DÉFENSE D'AIMER ou La Novice de Palerme

This young, comic opera, composed in 1835 on one of Wagner’s own libretti, based on a play by Shakespeare, was unsuccessful at the Magdeburg theatre in 1836 and even the composer considered it a “sin of youth”. After attempting in vain to have his first opera, “Le Fate”, performed in Germany, Richard Wagner decided that his lack of success was due to the overwhelming competition of Italo-French music. He listened to Bellini, and became aware of the objective reasons for the great success of this music, comparing the warmth of life of Italian music to the frozen and meticulous German style. Hence he composed “ Das Liebesverbot ” with the sole aim of giving intense pleasure to the public, without worrying about succumbing to the clichés of French and Italian music. That is why, when we listen to this music without knowing the name of the composer, we find ourselves in an embarrassing situation. We could easily attribute the work to some French composer, Meyerbeer, or Auber, for instance, but then the melodic ease and constructive linearity would bring Rossini to mind. By paying closer attention, however, we notice a boldness, an aggressiveness and a wealth of ideas that, together with clever orchestration, reveal the touch of the great German musician. “ Das Liebesverbot ” deserves to be performed more often, and we feel sure that the transcription for band will be an excellent vehicle of diffusion for this symphony.