Today : world première of Jake Heggie's 'It's a Wonderful Life' in Houston

Today, the Houston Grand Opera presents the world première performance of Jake Heggie's new opera, It's a Wonderful Life, with a libretto by Gene Scheer based on Philip Van Doren's Stern's story The Greatest Gift, made famous bythe 1946 Frank Capra film.

Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer have already work together on several projects, including operas Three Decembers (Houston, 2008), Moby-Dick (Dallas, 2010), Out of Darkness (Seattle, 2016).

This timeless tale follows a troubled banker whose guardian angel helps us realize the lasting impact our lives can have on those around us. (reproduced from the HGO website)

The cast includes tenor William Burden (George Bailey), soprano Talise Trevigne (Clara), baritone Rod Gilfry (Henry F. Potter and Mr. Gower), soprano Andrea Carroll (Mary Hatch Bailey), baritone Joshua Hopkins (Harry Bailey) and tenor Anthony Dean Griffey (Uncle Billy). Patrick Summers conducts the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Leonard Foglia directs.

The opera should last about 2 hours and  20 minutes, with one intermission.

Today : world première of Pierangelo Valtinoni's 'The Wizard of Oz' in Zurich

Today, the Opernhaus Zürich presents the world première of Pierangelo Valtinoni's Der Zauberer von Oz (The Wizard of Oz) with a libretto by Paolo Madron based on Lyman Frank Baum's fairy tale, in a German version by Hanna Francesconi.

It is Valtinoni's fourth opera after Il ragazzo col violino (1996), Pinocchio (2001, rev. 2006) and The Snow Queen (2010).

Every year in the run-up to Christmas, they glitter on various television channels – and reawaken the child in every adult: Dorothy’s fantastic, magical shoes. The famous screen adaptation of the fairy tale, The Wizard of Oz, with Judy Garland as the plucky Dorothy and her lively little dog Toto, has made the hearts of generations of children beat faster. The adventures of the farm girl from Kansas who grows up with her uncle and aunt begin the moment a dangerous tornado sweeps over the farm and carries off the house, together with Dorothy and her dog, to the far-off land of the Munchkins. The house falls onto the Wicked Witch of the West, of all people, thus triggering a series of fantastical events. Admittedly, the Wicked Witch of the East’s red shoes lend Dorothy magical powers, but she also has to pass the most gruelling of tests. But Dorothy is not alone: on her journey, she encounters a scarecrow whose dearest wish is to be given a real brain rather than merely having a head full of straw. The pair also encounters a rusty tin man who would like to have a heart. Another travelling companion is a lion, who has a powerful roar, but otherwise believes he is very cowardly. Together, they set off to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City, who is supposed to help Dorothy find her way home. They are repeatedly threatened by the Wicked Witch of the West, and even the powerful Wizard of Oz ultimately turns out to be a fraud: his spells have no effect. But time and again, the travelling quartet, including the little dog, prove that they have kind hearts, intelligence and courage, and ultimately survive all their adventures with bravura. (reproduced from the Zurich Opera House website)

The cast includes soprano Deanna Breiwick (Dorothy), tenor Iain Milne (Die Vogelscheuche), baritone Cheyne Davidson (Der Blechmann), bass Reinhard Mayr (Der feige Löwe), soprano Hamide Kristoffersen (Die gute Hexe des Nordens / Die gute Hexe des Südens) and actor Daniel Hajdu (Der Zauberer von Oz). Kristiina Poska conducts the Children Chorus of the Zurich Opera and the Philharmonia Zürich. Floris Visser directs.

The performance should last 2 hours and 10 minutes, with one interval.

New programme books for contemporary operas

I have recently received the programme books for the three following performances :

- Jake Heggie : Three Decembers, Milwaukee (Florentine Opera), March 11, 2016 ;
- Bright Sheng : Dream of the Red Chamber, San Franciso, September 10, 2016 ;
- Oscar Strasnoy : Comeback, Berlin (Staatsoper im Schiller Theater), September 30, 2016.

The first one is a 30 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- About the Composer ;
- William Florescu : Director's Note ;
- biography of the librettist Gene Scheer ;
- biography of the stage director William Florescu ;
- biography of the conductor Joseph Rescigno ;
- artist biographies, all with color headshots.

The second is a 86 pages magazine. It contains :

- Ken Smith : Dreamweavers - An all-star creative team transports an epic Chinese novel to the operatic stage ;
- Synopsis, personnel, orchestra setting and family tree ;
- complete cast and crew ;
- Ann Waltner : Red Chamber Refelctions ;
- Stephen Roddy : Delving Deeper into 'Dream of the Red Chamber' ;
- Artist profiles with balck and white headshots.

The last one is a poster folded into a 16 pages leaflet. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- biography of Emil Jannings, a character of the opera and first winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor ;
- biography of Tilla Durieux, another character of the opera, an Austrian actress ;
- Roman Reeger : Eben war ich noch der Mittelpunkt und jetzt ?

This programme is entirely in German. The scanned covers of all programme books for contemporary operas I have in my collection can be viewed in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Arthur Lavandier's 'Le Premier meurtre' in Lille

Today, the Opéra de Lille presents the world première of Arthur Lavandier's opera Le Premier meurtre (The First Murder), with a libretto by Federico Flamminio.

It is the composer's second opera after Bobba, first performed in Paris on October 17, 2015.

There are always three stories: the one we tell, the one we wished we had experienced, and the one that sooner or later everyone knows. There are two orchestras : one in the pit, 'wise and beautiful, eclectic and refined like an opera orchestra', the other everywhere else : on stage, in the audience, in the wings, visible or hidden, amplified or not. (freely adapted from the opera website)

The cast includes bass baritone Vincent Le Texier (Gabriel), soprano Léa Trommenschlager (Emma), baritone Taeill Kim (Hippolyte) and soprano Elise Chauvin (Misère). Maxime Pascal conducts the ensemble Le Balcon. Ted Huffman directs. The performance should last 1 hour and 45 minutes (no intermission).

