Tjenerindens Fortælling
(The Handmaid's Tale)

Danish composer Poul Ruders crafts a persuasive opera from a prophetic SF classic

	Tjenerindens Fortælling (The Handmaid's Tale)
	Poul Ruders
	Libretto by Paul Bentley
	dacapo
	143:51 min.
	MSRP: $31.98 CD

Review by Jeff Berkwits

argaret Atwood's controversial and cautionary The Handmaid's Tale, a grim story charting the life of a woman living under a totalitarian regime in the late 22nd century, was one of the most celebrated science-fiction novels of the 1980s. Hollywood quickly adapted the narrative into a mediocre movie, but a far more daring rendition of the parable can be found in composer Poul Ruders' modern opera Tjenerindens Fortælling (The Handmaid's Tale), which premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in March 2000.

The libretto, written by Paul Bentley and sung entirely in Danish, is relatively faithful to the book. Religious revolutionaries have taken over the United States—now called the Republic of Gilead—and all fertile females who're not legally married are required to serve as sexual surrogates, or "handmaids," for sterile couples. Forcibly separated from her husband, Offred (mezzo-soprano Marianne Rørholm) is sent to live with The Commander (Aage Haugland) and his barren spouse, Serena Joy (Susanne Resmark). There she finds herself caught between The Commander's carnal desires, his wife's yearning for a child and the attentions of the household handyman, Nick (Gert Henning-Jensen). Combined with Offred's own emerging feelings, the conflicting needs of everyone involved ultimately gives rise to a precarious web of relationships leading to danger, deception and potential death.

Performed by the Royal Danish Opera Chorus and the Royal Danish Orchestra, Tjenerindens Fortælling is presented on two CDs plus a 268-page booklet, all packaged within a glossy cardboard slipcase. The thick brochure features track listings, a short plot synopsis, brief biographies of the key performers, over a dozen black-and-white rehearsal photos and the entire libretto printed in English, German and Danish.

An unexpectedly opportune opus

Writing, at least in part, in reaction to the 1979 Iranian revolution and the rising influence of the Moral Majority in the United States, Atwood couldn't possibly have known how prescient The Handmaid's Tale would be: The impact of radical political groups like the Taliban and various other fundamentalist factions has ensured that the futuristic fable truly remains timely. Ruders' alluring interpretation is similarly providential, incorporating soaring voices, atonal compositional techniques and an unusual blend of traditional and odd instrumentation to retell the saga in a manner that's genuinely evocative, eloquent and inspired.

Although her words are uttered in what, at least for most listeners, will be a completely incomprehensible tongue, Rørholm tonally communicates Offred's sense of confusion, anger and anguish. Her devastating delivery of lyrics like "What I feel is emptiness. What I feel is that I must not feel"—a translated line from "The Wall," the initial scene of the first act—powerfully conveys both the emotional state of her character and the fearful impact an oppressive government can have upon every subjugated citizen. Haugland exudes menace with his rich bass voice, enticing Offred with an illicit magazine in "The Study at Night," just as Resmark provides unanticipated depth in her role as The Commander's wife.

The music is equally robust, mixing aggressive percussion, apprehensive violins, strange noises—the liner notes describe one effect as "a superball dropped onto a timpani skin"—and even snippets of the hymn "Amazing Grace." The opera suffers slightly without visual accompaniment, as sounds now and again materialize with little explanation, yet the work remains consistently forceful and fascinating. As a result, Ruders' modernistic adaptation of Tjenerindens Fortælling is not only opportune but also meaningful and momentous.

Folks who want to hear the arias in English won't have to wait too long, though if they don't live in Great Britain they may have to travel fairly far. The London-based English National Opera recently announced that it plans to present the English-language premiere of the piece next April. — Jeff

Back to the top.

Home