DESCRIPTION:
Antikrist - Church Opera in Six Scenes (1921-23, rev. 1926-30)

This is a highly imaginative philosophical-religious opera by Danish organist and composer Rued Langgaard (1893-1952). "Antikrist" is an apocalyptic vision with surrealist or absurdist influences, intended as a critique and condemnation of Western civilization and its supposed egoism and soullessness.

In this performance conducted by Niels Muus at the Tiroler Landestheaters in Innsbruck, the opera is performed in German. The original Danish libretto can be found here:
http://langgaard.dk/musik/vaerker/antilibretto.htm

I provide an English translation of the libretto below:

[Scene V (Double Scene): EVERY MAN'S STRIFE WITH EVERY MAN.
1.) "The Lie", "The Great Whore", "Hate". ("The Lie" and "Hate" must both be understood as "The Scarlet Beast" or the Beast seen from its two sides. That is, one sees "the Beast" both from its lying and its hateful side, represented in two versions struggling with the Whore). Demons. Sphere. Sword. Darkness. Flickering gas flames.
2.) Tension among "The Lie", "Hate" and "the Whore", that is "the Beast", all struggling. Symbol of "Every man's strife".]

THE LIE
One is the God of delusion: the revealed "Church Void of Noise". The life-lie is a sickness. We smile innocently in inscrutability. Enterprise seeketh wisdom, hideth the wandering thought of the people which sucketh dry, tomenteth, revealeth the things of the night; the secret mockery of the eye; the lie of the fulness of life...

THE GREAT WHORE (Babel)
With the "lie" of life thou hidest thyself. Wherefore takest thou pleasure in "the fullness of life"?

THE LIE
O thou sick for profit: knowest thou "truth"? Thus do I judge: "My knowledge is enough".

THE GREAT WHORE
Not "enough" thou knowest. Thou shalt know more: I open thine eye. See me. Adore!

THE LIE (as the Whore adopts coquettishly impatient postures)
Thee I must see, must "bear thee", and yet thou art in my path, for always more of me thou cravest. If I say "enough", thou sayest .not enough". Then thou awakenest anger: every man's strife in one. I will be obeyed - as God!

THE GREAT WHORE
"Obeyed as God" - ha, I must laugh! Thou! Man! Slave of a whore!

THE LIE
"Man" I am not, but power I am: thy being is my and every man's strife.

THE GREAT WHORE
My being is mine. Of thee I think: drunken in secret, thou knowest not why.

THE LIE
Thou dasslest joy-wrath with lies.

THE GREAT WHORE
Do I so? Much was spoken against me: "Sphinx" they called me!

THE LIE
Whore! Begone with thy Sphinx! Rather taste the wine of the wrath of thy fornication. Thou "secret". What do words say? What meaneth thy white arm? What knowest thou?

THE GREAT WHORE
Thou "great man", thou ragest blindly. Not enough thou knowest! Wherefore should I no know?

THE LIE
What is knowledge? Control thy spirit. Wherefore these sounds, these words thou sayest?

THE GREAT WHORE
Ha! Fearest thou me? I fear not thee, mankind-ant, bom of woman.

THE LIE
Empty gestures.

THE GREAT WHORE
"Opportunities"!

THE LIE
Lies of delusion! My knowledge is "enough". Thou wilt not see it: in the lie of life, thou awakenest hate.

(Hate steps forth, accompanied by demons).

HATE
Here I stand in the darkness of hate.

THE LIE
Against whorish lust, the fire of thy wrath!

(Flames, which flare up more and more towards the end of the scene).

THE GREAT WHORE
Fire and hate shall not touch me. His hour cometh. "He" who standeth against me, he shall bow to me. My beauty and wisdom shall entrap him. My "secret" shall enrage him...!

HATE
What knowest thou thereof. He is thy lord, him shalt thou honour. Thou honourest him not. That awakened his burning hate, that craveth. My fire shall torment thee.

THE GREAT WHORE
Prove that "he" is my lord, that thou canst not. If thou wilt torment me, I shall confound thee and him that standeth against me!