Today : world première of 'Vanda' by Lionel Ginoux in Reims

Today, the Opéra de Reims presents the world première of Vanda, a chamber opera for mezzo-soprano, viola da gamba and electronics, composed by Lionel Ginoux, with a libretto by Jean-Pierre Siméon, after his own play Le Testament de Vanda.

It is the composer's second opera after Medea Kali (Marseilles, 2013).

The text portrays the life of an exiled woman, her struggles and her every day humiliations. It reveals a poignant story of a woman from the Balkans who recounts to her baby the stories of her life, origins and parents, of the love, the war, the violence. (reproduced from the composer's website).

The cast includes mezzo Ambroisine Bré and violist Marie-Suzanne de Loye. Nadine Duffaut directs. The performance should last about 50 minutes.

Today : world première of Johanna Doderer's 'Liliom' in Munich

Today, the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich presents the world première performance of Johanna Doderer's new opera, Liliom, with a libretto by Josef E. Köpplinger.

© Jürgen Heimbach

It is the composer's fourth opera, after Strom (Vienna, 2006), Der leuchtende Fluss (Erfurt, 2010) and Fatiman oder von den mutigen Kinder (Vienna, 2015). A recording of Der leuchtende Fluss has been published by Quinton.

The libretto is freely based on Ferenc Molnar's play.

The fairground barker Liliom is the great attraction of carousel operator Mrs Muskat in the City Park in Budapest. He is young, good-looking and wonderfully masculine. Admittedly, he is also coarse, impetuous and known to the police – but this is what the carousel's female customers love about him, as does Mrs Muskat. The young servant girl Julie is also attracted by the suburban rogue – as he is by her. The result is that he causes both of them to lose their jobs. From then on, Liliom lives off Julie's aunt, beats the girl and gets her pregnant, and proudly refuses all well-intentioned offers of help. When a false friend talks him into committing robbery and murder with the aim of solving their financial problems, which ultimately goes horribly wrong, the rogue escapes responsibility for his actions by committing suicide and ends up in the courts of heavenly justice. There, the unrepentant man is offered one last chance to do something good so that he can dredge his soul of the deep mire in which it has landed … (reproduced from the theater's website)

The cast includes tenor Daniel Prohaska (Liliom), soprano Camille Schnoor (Julie), soprano Cornelia Zink (Marie), mezzo Angelika Kirchschlager (Frau Muskat), bass Holger Ohlmannn (Der Drechsler) and tenor Juan Carlos Falcón (Linzmann). Michael Brandstätter conducts the Children Chorus, Chorus and Orchestra of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz. Josef E. Köpplinger directs.

The performances take place at the Reithalle. BR-Klassik will record the first performance and broadcast it on December 3.

Today : world première of Filippo Perocco's 'Aquagranda' in Venezia

Today, the Teatro La Fenice in Venezia presents the world première performance of Filippo Perocco's new opera, Aquagranda, with a libretto by Roberto Bianchin and Luigi Cerantola.

It is the composer's first opera.

On 4 November 1966 Venice was struck by terrible floods. That day saw the highest high water ever recorded since the systematic recordings of the phenomenon had begun: at 18.00 the mareograph at Punta della Salute showed 194 cm. The consequences of the flood were terrible. The worst hit area was Pellestrina, the island where the new opera by Filippo Perocco is set. At that time the protagonist, Ernesto Ballarin was twenty-five years old when the sea broke through the Murazzi and flooded his house up to the roof so that he had no choice but to leave his house and island, together with another three thousand people.(reproduced from the opera house's website).

The cast includes bass Andrea Mastroni (Fortunato), tenor Mirko Guadagnini (Ernesto), soprano Giulia Bolcato (Lilli) and mezzo Silvia Regazzo (Leda). Marco Angius conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice. Damiano Michieletto directs.

The performance should last about 80 minutes. A recording of the first performance will be broadcast later on the same evening by Rai Radio 3. Culturebox will have a video recording of the opera available for viewers starting on November 12.

Today : world première of Martin Matalon's 'L'Ombre de Venceslao' in Rennes

Today, the Opéra de Rennes presents the world première performance of Martin Matalon's opera L'Ombre de Venceslao (Venceslao's Shadow), with a libretto by Jorge Lavelli after Copi's play.

It is the composer's second opera after Le Miracle Secret (Avignon, 1989).

Venceslao is a poor but proud man, living surrounded by his family and their animals. When his daughter China leaves home for Buenos Aires, he rushes into an errance that will lead him to the Iguazu falls. (freely adapted from the Opéra de Rennes website)

The cast includes baritone Thibaut Desplantes (Venceslao), tenor Ziad Nehme (Rogelio), soprano Estelle Poscio (China), alto Sarah Laulan (Mechita) and baritone Mathieu Gardon (Largui). Ernest Martinez Izquierdo conducts the Orchestre symphonique de Bretagne. Jorge Lavelli directs.

The opera should last about 85 minutes. In the next months, the opera will be performed in Toulon, Reims, Avignon, Clermont-Ferrand, Toulouse, Marseille, Bordeaux and Montpellier. The score is published by Gérard Billaudot.

Today : world première of Robert Aldridge's 'Sister Carrie' in Milwaukee

Today, the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee presents the world première performance of Robert Aldridge's new opera, Sister Carrie, with a libretto by Herschel Garfein after Theodore Dreiser's novel.

It is Aldridge's second opera after Elmer Gantry (Nashville, 2007).

The opera unveils the tortuous path to fame for a small town girl, as America industrialized and large segments of the rural populace flooded into an urban sea of humanity. (reproduced from the Florentine Opera website)

The cast includes mezzo-soprano Adriana Zabala (Carie), baritone Keith Phares (Hurstwood), soprano Alisa Jordheim (Lola) and tenor Matt Morgan (Drouet). William Boggs conducts the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Florentine Opera Chorus. William Florescu directs.

