Kuningas Lear

Kuningas Lear (King Lear) is an opera in two acts by Aulis Sallinen, with a libretto by the composer, based on the play by William Shakespeare and premiered in 2000; it was Sallinen’s sixth opera.

Kuningas Lear was commissioned by and first performed by Finnish National Opera on 15 September 2000 at the Finnish National Opera House. Sallinen has spoken of the major thought that went into recreating the dramaturgy of the piece, shortening sections and deleting characters from the cast. His aim was in general to remove as much as possible of the narrative elements and mainly concentrate on the "very strong poetical scenes". He insisted that the work requires "big singing".

Sallinen was particularly inspired by knowing the cast from the start, especially leading Finnish singers Matti Salminen and Jorma Hynninen. One problem was the chorus, as in Shakespeare there are no lines for a chorus. The composer therefore used groups of singers for messengers and knights and an off-stage wordless chorus. Although the work follows closely the story of Shakespeare, the role of Kent does not appear.

The work was well received at its first production in Helsinki.

The opera has been issued on DVD, in a 2002 performance with the original cast and conductor.

Scene 1
The aged King Lear decides to divide his realm between his three daughters Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. He asks each them to say which of them loves him the most so as to give her the best portion. Goneril and Regan claim unbounded love for their father, but Cornelia, the youngest and favourite of her father, says that she cannot express her love, and anyway she will give half of it to her future husband. Lear, furious with the answer, repels Cordelia, and when the King of France arrives to propose marriage to Cordelia, he takes her despite her having been disinherited. Goneril and Regan are disturbed by their father's outburst and his folly in having a large retinue of knights and squires.

Scene 2 – Gloucester's castle
Edmund, bastard son of the Earl of Gloucester, determines to win the inheritance of Gloucester’s older son and legal heir Edgar. Edmund tricks the Earl into reading a forged letter in which Edgar is named in a conspiracy to murder the Earl. Gloucester, disbelieving, asks that Edmund learn more. Edmund however warns Edgar that his father is furious and urges Edgar to run away. Edmund next wounds himself, goes to Gloucester and says that Edgar injured him because he refused to kill his father. An order to capture Edgar, who has already fled, is made by Gloucester.

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