Detlev Glanert, born 1960 in Hamburg, is one of the most successful and prolific German opera composers to emerge in the late 20th century, but Caligula is the first of his operas to receive a complete recording. Commissioned by the opera companies of Frankfurt and Cologne, this live recording comes from its 2006 Frankfurt world premiere. With a libretto by Hans-Ulrich Treichel, a frequent collaborator with Henze, the opera is based on a grim 1939 play by Albert Camus depicting the cruelties (and probable insanity) of the Roman emperor Caligula. While Glanert is best known for his 2001 comic opera Jest, Satire, Irony, and Deeper Meaning, Caligula is relentlessly dark. Glanert was a student of Henze's, and his style mirrors his teacher's eclecticism. There is a similar angularity in the vocal writing, although it is more minimally accompanied, with sparser orchestration overall, and textures that are considerably more austere. While much of the music of Caligula pretty thorny, Glanert is obviously a composer who understands opera thoroughly, and has the gut instincts to write for the theatre. There are some passages, particularly near the beginning, that don't make a very strong impact as purely aural experiences, but they still sound as if they would most likely be highly effective in advancing the drama when the opera is seen in the theater. The recording would be of most interest to fans of new opera willing to listen closely, following the libretto (which unfortunately is offered only in German in the CD booklet), and letting their imaginations fill in the goings-on on-stage. Enough of the music is powerfully, chillingly gripping that it is obvious that Glanert has the wherewithal to write music to knock socks off, an indication that the musical austerity of other parts of the opera is based not on a lack of inspiration but on sound dramatic judgment.
Markus Stenz leads Chor der Opera Frankfurt and Frankfurter Opern und Museumsorchester in committed, charged performances that make the opera truly scary. The soloists are all very fine and offer vivid characterizations, particularly baritone Ashley Holland as Caligula and mezzo-soprano
Michaela Schuster as his wife Caesonia. Oehms Classics' live sound is clean and balanced, and with a strong dramatic ambience.