A recording of Elmer Gantry, produced in Milwaukee has been released by Naxos. It is announced that this new opera will also be recorded.

Today : world première of Gisle Kverndokk's 'Around the World in 80 Days' in Linz

Today, the Landestheater Linz presents the world première of the new musical version of Gisle Kverndokk's Around the World in Eighty Days, with a libretto by Øystein Wiik, based on Jules Verne's novel.

The first version was created in May 2010 in Oslo. Kverndokk has composed several works for the stage, including Den fjerde nattevakt (The Fourth Watch of the Night), first performed in Oslo in 2005.

In a wager with Stuart at his London Club, Phileas Fogg claims that he can circumnavigate the world in 80 days! He goes on the journey with his servant Passepartout, closely followed by detective Fionula Fix who was hired by Stuart. Fogg's agenda is in danger: In Paris, he happens upon a Glawari festival, in Rome, Tosca falls into his arms, in Beijing, Turandot wants to have him beheaded! The fact that Fogg is triumphant in the end, is as miraculous as if it were grand opera… (reproduced from the Landestheater Linz website)

The cast includes Alen Hodzovic (Phileas Fogg), Rob Pelzer (Passepartout) and Daniela Dett (Fionula Fix). Either Stefan Diederich or Borys Sitarski conducts the Bruckner Orchester Linz and the Landestheater Linz Chorus. Matthias Davids directs. The performance should last about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Today : world première of Oscar Strasnoy's 'Comeback' in Berlin

Today, the Staatsoper im Schiller Theater Berlin presents the world première performance of Oscar Strasnoy's new stage work, Comeback, with a libretto by Christoph Hein.

Oscar Strasnoy has composed several works for the stage, operas, operetta and musical-theatre, since Midea (Spoleto, 2000), including Le Bal (Hamburg, 2010), Un Retour (Aix-en-Provence, 2010) and Cachafaz (Quimper, 2010).

Tilla Durieux was once very successful on stage. Years later, things are different. After the suicide of her husband Paul Cassirer and the seizure of power by the National Socialists, she left Germany and experienced years of privation in Croatia, working as a seamstress, before returning to her homeland seven years after the end of the war. Emil Jannings was a successful actor for silent films. He must now answer the questions of his nephew Jörg about his behavior during the Nazi dictatorship. (freely translated from the Staatsoper website)

The cast includes bass baritone Ralf Lukas (Emil Jannings), soprano Josephine Renelt (Tilla 1), soprano Maria Husmann (Tilla 2), baritone Martin Gerke (Paul), countertenor Johannes Euler (Jörg Jannings) and mezzo Nadia Steinhard (Gussy Holl). Max Renne conducts and Ingo Kerkhof directs.

Today : world première of Ahmed Essyad's 'Mririda' in Strasbourg

Today, the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg presents the world première performance of Ahmed Essyad's new opera Mririda, with a libretto by Claudine Galea.

Previous operas by the composer include Le collier des ruses (1977), L'eau (1985) and Héloïse et Abélard (2000).

As fascinating as she is mysterious, the figure of the Berber poetess Mririda inspired this new opera which plunges us into the horrors of war. At the heart of a fictitious land ravaged by fighting, can the beauty of language conquer men who are ready to do anything to destroy their fellow creatures ? (reproduced from the Opéra national du Rhin website).

The cast includes soprano Francesca Sorteni (Mririda), soprano Louise Pingeot (The Young Girl), mezzo Coline Dutilleul (The Old Woman) and tenor Diego Godoy (The Mercenary). Léo Warynski conducts the Chorus of the Opéra national du Rhin and the Orchestral Ensemble of the Académie Supérieure de Musique - HEAR  Olivier Achard directs.

The performance should last about 80 minutes, with no interval.

Today : world première of Missy Mazzoli's 'Breaking the Waves' in Philadelphia

Today, the Opera Philadelphia presents the world première performance of Missy Mazzoli's new opera, Breaking the Waves, with a libretto by Royce Vavrek.

It is the composer's second chamber opera, after Song from the Uproar : The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt (New York, 2012). The libretto is based on the 1996 Academy Award-nominated film by Lars von Trier.

The Scottish Highlands in the early 1970s. Bess McNeill is a religious young woman with a deep love for her husband Jan, a handsome oil rig worker. When Jan becomes paralyzed in an off-shore accident, Bess’s marital vows are put to the test as he encourages her to seek other lovers and return to his bedside to tell him of her sexual activities. He insists that the stories will feel like they are making love together and keep him alive. Bess’s increasing selflessness leads to a finale of divine grace, but at great cost. (reproduced from the Opera Philadelphia website)

The cast includes soprano Kiera Duffy (Bess McNeill), baritone John Moore (Jan Nyman), mezzo Eve Gigliotti (Dodo McNeill), tenor David Portillo (Dr. Richardson) and bass Zachary James (Terry). Steven Osgood conducts the Chorus and Orchestra. James Darrah directs.

The required orchestra is the following :

- 1 flute (doubling piccolo), 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon (doubling contrabassoon) ;
- 1 horn, 1 trombone ;
- percussion ;
- 1 piano (doubling synthesizer), 1 harp, 1 electric guitar ;
- strings.

The opera is published by G. Schirmer Inc. The performance (at the Perelman Theater) should last about 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 20 minute intermission.

Received this morning : programme book for Anno Schreier's 'Hamlet' in Vienna

This Saturday morning, I have received in the mail the programme book published by the Theater an der Wien in Vienna for the world première performance of Anno Schreier's Hamlet. The first performance was on September 14.

