Today : world première of 'The Snow Queen' by Samuel Penderbayne in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper Berlin presents the world première of Die Schneekönigin (The Snow Queen), a children opera composed by Samuel Penderbayne with a libretto by Christian Schönfelder based on Christian Andersen's tale.

It is the composer's second opera after I.th.Ak.A (Hamburg, April 6, 2018).

Gerda and Kay are best friends. Yet when Kay gets a splinter in his eye, everything changes in an instant. He finds Gerda and his other friends childish, plain and silly, and follows the enticing voice of the icily beautiful Snow Queen. Now Gerda sets off, and while she searches for Kay she finds herself: in the eerily beautiful realm of the Flower Queen, the humdrum golden court of the Princess, the dangerous and dark cave of the Robber Queen, she learns to stand up for herself and her friends. With help from the Crow and the Reindeer she finally finds the way to the cold north of Lapland, and is able to free Kay from the Snow Queen's clutches with the true power of friendship – laughter. (reproduced from the Deutsche Oper Berlin website)

The cast includes soprano Sophia Körber, soprano Theresa Pilsl, mezzo Marlene Gaßner and baritone Martin Gerke. They are accompanied by five musicians including a clarinet, a tuba and a synthesiser. Brigitte Dethier directs.

The performance should last 70 minutes. No interval. The venue is the Tischlerei.

Today : world première of 'Oceane' by Detlev Glanert in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin presents the world première of Oceane, an opera in two acts composed by Detlev Glanert, with a libretto in German by Hans-Ulrich Treichel based on Theodor Fontane's Oceane von Parceval. 

(c) Bettina Stoess

Detlev Glanert has already composed several operas, including Joseph Süß (Bremen, 1999), Caligula (Frankfurt, 2006) and Solaris (Bregenz, 2012).

Oceane von Parceval is an attempt to encapsulate in the form of Melusine the sense of menace and fascination felt by a bourgeois, male-dominated society faced with femininity coupled with an archaic, erotically permissive artlessness. Oceane’s inability to sympathise with human destinies serves to amplify her alien nature. She is indifferent to death and love alike, and as such her attempt to have a relationship with a young landowner, Martin von Dircksen, is doomed to failure. (reproduced from the Boosey & Hawkes website)

The cast includes soprano Maria Bengtsson (Oceane von Parceval), tenor Nikolai Schukoff (Martin von Dircksen), baritone Christoph Pohl (Dr Albert Felgentreu), soprano Nicole Haslett (Kristina), bass Albert Pesendorfer (Pastor Baltzer) and mezzo Doris Soffel (Madame Louise). Donald Runnicles conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Robert Carsen directs.

The required orchestra is the following (reproduced from the publisher's website):

- 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 1 English horn, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons ;
- 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- percussions (3) ;
- 2 harps, celesta and strings.

The performance should last 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one interval.

The score is published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Today : world première of 'Nacht bis Acht' by François Sarhan in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper Berlin presents the world première of Nacht bis Acht, a musical theatre composed by François Sarhan for all aged 6 and over, with a libretto by the composer.

It is the composer's second opera after A King, Lear (Le Havre, 2010).

Fedora is playing with her magpie when she should actually be asleep, because her alarm clock is due to go off at 8 am the next morning. But then strange things begin to happen. The clocks start to play up and a clockmaker sets about trying to save time. The sun bearer has problems with a moon reluctant to rise. Seafarers responsible for the daily ebb and flow of the tides are thrown off their stroke. Situations and characters become more and more absurd as Fedora bumps into a pair of twins dead set on rowing across the Atlantic or is challenged to a game of table tennis by a tiger who then turns into a wild guitar. (reproduced from the Deutsche Oper website)

The cast includes soprano Meechot Marrero (Fedora), baritone Thomas Lehman (Sun Carrier / Miss Soupbowl / Don Quixote). The soloists are accompanied by a guitar (Seth Josel, who also performs the character of Sancho), a clarinet and a piano (conductor Elda Laro). Anselm Dalferth directs.

The venue is the Tischlerei. The performance starts at 4 pm and should last about 45 minutes.

