Kafka's Trial
{{Short description|Opera by Poul Ruders}}
Proces Kafka{{Cite web |title=Proces Kafka {{!}} Poul Ruders |url=https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/21372/Proces-Kafka--Poul-Ruders/ |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=www.wisemusicclassical.com |language=en}} (Kafka's Trial) is an opera by Poul Ruders to a libretto by Paul Bentley which premiered on March 12, 2005 at the Copenhagen Opera House in Denmark. It was commissioned by the opera house as the opening to their 2005 season.{{Cite web |last=jens |date=2016-03-17 |title=Proces Kafka |url=https://www.dacapo-records.dk/da/udgivelser/ruders-proces-kafka |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=Dacapo Records |language=da}} A Danish-language translation of the libretto was done by Karen Hoffmann.
Plot
The plot and libretto were based on scenes from Kafka's unfinished 1925 novel The Trial, with additional letters from Kafka's own life telling his relationships with Felice Bauer and Grete Bloch.{{Cite web |date=2005-03-15 |title=Kafka's Trial, Opera House, Copenhagen |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/mar/15/classicalmusicandopera |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}
Reviews
The reception of Ruders' opera was incredibly praiseworthy according to public reviews. Eva White of Christian Daily (Kristeligt Dagblad) called the opera a "tough nut to crack" but praised Bentley and Ruders for their work, although calling the singer's Danish pronunciation "lousy."{{Cite web |last=Hvidt |first=Eva |date=2005-03-15 |title=Kafkas egen proces |url=https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/kultur/kafkas-egen-proces |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=Kristeligt Dagblad |language=da}} Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times called the performance, "a brilliant achievement: a grotesquely comic, bitterly satirical and, ultimately, deeply moving work that hooks you for two onrushing and uninterrupted hours."{{Cite news |last=Tommasini |first=Anthony |date=16 March 2005 |title='Kafka': Comedy and bitterness |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/16/arts/kafka-comedy-and-bitterness.html |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118154232/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/16/arts/kafka-comedy-and-bitterness.html#Santino5zJoXBX |archive-date=18 November 2022 |access-date=18 November 2022 }} Andrew Clements of The Guardian was less praiseworthy, "Above all, it's a fine company showcase for the new theatre; the trouble is, there should be more to it than that."
Roles
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Roles !Voice Part |
| Franz Kafka
|Dramatic-lyric tenor |
| Felice Baur
|Dramatic-lyric soprano |
| GW |
| Greta Bloch
|Dramatic-lyric mezzo |
| Three zanies |
| Chorus
|[mixed] |
Recording
- Kafka's Trial Johnny van Hal, Gisela Stille, Marianne Rørholm & Gert Henning Jensen The Royal Danish Orchestra and Opera Choir, Thomas Søndergård 2CD{{Cite web |last=jens |date=2016-03-17 |title=Proces Kafka |url=https://www.dacapo-records.dk/da/udgivelser/ruders-proces-kafka |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=Dacapo Records |language=da}}