It is a 100 pages book. It contains :

- the complete cast and crew ;
- color photos of rehearsals (38 pages) ;
- synopsis ;
- Mythos Hamlet, by Jan Kott (from Shakespeare heute, 1970) ;
- "Das muss ein Ausweg sein !", Hamlet im Mikrokosmos, a dialogue with librettist Thomas Jonigk and director Christof Loy, by Karin Bohnert ;
- "Schönheit ist nicht nur Harmonie", a dialogue with composer Anno Schreier, by Karin Bohnert ;
- Vom Amleth zu Hamlet - Quellen und Vorformen, by Karin Bohnert ;
 - Er gehört der Ewigkeit - über Shakespeare, by Peter Kümmel ;
- Die Revision des Ich, by Harold Bloom ;
- biographies of the cast and crew, with color headshots ;

The book is entirely in German, but it contains an English synopsis of the opera at the end. I now have 431 programme books for contemporary operas in my collection. All the covers are available in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Hamlet' composed by Anno Schreier in Wien

Today, the Theater an der Wien in Vienna presents the world première of Hamlet, an opera in 25 scenes composed by Anno Schreier, with a libretto in German by Thomas Jonigk, based on the play by William Shakespeare, Historia Danica by Saxo Grammaticus and Histoires Tragiques by François de Belleforest.

It is the composer's seventh work of musical theatre. He has already composed two operas : Kein Ort. Nirgends (2006), after Christa Wolf and Möder Kaspar Brand (2011) after Edgar Allan Poe.

Hamlet, the old king, is dead, presumed poisoned. His widow Gertrude now plans to marry his brother, Claudius. She seems to have an over-affectionate relationship with her son, Hamlet. Presumably for this reason, and on grounds of decency, the son disapproves of her mother's remarriage so soon after his father's death. The young Hamlet feels that everything is becoming too much for him: his feelings towards his mother, his father's death and the looming prospect of one day succeeding him as king which would mean having to accept him or the new king, his uncle Claudius, as a role model. What is more he is sure that it was Claudius who killed his father. How should he react in this situation ? Gertrude is soon pregnant and convinced that the child will be a boy. Hamlet feels surplus to requirements and starts to suffer fits of depression. Gertrude engages Ophelia, a high-class prostitute who also bestowed her "favours" on the late king, as a distraction for Hamlet. However, the nature of her profession is also causing Ophelia to feel depressed. She and Hamlet realise that they have an emotional bond and fall deeply in love with each other. Gertrude now persuades Claudius to murder Ophelia. Once she is dead, Gertrude sets Hamlet against Claudius so she will be rid of him as well, but her plans go awry when Claudius stabs Hamlet to death. Claudius publicly expresses his regret at the death of the crown prince before securing family ties with the pregnant Gertrude. (reproduced from the Theater an der Wien website)

The required orchestra is the following :

- 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (2nd doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (2nd doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (2nd doubling contrabassoon) ;
- 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones and 1 tuba ;
- percussions (2 players) ;
- harp, strings.

The cast includes baritone André Schuen (Hamlet), countertenor Jochen Kowalski (Dead Hamlet, former King, a spoken part), soprano Marlis Petersen (Gertrud, Queen) and baritone Bo Skovhus (Claudius) who recently performed the title role of Aribert Reimann's Lear in Paris. Michael Boder conducts the Symphony Orchestra of the Austrian Radio (ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien) and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor. Christof Loy directs.

The opera should last about 2 hours and 15 minutes. The first performance will be broadcast by Austrian Radio OE1 on Friday 16 September.

Today : world première of Bright Sheng's 'Dream of the Red Chamber' in San Francisco

Today, the San Francisco Opera presents the world première performance of Bright Sheng's new opera, Dream of the Red Chamber, with a libretto in English by David Henry Hwang and Bright Sheng, after Cao Xueqin's novel.

It i the composer's fifth opera. His previous workd for the stage include The Song of Majnun (1992) and Madame Mao (2003).

Despite his love for Dai Yu, Bao Yu is destined to marry another cousin, an attractive heiress, who might reverse the family’s declining fortunes. (reproduced from the San Francisco Opera website)

The cast includes soprano Pureum Jo (Dai Yu), tenor Yijie Shi (Bao Yu), mezzo Hyona Kim (Lady Wang), mezzo Irene Roberts (Bao Chai), contralto Qiulin Zhang (Granny Jia) and soprano Karen Chia-ling Ho (Princess Jia). George Manahan conducts the San Francisco Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Stan Lai directs.

The required orchestra is the following :

- 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons ;
- 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone ;
- harp and piano ;
- strings ;
- 2 Chinese instruments.

The performance should last about 3 hours, including one intermission. This opera is a coproduction with the Hong Kong Arts Festival. There will be two more performances there on March 17 and 18, 2017.

Received in the mail this morning : programme book for 'The Exterminating Angel' in Salzburg

This Wednesday morning, I have received in the mail the programme book published by the Salzburg Festival for the world première performance of the new opera by Thomas Adès, The Exterminating Angel, on July 28th.

It is a 244 pages book. It is entirely bilingual, English and German. It contains :

- the complete cast and crew ;
- the synopsis of the opera ;
- several color photos of the original production, as well as black & white stills from Bunuel's film ;
- pages from the original manuscript score ;
- Why do we ever do anything ?, dialogue between the composer Thomas Adès and stage director Tom Cairns ;
- Retuning the Dance - The Music of Thomas Adès, by Paul Griffiths ;
- No Exit - On Luis Bunuel's idiosyncratic disaster film 'El angel exterminador', by Christian Arseni ;
- the complete libretto ;
- biographies of the cast and crew, with black and white headshots.

All the scanned front covers of the programme books for contemporary operas I have can be viewed in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'The Exterminating Angel' by Thomas Adès in Salzburg

Today, the new opera composed by Thomas Adès, The Exterminating Angel, with a libretto by Tom Cairns and the composer after Luis Bunuel's and Luis Alcoriza's screenplay for Bunuel's film El Angel exterminador.

It is the composer's third opera, after Powder Her Face (1995) and The Tempest (2003).