Today : world première of 'Wir aus Glas' by Yasutaki Inamori in Munich

Today, the Münchner Biennale (Festival of new music theater) presents the world première of Wir aus Glas, a musical theatre piece composed by Yasutaki Inamori with a libretto by Gerhild Steinbuch.

It is the composer's first work for the stage.

An apartment, five persons, seven days: the apartment becomes a world. Comfortably packed in the interior of the bubble, familiar everyday rituals and dealing with familiar things secure and protect the persons from an outside, which for a long time now one only knows about from hearsay. Home, hearth, and living room endow identity and keep fear at bay : fear of the unknown, fear of the uncontrollable, fear of the unfamiliar. The constructed 'ideal world' is not allowed to collapse, and so the outsider becomes an aggressor, whose 'otherness' has to be suppressed, because he questions one's self. (reproduced from the Münchner Biennale website)

The cast includes soprano Alexandra Hutton, mezzo Michelle Daly, tenor Clemens Bieber ; baritone Thomas Florio and actor Steffen Scheumann. Elda Laro conducts the Opera Lab Berlin. David Hermann directs.
The instrumental ensemble consists of 1 oboe, 1 bassoon, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone / tuba, 1 violin and 1 violoncello.

The score is published by Edition Gravis.

The performance should last about 90 minutes. The venue is the Muffathalle. After five performances in Munich, the production will be performed in Berlin at the Deutsche Oper (Tischlerei), starting on June 19.

Today : world première of Gordon Kampe's 'Frankenstein' in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin presents the world première of Gordon Kampe's new musical theatre piece, Frankenstein, with a libretto based on Mary Shelley's novel.

He has already composed several pieces in the same genre, including the very successful Kannst du pfeifen, Johanna (2013).

Like a Doctor Faustus, like Prometheus, Viktor Frankenstein seems to be overstepping the bounds of human capacity when he creates living matter out of dead flesh. Director Maximilian von Mayenburg and his design team are transforming the Tischlerei into a laboratory - in which the audience will be in on the creation of human life and get a feel of the trials and tribulations of both creator and monster against an atmospheric backdrop of musical shards and sound effects. (reproduced from the Deutsche Oper Berlin website)

The cast includes soprano Sandra Hamaoui, tenor Andrew Dickinson, actor Christopher Nell and Actress Anna Rot. Jens Holzkamp conducts musicians from the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper. Maximilian von Mayenburg directs. The performance takes place at the Tischlerei.

The American composer Mark Grey already composed an opera with the same title, first performed in Brussels on June 14, 2016.

Received : programme book for Aribert Reimann's 'L'Invisible' in Berlin

Last Friday, I received in the mail the programme book published by the Deutsche Oper Berlin for the world première performance of Aribert Reimann's 'trilogie lyrique' L'Invisible.

It is a 48 pages book. It contains :

- the synopsis ;
- Ein Kreislauf des Schrecklichen, the composer in dialogue with dramaturge Jörg Königsdorf ;
- Der musikalische Kern einer theatralischen Frucht, by Belgian writer Jacques De Decker ;
- several colour photos of the production, by Bernd Uhlig (16 pages) ;
- Todesakkord und Vokalpolyfonie, by dramaturge Sebastian Hanusa ;
- Ein Stück über Leben und Tod, by director Vasily Barkhatov ;
- Aribert Reimann und die Deutsche Oper Berlin ;
- Synopsis, in English.

The programme is entirely in German, with the exception of the English synopsis. There is also a separate 8 pages leaflet with the complete cast and crew and biographies.

I now have 490 programme books for contemporary operas. I have uploaded scans of the covers to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Aribert Reimann's 'L'Invisible' in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin presents the world première of L'Invisible, composed by Aribert Reimann, with a libretto in French by the composer after three short plays by Maurice Maeterlinck : Intruder, Interior and The Death of Tintagiles.

It is the composer's ninth opera, since Ein Traumspiel (Kiel, 1965). His operatic output includes Lear (Munich, 1978), Die Gespenstersonate (Berlin, 1984), Das Schloss (Berlin, 1992) and Medea (Vienna, 2010).

