Today : world première of Alois Bröder's 'Unverhofftes Wiedersehen' in Würzburg

Today, the Mainfranken Theater in Würzburg presents the world première of Alois Bröder's Unverhofftes Wiedersehen (Unexpeted Reunion), with a libretto by the composer based on Johann Peter Hebel's homonymous calendar story.

(c) Lutz Edelhoff

 

It is the composer's second opera after Die Frauen der Toten (The Wives of the Dead, with a libretto after Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale), first performed in Erfurt in 2013.

A young couple praises eternal fidelity just before the wedding. But the man is engaged in mining and does not return from work the next day. Fifty years later, the young girl has become an old woman. There is a great deal of excitement when a body is found on the shaft. The identity of the main remains a mistery until an old woman steps forward and recognizes her own fiance. At his funeral, she bids farewell with the anticipation of an early reunion. (freely adapted from the Mainfrankentheater website)

The cast includes soprano Silke Evers (Anna), tenor Roberto Ortiz (Mathias), baritone Daniel Fiolka (Der Tod) and bass Taiyu Uchiyama (Pfarrer). Enrico Calesso conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Mainfranken Theater. Markus Weckesser directs.

The performance should last about 75 minutes. The required orchestra is the following :
- 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon ;
- 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone ;
- 1 harp, 1 piano and 2 percussionists ;
- strings (1.1.1.1.1).

The performance will take place backstage of the opera house. In February 2018, this new opera will have its Austrian première in Linz, at the BlakBox Musiktheater, in a new production directed by Gregor Horres.

Today : world première of Andrew Norman's 'A Trip to the Moon' in Berlin

Today, the Berliner Philharmoniker presents the world première of Andrew Norman's children opera A Trip to the Moon, with a libretto by the composer inspired by Georges Méliès' 1902 silent film.

It is the composer's first opera.

The opera follows a band of bumbling astronomers and their documentarian (the young George Méliès himself) as they explore the moon, attempt to fix their broken rocket, and meet a community of Selenites, mysterious moon people who are facing a perilous threat of their own... (reproduced from the LSO website)

The cast includes soprano Sophia Burgos, soprano Iwona Sobotka and tenor Peter Tantsits. Sir Simon Rattle conducts members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and several community choirs. Ela Baumann directs.

The required orchestra is the following (according to the Schott Music website) :

- 3 flutes, 3 clarinets ;
- 3 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- 3 percussionists ;
- piano and strings.

The performance should last about 50 minutes. The opera will also be performed by the LSO in July 2017 and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in March 2018.

Today : world première of Brett Dean's 'Hamlet' in Glyndebourne (and programme book)

Today, the Glyndebourne Festival presents the world première of Brett Dean's Hamlet, an opera in two acts with a libretto by Matthew Jocelyn based on Shakespeare.

It is the composer's second opera after Bliss (Sydney, March 12, 2010).

Thoughts of murder and revenge drive Hamlet when he learns that it was his uncle Claudius who killed his father, the King of Denmark, then seized his father’s crown and wife. But Hamlet’s vengeance vies with the question: is suicide a morally valid deed in an unbearably painful world ? (reproduced from the Glyndebourne Festival website)

The cast includes tenor Allan Clayton (Hamlet), mezzo Sarah Connolly (Gertrude), soprano Barbara Hannigan (Ophelia), bass-baritone Rod Gilfry (Claudius), tenor Kim Begley (Polonius), bass John Tomlinson (Ghost of Old Hamlet). Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glyndebourne Chorus. Neil Armfield directs.

The required orchestra is the following (according to the Boosey & Hawkes website) :

- 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons ;
- 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- percussion (4 players) ;
- timpani, accordion, harp, keyboard ;
- strings (10.8.6.6.4)

These numbers include two identical trios, each consisting of 1 clarinet, 1 trumpet and 1 percussion, to be stationed in the theatre throughout.

The performance should last about 140 minutes, and the complete performance including interval should last about 4 hours.

The programme book for the complete Festival is a large 144 pages book. It contains 11 pages on Hamlet :

- the synopsis ;
- complete cast and crew ;
- a discussion with the creative team (composer, librettist, conductor, director, leading man Allan Clayton and dramaturg Cori Ellison) ;
- We who are Hamlet, by Sarah Crompton ;
- Will the real Hamlet please stand up ? by James Shapiro ;
- artists biographies for the whole Festival, with black and white headshots.

I now have 476 programme books for contemporary operas. All scanned covers are in this flickr folder.

Three new programme books in my collection

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

- Chaya Czernowin : Infinite Now, Gent (Opera Vlaanderen), April 18, 2017 ;
- Moritz Eggert : Caliban, Amsterdam (De Nationale Opera), March 25, 2017 ;
- Lliam Paterson : The 8th Door, Glasgow (Scottish Opera), March 28, 2017.

The first one is a 72 pages book. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- Instap. Vreemdgaan en thuiskomen in 'Infinite Now', by Luc Joosten ;
- synopsis ;
- Structuur van het werk ;
- Homecoming, Can Xue - een schrijfster van de ziel ;
- Chaya Czernowin, een portret ;
- Kunst kan een soort laboratorium zijn voor het leven, an interview with the composer ;
- Vergeten waar niet te vergeten valt, an interview with director Luk Perceval ;
- De biografie van een werk - Luk Perceval bij het begin van de repetitie ;
- Het besef van iets wat ons in stand houdt - Chaya Czernowin bij het begin van de repetitie ;
- Over de muziek in 'Infinite Now' ;
- the complete libretto in Dutch ;
- biographies of all the artists with black and white headshots.

The complete book is entirely in Dutch.

The second one is a 16 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- Over het stuk - About the piece, bilingual synopsis in Dutch and English ;
- Artistiek team en cast (biographies).

The third one is a 56 page book. It contains :

- Cast & Creative team ;
- Synopsis and Director's note (by Matthew Lenton) ;
- biographies of director and composer, with colour headshots ;
- The 8th Door, by David Kettle (music critic) ;
- biographies of artists with black and white headshots.

The book is entirely in English. About a fourth of it is dedicated to Paterson's work. The other part is about Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle.

I now have 475 programmes for contemporary operas in my collection. I have uploaded the scanned covers in this flickr folder.