A group of elegant individuals have been invited to an exclusive dinner after a performance at the opera. The raft on which they drift, cut off from the world outside, is the salon of a luxurious villa owned by their host, Edmundo de Nobile. All around land is in sight, the door to the adjacent room is open ; but although there are no obvious obstacles, no one is capable of crossing the threshold. (reproduced from the Salzburg Festival website)

The cast includes soprano Amanda Echalaz (Lucia), soprano Audrey Luna (Leticia), mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter (Leonora), soprano Sally Matthews (Silvia), tenor Charles Workman (Nobile), tenor Frédéric Antoune (Raul) and baritone David Adam Moore (Colonel). The composer conducts the Salzburger Bachchor and the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien. Tom Cairns directs.

The performance should last about 2 hours and 30 minutes. The first performance is broadcast live by Austrian Radio. Following the world première in Salzburg, the opera will then be performed in London (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), New York (The Metropolitan Opera) and Copenhagen (Det Kongelige Teater).

New program books received recently from Montréal, St. Paul and Denver

I have recently received three program books published by North American opera theatres for new contemporary operas :

- Lori Laitman : The Scarlet Letter, Denver, May 7, 2016 ;
- Kevin March : Les Feluettes, Montréal, May 21, 2016 ;
- Paul Moravec : The Shining, St. Paul, May 7, 2016.

The covers of all program books I for contemporary I have can be seen in this flickr folder.

New in my collection : programme books from Cardiff, Los Angeles and Long Beach

I have recently received a number of programme books from various opera theaters for performances (new productions or world premieres) of contemporary operas :

- Louis Andriessen : Theatre of the World, Los Angeles (Philharmonic), May 6, 2016 ;
- Iain Bell : In Parenthesis, Cardiff, Welsh National Opera, May 13, 2016 ;

- John Adams : The Death of Klinghoffer, Long Beach, March 16, 2014 ;
- Gavin Bryars : Marilyn Forever, Long Beach, March 21, 2015 (U.S. premiere) ;
- Stewart Copeland : Tell-Tale Heart, Long Beach, May 11, 2013 (U.S. premiere, double bill with Michael Gordon's Van Gogh) ;

- Philip Glass : Hydrogen Jukebox, Long Beach, May 30, 2015 ;
- David Lang : The Difficulty of Crossing a Field, Long Beach, June 22, 2014 ;
- Peter Lieberson : King Gesar, Long Beach, September 7, 2013 ;

 
- Gabriela Ortiz : Camelia la Tejana, Long Beach, March 24, 2013 ;
- Tobias Picker : Thérèse Raquin, Long Beach, January 24, 2015 ;
- Tobin Stokes : Fallujah, Long Beach, March 12, 2016.

I now have 430 programme books for contemporary operas. All scanned covers are available in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Moritz Eggert's 'Terra Nova' in Linz

Today, the Landestheater Linz presents the world première of Terra Nova, an opera in three acts composed by Moritz Eggert, with a libretto by Franzobel (a.k.a. Franz Stefan Griebl) and Rainer Mennicken.

Moritz Eggert has already composed several musical theatre pieces and operas, including Helle Nächte (Munich, 1997), Freax (Bonn, 2007), Linkerhand (Hoyeswerda, 2009) and All diese Tage (Bremen, 2011).

An apocalyptic scenario : The world government under President Ruler has not been able to prevent the exploitation and step-by-step destruction of the Earth. But Pandura, the state-certified astronomer, promises a specific utopia. A paradisiacal “sister planet” with seemingly peaceful and immortal aliens has contacted the Earth. Does this offer a chance at surviving in outer space ?! (reproduced from the Landestheater Linz website)

The cast includes tenor Jacques le Roux (Ruler), soprano Mari Moriya (Lara alias Chang'e), Anaïs Lueken (Marylin), mezzo Katerina Hebelkova (Pandura), baritone Martin Achrainer (Kolker) and tenor Sven Hjörleifsson (Armstrong). Dennis Russell Davies conducts the Bruckner Orchester Linz and the Chorus of the Landestheater Linz.

The orchestra is the following :

- 1 piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon ;
- 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, 1 bass trombone, 1 bass tuba ;
- timpani, 2 percussionists, 1 harp, electric guitar, electric bass, organ / keyboards / piano ;
- strings

The performance should last about 2 hours and 45 minutes. The score is published by Sikorski.

Today : world première of Kevin March's 'Les Feluettes' ('Lillies') in Montréal

Today, the Opéra de Montréal presents the world première of Les Feluettes (Lillies), composed by Australian composer Kevin March, with a libretto (in French) by Michel Marc Bouchard after his own play.

Kevin March has already composed three chambers operas : www.love : A 21st Century Romance (2001), Leading Lady (2004) and Razing Hypatia (2010).

In 1952 a group of ex-prisoners under the direction of Simon trap a bishop, Jean Bilodeau, and recreates a series of events for him that took place 40 years earlier when Simon and Bilodeau were at school in Roberval, a small town in Northern Quebec. Simon was in love with a young count, a ruined French aristocrat exiled with his mother (who had become mad while waiting for her husband's return and the fall of the Third Republic that would signal the return of the monarchy and the family's status). The ex-prisoners recount the troubled love story of the count and Simon and the attempts by Bilodeau to come between them. The actors are trying to get the bishop to admit to the real circumstances surrounding the death of the young count, a death for which Simon was unjustly condemned. (reproduced from the Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia)

The cast includes baritone Étienne Dupuis (Simon Doucet young), tenor Jean- Michel Richer (Le Comte Vallier de Tilly), baritone Gino Quilico (Simon Doucet old), tenor Gordon Gietz (Monseigneur Bilodeau), baritone Aaron St. Clair Nicholson (La Comtesse Marie-Laure de Tilly), coutertenor Daniel Cabena (MademoiselleLydie-Anne de Rozier), tenor James McLennan (Jean Bilodeau) and bass Claude Grenier (Timothée Doucet). Timothy Vernon conducts the Opéra de Montréal Orchestra and Chorus. Serge Denoncourt directs.