The three plays provided variations on the themes of the inescapable fact of death and people’s helplessness when faced with it. Spaces are created that are, at once, bourgeois salon and folk-tale castle, dream and nightmare vision. And the work features characters who, in their everyday conversations, try to distract people from the unutterability of their sorrow, cruelty, helplessness and fears. (reproduced from the Deutsche Oper Berlin website)

The cast includes soprano Rachel Harnisch, mezzo soprano Annika Schlicht, mezzo soprano Ronnita Miller, bass baritone Seth Carico, bass baritone Stephen Bronk and tenor Thomas Blondelle. Donald Runnicles conducts the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper. Vasily Barkhatov directs.

A perusal score is available on the Schott music publisher website. The required orchestra is the following :

- Piccolo, 2 Flutes, Alto Flute, Bass Flute, Oboe, English Horn, Heckelphone, Clarinet in E flat, Clarinet in B flat, Bass Clarinet in B flat, Double Bass Clarinet in B flat, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon ;
- 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in C, 3 Trombones, Tuba ;
- Timpani, 6 Gongs, 2 Harps
- Strings (12-12-10-8-6).

Received this morning : programme book for Scartazzini's 'Edward II.' in Berlin

This morning, I have received in the mail the programme book published by the Deutsche Oper Berlin for the world première performance of Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini's opera Edward II. on February 19, 2017.

It is a 72 pages book. It contains :

- synopsis, by stage director Christof Loy ;
-Überlagerungen, by Dorothea Hartmann ;
- Menschenjagd, by Walter Sofsky ;
- Absetzung und Tyrannenmord, by Kristin Marek ;
- Anpassungsstörungen, by Yvonne Gebauer ;
- complete libretto by Thomas Jonigk ;
- synopsis in English ;
- biographies of librettist and composer ;
- color photos of the piano dress rehearsal on February 9 (by Monika Rittershaus) ;
- various texts by Thomas Bernhard, Wolfgang Sofsky ;
- numerous illustrations : director's sketches, composer's handwritten sketches, drawings by Marko Velk.

There is a separate 4 pages booklet with complete cast and crew and biographies of conductor and singers.

I now have 447 programme books for contemporary operas. All scanned covers are in this flickr folder (more to come soon).

Today : world première of Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini's 'Edward II.' in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin presents the world première of Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini's
Edward II., with a libretto by Thomas Jonigk.

(c) Janis Huber

It is the composer's third opera after Wut (Erfurt, 2006) and Der Sandmann (Basel, 2012). Thomas Jonigk's libretto is based on Christopher Marlowe's homonymous play and Ralph Holinshed's Chronicles of England.

Edward II keeps bad company, and the friend he needs least is Piers de Gaveston. The king’s childhood playmate and favourite pal, Gaveston is showered with power and fiefdoms, to the annoyance of the peers of England. So it is that Edward’s regency is overshadowed by assorted conflicts revolving around this resented friendship. When the nobles finally take their revenge, the battle lines are drawn between peers and loyalists and a period of violence and bloodshed ensues. The protégé is murdered; the king is deposed and, according to folklore, killed in a particularly gory manner. (reproduced from the Deutsche Oper Berlin's website)

The cast includes baritone Michael Nagy (Edward II.), soprano Agneta Eichenholz (Isabella), tenor Ladislav Elgr (Piers de Gaveston), bass baritone Andrew Harris (Roger Mortimer), tenor Burkhard Ulrich (Walter Langton) and tenor James Kryshak (Lightborn). Thomas Søndergard conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Christof Loy directs.

The full score of the opera is available on the Bärenreiter Verlag website. According to the score, the required orchestra is the following :

- 3 flutes (3. also piccolo and bass flute), 3 oboes, 3 clarinets (1. and 2. also basset horns, 3. also bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (3. also contraforte) ;
- 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets, 3 tenorbass trombones (3. also bass trombone), 1 contrabass tuba ;
- synthesizer, 2 harps, percussion (5 players) ;
- strings (12-12-10-8-6) ;
- tape.

The performance should last about 90 minutes, with no interval. It seems there is no broadcast planned yet.

Today : world première of 'The Wanderings of Odysseus' by Ole Hübner in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper in Berlin presents the world première performance of Die Irrfahrten des Odysseus by Ole Hübner. The opera will be performed at the Tischlerei.

The work is presented as a 'musical theatre for persons aged 10 and over'. The libretto is based on Homer's Odyssey.

