Opera is renowned for taking inspiration from other sources; however, you wouldn’t expect the story of a fourth century princess to have so many similarities to a moderately contemporary opera. Today, on Diwrnod Santes Dwynwen (Saint Dwynwen’s Day), we compare the tale of Wales’s patron Saint of Love and that of the heroine in Janáček’s 1904 opera, Jenůfa.
If you were given the opportunity to forget about your heartbreak, would you take it? Dwynwen did. She had fallen in love with a local boy called Maelon Dafodrill, but, unknown to her at the time, her father had promised her hand to a Prince and therefore forbade the pairing. Unable to marry her true love, she escaped to the woods where she was visited by an angel who gave her a mystical potion that erased all memory of Maelon and with it, her heartache.
Both Dwynwen and Jenůfa’s stories can be interpreted similarly. Both characters experience heartache and yearn for marriages that never materialise due to contrasting situations.
Jenůfa also fell in love with a local boy – Steva – and, like Dwynwen, was not allowed to marry him as he was due to marry another - Karolka, the mayor’s daughter. But that is only the beginning of Jenůfa’s heartbreak. Unknown to her, after secretly giving birth to a child, she was slipped a sleeping draught by Kostelnička who takes drastic action to avoid public shame in a conservative community.
By the end, both heroines find their peace. Dwynwen, whose name means ‘she who leads a blessed life’ devoted herself to God and became a nun, setting up a convent on Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey. A significant part of Welsh history, every year in Wales, on 25 January, we celebrate love and remember her sacrifice for true lovers. It’s the most romantic date in the Welsh calendar.
What became of Jenůfa? She discovers her own strength and the redemptive power of love and forgiveness. Having captivated audiences for years with its powerful themes, it is no surprise that director Katie Mitchell described the piece as the ultimate soap-opera.
Love stories comes in various forms in opera – from La bohème and La traviata to Tristan und Isolde and Rigoletto – all have appeared at WNO over the years. Love is an obvious theme in our upcoming Spring Season. Come along and experience heartache through the eyes of Madam Butterfly, Don Giovanni and of course, Jenůfa.