The opera is performed at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier and should last about 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one interval. As a coproduction between Opéra de Montréal and Pacific Opera Victoria, the opera will be performed at the Royal Theatre in Victoria (BC) in April 2017 with the same cast.

Today : world première of Hannah Lash's 'Beowulf' in Boston

Today, Guerilla Opera presents the world première performance of Hannah Lash's opera Beowulf, with a libretto by the composer, at the Boston Conservatory (Zack Box Theater).

It is the composer's first opera. The libretto is based on the Old English epic poem written between the 8th and early 11th century by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet. The libretto investigates what it means to be a hero.

Beowulf is a doctor caring for his elderly mother and suffering from Post-Traumatic Stresses upon his return from a recent war. (reproduced from the Guerilla Opera website)

The cast includes baritone Brian Church (Beowulf), soprano Aliana de la Guardia (Mother) and tenor Brendan Buckley (Nurse). Andrew Eggert directs. The singers are accompanied by clarinet, saxophone, violin and percussion.

The performance of this chamber opera in 2 acts should last about 80 minutes. The production program, synopsis and libretto can be downloaded from the Guerilla Opera website.

In 2006, another opera with a libretto after the same poem was composed by Elliot Goldenthal and directed by Julie Taymor. Commissioned by Los Angeles Opera, it was given its world premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on June 8, 2006.

Today : world première of Eriks Esenvalds's 'The Immured' in Riga

Today, the Latvian National Opera presents the world première performance of The Immured, an opera in two acts composed by Ēriks Ešenvalds with a libretto by Inese Zandere.

It is the composer's second opera after Joseph is a Fruitful Bough (2007).

The opera about the construction of a library, and the sacrifices without which nothing great can ever be created. It’s a modern-day legend, whose sources are found in the folklore of various European cultures, as well as in modern Latvian society. The heroes of this tale are artists and masons, librarians and politicians, their love and betrayal, faith and responsibilities. (reproduced from the Latvian National Opera website)

The cast includes tenor Raimonds Bramanis (Architect), baritone Jānis Apeinis (Builder), mezzo Laura Grecka (Poet), soprano Inga Šļubovska (Librarian), bass Rihards Mačanovskis (President) and soprano Kristīne Gailīte (Minister). Māris Sirmais conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Latvian National Opera. Laura Groza-Ķibere directs.

The performance should last about 3 hours. The first performance will be broadcast live by the Latvian National Radio.

New in my collection : 3 programme books for contemporary operas

I have recently received in the mail the programme books for the three following contemporary operas :

- Viktor Åslund : Der Steppenwolf, Würzburg, May 7, 2016 ;
- Bernhard Lang : Der Golem, Mannheim, April 16, 2016 ;
- Helmut Oehring : Agota ?, Wiesbaden, May 4, 2016.

The first one is a 36 pages brochure, entirely in German. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Tractat vom Steppenwolf, by Hermann Hesse ;
- color photos of rehearsals ;
- Verschmitzte Suggestionskraft, by Christoph Blitt ;
- Lerne, zu lachen !, by Hermann Hesse (the end of the novel Der Steppenwolf) ;
- Entdecke den Steppenwolf in dir !, by librettist Rainer Lewandowski ;
- Ein Spiel mit musikalischen Identitäten, by composer Viktor Åslund ;
- Spaziergang in Würzburg, by Hermann Hesse ;
- biographies of the composer, the librettist, the conductor, the stage director and the costume and set designer, with headshots.

The second is a 88 pages book. It is entirely in German. It contains :

- cast and crew ;
- excerpts of the Gustav Meyrink novel ;
- biography of the composer ;
- synopsis ;
- color photos of the piano dress rehearsal (April 4, 2016) ;
- Von der Legende über den Roman zur Oper, by Merle Fahrholz ;
- Eine Ode an die Schizophrenie oder Musiktheater in 22 Kapiteln, by Christine Dysers with musical quotes from the full score of the opera ;
- 22 Karten, die man auflegt wie ein Orakel, by Merle Farhrholz (interview withe the composer and the librettist and director Peter Missotten) ;
- Jetzt und für immer, by Tilman Baumgärtel ;
- Gustav Mayrink und der Okkultismus, by Jean-Jacques Pollet ;
- Der Golem des Hoch-Rabbi-Löw, poem by A. M. Tendlau ;
- Vom Siegeszug der künstlichen Intelligenz, by Hans Moravec ;
- Glossar zum Textbuch von Der Golem ;
- complete libretto.

The third one is a 24 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- the work structure ;
- Agota Kristof : Muttersprache - Feindessprachen - Schicksalsprache ;
- Das Autoren-Team : Komposition - Textbuch - Sounddesign ;
- In-Schriften, by Stefanie Wördermann, dialogue with sound designer Torsten Ottersberg and composer Helmut Oehring.

I know have 414 programme books for contemporary operas in my collection. I have uploaded all the scanned covers to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Iain Bell's 'In Parenthesis' in Cardiff

Today, the Welsh National Opera presents the world première of Iain Bell's In Parenthesis, with a libretto by David Antrobus and Emma Jenkins after the epic poem by Welsh poet David Jones.

© Peter M Mayr

 
It is the composer's third opera after A Harlot's Progress (Vienna, 2013) and A Christmas Carol (Houston, 2014).

Private John Ball and his comrades in the Royal Welch Fusiliers are posted to the Somme. In Mametz Wood they enter a strange realm – outside of time, dream-like but deadly. Even here amongst the destruction, a fragile flowering of regeneration and re-birth can be found. (reproduced from the WNO website).