The story centres not on gods or mythical creatures but on a single man with the inner conflict that is part of the human condition. Odysseus is a hero and villain, a family man and power politician, incorrigibly inquisitive and inventive, simultaneously a plaything of the gods and a rebel against them. (reproduced from the Deutsche Oper website)

Johannes Hendrik Langer is the vocal performer, with actors Tom Quaas, Jakob Kraze and Johannes Hendrik Langer. They are joined by an instrumental sextet consisting of double bass, percussions, guitar, piano and saxophone, with the composer at the live electronics. Harriet Maria Meining and Peter Meining conceived the stage direction and designed the sets.

Received in the mail this Saturday morning

This Saturday morning, I received the following items in the mail :

- Berlin, Deutsche Oper : August October 2014 leaflet ;
- Berlin, Konzerthaus : September October 2014 brochure ;
- Gelsenkirchen, Musiktheater im Revier : September October 2014 leaflet ;
- Helsinki, Finnish National Opera : Spring 2014 and Autumn 2014 brochures ;
- Koblenz, Theater : September October 2014 leaflet.

New season 2014-2015 at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin

The main hall on Bismarckstraße will be closed from September to December 2014 in order to replace the stage machinery. Operas will be performed in concert during that time (Meyerbeer's Dinorah, Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, Donizetti's Roberto Devereux. But a few performances are scheduled in other places :

- Iannis Xenakis : Oresteia, conducted by Moritz Gnann, directed by David Hermann, on the car park of the opera house (new production) ;
- Matthew Herbert : The Crackle, directed by Matthew Herbert and Sasha Milavic Davies (the opera was first performed last April in the Linbury Studio in London) ;
- Benjamin Britten : The Rape of Lucretia, conducted by Nicholas Carter, directed by Fiona Shaw, in the Haus der Berliner Festspiele (production from the Glyndebourne Festival, 2013).

Four new productions are announced (but only two are really new) :

- Dmitri Shostakovich : Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, conducted by Donald Runnicles, directed by Ole Anders Tandberg. As a coproduction with Den Norske Opera in Oslo, it is to be first performed in Norway in September, and then in Berlin ;
- Giacomo Puccini : La Rondine, conducted by Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, directed by Rolando Villazon ;
- Hector Berlioz : Roméo et Juliette, conducted by Donald Runnicles, directed by Sasha Waltz. It was already performed in Milan in December 2012 ;
- Charles Gounod : Faust, conducted by Marco Armiliato, directed by Philipp Stölzl.

No less than 24 productions will be revived : 5 operas by Giacomo Puccini, 4 by Giuseppe Verdi, 2 by Gaetano Donizetti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner, 1 by Hector Berlioz, Georges Bizet, Engelbert Humperdinck, Sergei Prkofiev, Gioachino Rossini, Camille Saint-Saëns, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Received in the mail this Saturday morning

In answer to my e-mails earlier this week, I received the following in the mail this morning :

- Amsterdam, Nationale Opera & Ballet (new name for the previous De Nederlandse Opera) : 2014-2015 season book ;
- Berlin, Deutsche Oper : 2014-2015 season book, with June 2014 leaflet ;
- Berlin, Staatsoper im Schiller Theater : 2014-2015 season book, May and June 2014 leaflets ;
- Braunschweig, Staatstheater : 2014-2015 season book ;
- Düsseldorf / Duisburg, Deutsche Oper am Rhein : 2014-2015 season book and June 2014 leaflet ;
- Genève, Grand Théâtre : 2014-2015 sason book ;
- Heidelberg, Theater und Orchester : 2014-2015 season book (two copies) ;
- Leipzig, Oper : 2014-2015 season book ;
- Luzern, Theater : 2014-2015 season book ;
- Mainz, Staatstheater : 2014-2015 season book.

Received in the mail this Tuesday morning

This Tuesday morning, I have received the following in the mail :

- Berlin, Deutsche Oper : June 2014 brochure ;
- Berlin, Konzerthaus : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Giessen, Stadttheater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Heidelberg, Theater und Orchester : Schlossfestspiele 2014 brochure ;
- Strasbourg, Opéra national du Rhin : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Stuttgart, Staatstheater : June 2014 leaflet ;
- Trier, Theater : June 2014 leaflet.