quien Dios estima:
Child, whom God favors:
Dichoso, pues Él propio
Happy, for He Himself
de instruirte se digna.
Deigns to teach you.
Coro 3o en la
Atalía
Chorus No. 3 in Athaliah
[Racine, Athalie, Act 3, scene 7]
¡O
vosotros levitas! mis acentos
O, ye Levites! Accompany now
Y
agitación acompañad ahora
My words and turmoil
Con
vuestros harmoniosos instrumentos.
With your harmonious instruments.
(El coro canta al son de la
música
(The chorus sings to the sound
de los levitas.)
of the Levites' music.)
Escúchense las voces
Listen to the voices
Del Señor, y su oráculo
divino.
of the Lord and his divine oracle.
Sea en los corazones
May there be in your hearts
Lo que con el rocío
That which, with dew,
Es en la primavera
the fresh morning is to
A tierna planta el fresco
matutino.
the tender plant in spring.
JOYADA
JEHOIADA
Cielo,
atiende a mi voz; y las palabras
Heaven, heed my voice; and
Que salen
de mi boca escucha, o tierra.
listen to the words that come
forth from my
mouth, O Earth.
No digas
ya, Jacob, que el Señor duerme:
Do not say, Jacob, that the Lord sleeps:
Pecadores,
huid, que Dios despierta.
Sinners flee, for the Lord awakes.
(Suenan los instrumentos, y
Joyada
(The instruments sound, and Jehoiada
prosigue)
continues)
¿Cómo se ha transformado
How has the most precious gold [Joash]
En plomo
vil el oro1 más precioso?
been transformed into
vile lead?
¿Qué
pontífice2 veo degollado
What priest [Zechariah] do I see
slain
En este
sacro sitio? Llora, impía
in this holy place? Weep, impious
Jerusalem,
ciudad pérfida: llora,
Jerusalem, faithless city: weep,
Desdichada
homicida de profetas.
wretched murderer of prophets.
Tu Dios de
aquel amor que te tenía
God has taken away the love He had
Se ha
desnudado, y es tu incienso ahora
for you; and your incense is now
Para sus
ojos holocausto impuro.
an impure holocaust before His eyes.
¿A dónde
aquesos niños,3
Whither do you lead those
Y esas
mujeres conducis atados?
bound children and women?
El Señor a
la reina ha destruído
The Lord has destroyed the queen
De las
ciudades. Y sus sacerdotes
of cities. And her priests
Se ven siervos, sus reyes desechados.
have become slaves, her kings dethroned.
A sus solemnidades ya no gusta
It no longer pleases her God that people
Su Dios
que vengan gentes.
come to her solemnities.
Trastornate
tu Templo: arrojad llamas,
Tear down your Temple; throw flames,
¡O cedros
eminentes!
O great cedars!
Jerusalem,
objeto de mi llanto,
Jerusalem,
object of my weeping:
¿Qué manos
te quitaron en un día
What hands took away, in one day,
Tu gracia
y hermosura?
Your grace and beauty?
Quien trocára mis ojos en dos fuentes
Who will turn my eyes into two fountains
para poder llorar tu desventura!
that I might weep over your misfortune?
AZARIAS
AZARIAH
¡O santo Templo!
O holy Temple!
JOSABET
JEHOSHABEATH
¡O Rey David!
O King David!
Coro 4o en la
Atalía
Chorus No. 4 in Athaliah
[Racine, Athalie, Act 3, scene 7]
No olvides
tus piedades,
Do not forget your
kindnesses,
Dios de Sion,
God of Sion,
No olvides tus
piedades.
Do not forget your kindnesses.
(Vuelven a
sonar los instrumentos, y a
(The instruments sound again and,
breve rato los
interrumpe Joyada.)
after a short while, Joad interrupts
them.)
JOAD
JEHOIADA
¿Qué Jerusalem4 nueva
What new Jerusalem appears
De lo escondido del desierto sale
from hiding in the desert,
Llena de luz y de esplendor, que lleva
full of light and splendor, which bears
Una immortal señal sobre su frente?
an immortal sign on her forehead?
¡Cantad, cantad, o pueblos de la tierra!
Sing, sing, O peoples of the earth!
Jerusalem renace
Jerusalem is reborn
Más atractiva, hermosa y excelente.
more attractive, beautiful and
excellent.
¿De dónde la ha venido copia tanta5
Whence comes such abundance
De hijos en sus entrañas no engendrados?
of children not born in her womb?
[i.e. Gentiles]
Jerusalem, levanta ya, levanta
Jerusalem raise, yes, raise
La eminente cabeza, y de tu gloria
your eminent head and you shall behold
Mirarás esos reyes admirados.
those kings who admire your glory.
A los reyes verás de las naciones
You shall see the kings of nations
Besar el polvo que tocó tu planta,
kiss the dust that you trod,
En tu presencia humildes y postrados.
humble and prostrate in your
presence.
Los pueblos, las naciones a porfía
The people, the nations, insistently
A gozar corren de tu luz sin tasa.
run to enjoy your light beyond measure.
Dichoso el que con santo fervor sienta
Happy the one who, with holy fervor,
Que por Sion el alma se le abraza!
Feels that from Sion his soul is embraced.
Vierte,
cielo, el rocío
Pour down, heaven, the dew
Que
en tu seno se encierra,
That in your breast is enclosed.
Y al Salvador produzcanos la tierra.
And may the earth bring forth our
Savior.
Coro 5o en la
Atalía
Chorus No. 5 in Athaliah
[Racine, Athalie, Act 3, scene 8]
SALOMIT
SALOME
Dios de hablar a su pueblo se ha dignado:
God has deigned to speak to his people;
Mas ¿quién
podrá explicarnos lo que advierte
But who can explain to us that which
A su profeta? ¿Quién podrá decirnos
He reveals to His prophet? Who can
tell us
Si a
destriurnos, o a ampararnos viene?
whether he comes to destroy us or to
help us?
Llegó de Sion
The end has come to Sion,
El fin, y la
ardiente
and the burning flame
Llama su
ornamento
turns her splendor
En cenizas
vuelve.
to ashes.
A Sion ampara
Sion is protected
Su Señor
clemente,
by her merciful
Lord,
Y por
fundamento
and has as a foundation
Su palabra
tiene.
His word.
A un abismo
veo
I see Sion descend
Que Sion
desciende.
into an abyss.
Sion a
los cielos
Sion ascends to Heaven
Llega con su
frente.
with her head raised.
¡O qué tristes voces
Oh, what sad voices
Mis oídos sienten!
come to my ears!
¡O qué victoriosos
Oh, what victorious
Cánticos alegres!
songs of joy!
En su amor
antiguo
Let us always hope
Esperemos
siempre6:
in his ancient love:
Su cólera es
justo
It is just to reverently
Temer
reverentes.
fear his anger.
¡O qué tristes
voces
Oh, what sad voices
Mis oídos
sienten!
come to my ears!
¡O qué
victoriosos
Oh, what victorious
Cánticos
alegres!
songs of joy!
¡Oh qué
abatimiento!
Oh, what humiliation!
¡Qué gloria
celeste!7
What heavely glory!
A Sion ampara
Sion is protected
Su Señor
clemente,
by her merciful Lord,
Y por
fundamento
and has as a foundation
Su palabra
tiene.
His word.
1Joas.
2Zachárias
3Cautividad de Babilonía.
4La Iglesia.
5Los Gentiles.
6Llaguno has "fieles" instead of "siempre".
7Llaguno
has "perene" instead of "celeste".