The cast includes tenor Andrew Bidlack (Private John Ball), baritone Peter Coleman-Wright (Bard of Brittannia / HQ Officer), soprano Alexandra Deshorties (Bard of Germania / Alice the Barmaid / The Queen of the Woods), baritone George Humphreus (Lieutenant Jenkins), baritone Marcus Farnsworth (Lance Corporal Lewis) and tenor Graham Clark (The Marne Sergeant). Carlo Rizzi conducts the WNO Chorus and Orchestra. David Pountney directs.

After performances in Cardiff at the Wales Millennium Centre, the opera will tour to Birmingham (June 10) and the Royal Opera House in London (June-July). The opera will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 on July 2.

Today : world première of Brice Pauset's 'Wonderful Deluxe' in Luxembourg

Today, th new opera composed by Brice Pauset, Wonderful Deluxe, with a libretto in French by Youness Anzane, will be performed in Luxembourg, at the Studio theatre.

It is a monodrama for counter tenor, five voices and ensemble. The libretto was inspired by Baruch Spinoza's Ethics.

Brice Pauset’s first monodrama Exercices du silence was inspired by the life of 17^th century French mystic Louise du Néant, whose life is documented in letters to her confessors. In contrast, his second monodrama Wonderful Deluxe takes as its muse a modern day celebrity uniquely created by the media, and then treated as a commodity at constant risk of destruction.(reproduced from the Theatre website)

The main character is performed by counter tenor Dominique Visse (Azonips). Other parts have been written for members of the Britten Chorus : soprano Julia Wischniewski (L'attachée de presse), mezzo Caroline Gesret (La psy pour chien), alto Mélodie Ruvio (La Cuisinière), tenor Benjamin Alunni (Le Jardinier), and baritone Mathieu Gardon (Le Camériste). The composer conducts the United Instruments of Lucilin. Stéphane Ghislain Roussel directs.

The performance should last about 1 hour. The orchestra is the following :

- flute (also piccolo and bass flute), clarinet (also bass clarinet), saxophone (soprano and tenor) ;
- 2 percussionists, piano ;
- 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass.
(according to the Gravis publisher website).

Today : world première of Lori Laitman's 'The Scarlet Letter' in Denver.

Today, Opera Colorado in Denver presents the world première performance of Lori Laitman's opera The Scarlet Letter, with a libretto by David Mason after Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel..

© Christian Steiner

It is the composer's third opera after Come to Me in Dreams (chamber opera, Cleveland, 2004) and Ludlow (Boulder, CO, 2012).

In old Boston, a young woman, Hester Prynne, has been charged with adultery and forced to wear the scarlet letter 'A' embroidered on her breast. Just as she mounts the scaffold to receive her sentence, her husband, long presumed dead and newly escaped from captivity among the Indians, arrives and recognizes her. This man, renamed as Roger Chillingworth, begins a quest to discover the father of Hester's child. As the community wrestles with whether or not to allow Hester to continue raising her daughter, Chillingworth moves in with the pale young minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, who hides the fact that he is the father of Hester's child. In a dark night of the soul, Arthur is taunted by a local witch, and it becomes clear that he is overcome with guilt and inner conflict about his past with Hester. The two lovers meet in the forest, plotting their escape, sure they can escape the laws and mores of men in this new world. But Dimmesdale cannot forget his guilt, and during an election day ceremony he confesses his sin to the crowd, exposing a branded letter 'A' over his own heart. Dimmesdale dies at the moment of his confession, and the opera moves out into a broader, lyrical sense of time in which its stories are at least partly resolved. (reproduced from the Scarlett Letter website)

The cast includes soprano Laura Claycomb (Hester Prynne), tenor Dominic Armstrong (Arthur Dimmesdale), baritone Malcolm MacKenzie (Roger Chillingworth), baritone Daniel Belcher (Governor Bellingham), mezzo Margaret Gawrysiak (Mistress Hibbons) and tenor Kyle Erdos-Knapp (John Wilson). Ari Pelto conducts the Opera Colorado Orchestra and Chorus. Beth Greenberg directs.

The orchestra is the following :

- 2 flutes / Piccolo, 2 Oboes / English Horn, 2 Clarinets in B flat / Bass Clarinet, 2 Bassoons ;
- 2 Horns in F, Trumpet in C, Trombone ;
- timpani and percussion (Bass Drum, Chimes - high and low Eb, medium suspended Cymbal, Finger Cymbals, Gong, Snare Drum, Tambourine, Triangle ;
- Harp, Piano / Celesta ;
- Strings (8-8-6-4-2).

The performance should last about 2 hours. The venue is the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

Today : world première of Paul Moravec's 'The Shining', in St. Paul

Today, the Minnesota Opera presents the world première performance of Paul Moravec's new opera, The Shining, with a libretto by Mark Campbell after Stephen King's novel.

It is the composer's second opera after The Letter (Santa Fe, 2009) based on the Somerset Maugham play.

As the Torrance family settles in at the infamous Overlook Hotel, Jack comes face to face with his own demons – real and imagined. Will he be able to protect his wife and son from the evil forces within the hotel ? (reproduced from the Minnesota Opera website)

The cast includes soprano Kelly Kaduce (Wendy Torrance), baritone Brian Mulligan (Jack Torrance), tenor Robb Asklof (Stuart Ullman, the hotel manager), Alejandro Vega (Danny Torrance), bass Arthur Woodley (Dick Hallorann, a cook) and tenor John Robert Lindsey (Lloyd, a bartender). Michael Chrisite conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Minnesota Opera. Eric Simonson directs.

The venue is the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St Paul, MN. The performance should last about 2 hours and 10 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.

Today : world première of Viktor Aslund's 'Der Steppenwolf' in Würzburg

Today, the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg presents the world première performance of Viktor Aslund's opera Der Steppenwolf, with a libretto by Rainer Lewandowski after Hermann Hesse's novel.

Viktor Aslund has composed music of multiple styles, including, progressive rock, rock songs, chamber music, music for theatre and orchestral music.

Hermann Hesse, highly acclaimed author, poet, novelist, critic of the rich bourgeoisie and expert in analysing life crises, published in 1927 an autobiographical novel with the title Der Steppenwolf. It mixes the author's boredom of everyday life, the outburst of repressed desires and the wish to overcome all constraints of conservative philistinism. (freely adapted from the Mainfranken Theater website).

The cast includes mezzo Polina Artsis (Maria), bass baritone Bryan Boyce, soprano Silke Evers, baritone Daniel Fiolka and soprano Anja Gutgesell. Sebastian Beckedorf conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra Würzburg. Anna Vita directs.

Today : world première of Louis Andriessen's 'Theatre of the World' in Los Angeles

Today, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra presents the world première performance of Louis Andriessen's new opera, Theatre of the World (A Grotesque in 9 scenes) at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, CA.

Louis Andriessen has already composed several operas, including ROSA The Death of a Composer (Amsterdam, 1994), Writing to Vermeer (Amsterdam, 1999) and La Commedia (Amsterdam, 2008).

A boy – Kircher himself, wannabe student, the devil? – takes Kircher and Pope Innocent XI (a patron) on a life-to-death journey across some of Kircher’s wide interests, and the dialogue is polyglot, sometimes within a single passage. The great Mexican mystic/scholar/poet/nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695) was highly influenced by Kircher, and she appears as a sort of platonic intercontinental lover, singing passages from her long poem Primer sueño (First Dream). (reproduced from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra website)

The cast includes baritone Leigh Melrose (Athanasius Kircher a.k.a Padre Atanasio, 76 years old), soprano Lindsay Kesselman (A boy about twelve years), tenor Marcel Beekman (Papa Innocenzo XI), soprano Cristina Zavalloni (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz) and actor Steven van Watermeulen (Janssonius, Kircher's publisher in Amsterdam). Reinbert de Leeuw conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Pierre Audi directs, with the Quay Brothers designing sets and videos.

The performance should last about 2 hours. The required orchestra is the following :

- 2 flutes (both = piccolo, 2nd = alto flute), 2 oboes (2nd = English horn), 2 clarinets (1st = alto saxophone, 2nd = tenor saxophone), 2 bass clarinets (1st = clarinet, 2nd = contrabass clarinet), 2 bassoons (2nd = contrabassoon) ;
- 2 horns, 2 trumpets (both = flugelhorn), 2 trombones
- timpani, percussion (African marimba, bass drum, bells, bongos, castanets, chains, cowbells, 5 cymbals, drum kit, glockenspiel, gongs, guiro, iron, lion’s roar, log drum, maracas, 2 metals, 2 snare drums, tambourine, tom-toms, triangle, tubular bells, unpitched bell or rattle or rasp, vibraphone, whip, woodblocks, xylophone)
- piano (= celesta), harp, synthesizer, electric guitar, bass guitar
- strings (reproduced from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra website)

After 2 performances in Los Angeles, the work will subsequently be performed by the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam in June 2016.

Today : world première of Helmut Oehring's 'Agota' in Wiesbaden

Today, the Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden presents the world première of Helmut Oehring's new work for the stage : Agota ? Die Analphabetin, a melodrama with a libretto by Stefanie Wördemann after texts by Ágota Kristóf.

© Jens Oellermann

Since 1993, Helmut Oehring has composed numerous musical theatre pieces, including AscheMOND oder The Fairy Queen (2013).

The search for identity in a strange world: this is the fundamental subject matter permeating the narratives of Hungarian author Ágota Kristóf, who lived in exile in French-speaking Switzerland from 1956 until her death in 2011. Experiencing her “exiled language” as foreign until the end, this feeling of loss and the search for linguistic understanding became the very centre of Kristóf’s work.(reproduced from the Staatstheater Wiesbaden website)

The actress Dagmar Manzel plays the role of Agota, accompanied by the Ensemble Modern conducted by Peter Rundel. Ingo Kerkhof directs.

New in my collection : programme book for Peter Aderhold's 'Orlando' in Braunschweig

This Tuesday morning, I have received in the mail the programme book published by the Staatstheater Braunschweig for the world première performance of Peter Aderhold's Orlando.

It is a 48 pages booklet. It contains :

- color photos of the production ;
- the complete cast and crew ;
- the synopsis ;
- biographies of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West ;
- Zur Virginia Woolfs "Orlando", by Heide Hollmer ;
- Alle Grenzen sprengen, by Sarah Grahneis : a discussion with composer Peter Aderhold and director Roland Schwab ;
- the complete libretto, by Sharon L. Joyce ;
- biographies : composer, librettist, conductor, director, set and costume designer, and singers, all with black & white headshots.

It is the 410th programme book for contemporary opera I have in my collection. All the scanned covers are in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Mark Simpson's 'Pleasure' by Opera North in Leeds

Today, Mark Simpson's chamber opera, Pleasure, with a libretto by Melanie Challenger, will be performed in Leeds by Opera North, at the Howard Assembly Rooms.

It is the composer's first opera.

Val works the toilets in 'Pleasure', a hedonistic gay club in the north of England. For years, she’s been a shoulder to cry on and a confidante. She is much-loved but viewed as an enigma. Why is she still there? Why does she never leave? When a young man, both beautiful and unpredictable, arrives from the city and leaves a gift for Val, it marks the beginning of a passionate and violent night… (reproduced from the Opera North website)

The cast includes soprano Lesley Garrett (Val), tenor Nick Pritchard (Matthew), baritones Timothy Nelson (Nathan) and Steven Page (Anna Fewmore). Nicholas Kok conducts the Psappha Ensemble. Tim Albery conducts. The performance should last about 75 minutes.

The production will tour to Liverpool (Playhouse, May 4), Aldeburgh (Britten Studio, May 7) and London (Lyric Hammersmith, May 12-14).