New programme book in my collection : 'Dark Spring' by Hans Thomalla in Mannheim

 Yesterday, I have received the programme book published by the Nationaltheater Mannheim for the world première performance of Dark Spring, a new opera composed by Hans Thomalla with a libretto by the composer after Frank Wedekind's play Frühlings Erwachen.

 

It is a 72 pages book, entirely in German. It contains :

- the complete cast for the world première performance ;

- plot summary ;

- a conversation between composer Hans Thomalla, stage director Barbora Horakova and Cordula Dermattio ;

- Das Gehabe, an excerpt of Édouard Louis' novel Das Ender von Eddy ;

- 16 pages of colour photos from the rehearsals ;

- the complete libretto in the original English, with a German translation ;

- short biographies of composer, conductor, stage director and sets and costumes designer.

I have catalogued all my programme books on LibraryThing.

Today : world première of 'Dark Spring' by Hans Thomalla in Mannheim

 

Today, the Nationaltheater Mannheim presents the world première of Dark Spring, an opera in 11 scenes, composed by Hans Thomalla with a libretto by the composer based on Frank Wedekind's play Frühlingserwachen.

 

It is the composer's third opera, after Fremd (Stuttgart, July 2, 2011) and Kaspar Hauser (Freiburg, April 9, 2016). Belgian composer Benoît Mernier also adapted the play as an opera (first performed at La Monnaie in Brussels, March 9, 2007).

Dark Spring is an opera about four young people under extreme pressure: the pressure to overachieve academically, to score high in the popularity contests at school or at college, and to perform romantically or sexually. The pressure has become entirely internalized as parents or teachers are absent and the protagonists are left alone with late capitalism’s demands of permanent self-optimization. The conflict between the expectation to succeed on the one hand and the sense of powerlessness and unattainable self-determination in an era of constant stagnation on the other hand grows increasingly acute until it eventually flips into violence: into Melchior’s sexual aggression and Moritz suicide. (reproduced from the NTM website).

The cast includes mezzo Shachar Lavi (Wendla), mezzo Anna Hybiner (Ilse), countertenor Magid El-Bushra (Moritz) and tenor Christopher Diffey (Melchior). Alan Pierson conducts the Nationaltheater-Orchester. Barbora Horáková Joly directs.

The performance should last about 90 minutes. No intermission.

 

3 new programme books in my collection

I have recently received in the mail the programme books for the 3 following contemporary operas :

- Sidney Corbett : Die Andere, Magdeburg, March 18, 2016 ;
- Alexander Muno : Sogno d'un mattino di primavera, Detmold, April 8, 2016 ;
- Hans Thomalla : Kaspar Hauser, Freiburg, April 9, 2016.

 The first one is a 36 pages brochure. It contains :

- The synopsis ;
- Die biblische Vorlage (excerpt from the Bible, Genesis 11) ;
- Stammvater Abraham, by Hans Küng ;
- Auf der Suche nach den Erzvätern, by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman ;
- color photos of rehearsals ;
- conversation with librettist Christoph Hein and composer Sidney Corbett, by Ulrike Schröder ;
- Monotheismus und Gewalt, by Jan Assmann ;
- an excerpt of the libretto ;
- Die Musik weiß, was sie braucht, by composer Sidney Corbett ;
- Scheiternde Väter, by Jürgen Ebach ;
- Ein Leben in Polygamie, by Rosaline Massado ;
- Gefährliche Symbolpolitik, by Susanne Knaul ;
- biographies of Sidney Corbett and Christoph Hein.

It is entirely in German. Attached are a 16 pages booklet with the complete libretto in German, and a leaflet with the complete cast and crew.

The second is a 68 pages brochure. It contains :

- color photos of rehearsals ;
- complete cast and crew ;
- the synopsis ;
- Alexander Muno und Gabriele d'Annunzio ;
- Der Dichter Gabriele d'Annunzio : Todgesagte leben länger ;
- Psychologische Funktion der Farben, by Harald Braehm ;
- Trauma & Dissoziation ;
- Rot ist die Strassfarbe, by Harald Braehm ;
- the composer's biography ;
- Die Abgründigkeit des Textes, a dialogue with the composer.

It is entirely in German.

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

- complete cast and crew ;
- the synopsis ;
- Kaspar Hauser Lied, by Georg Trakl ;
- Pro und Contra Kaspar Hauser ;
- several color photos of rehearsals ;
- Von Stiliseirungen und Meteoriten, excerpts reproduced from the magazine Die deutsche Bühne ;

It is entirely in German.

I know have 407 programme books for contemporary operas. The scanned covers are available in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Hans Thomalla's 'Kaspar Hauser' in Freiburg

Today, Hans Thomalla's second opera, Kaspar Hauser, opera in three acts with a libretto by the composer, will be performed by the Theater Freiburg.

It is Thomalla's second opera after Fremd (Stuttgart, 2011).

In May 1828, a strange young man appears suddenly in Nuremberg. He moves strangely, produces strange noises and repeats hearsay in a strangely distorted language. All attempts to solve the mystery of his identity may prove inconclusive, making it the perfect projection screen for the sensationalism of the population, a society that is obsessed to fill the void of his biography. Without origin, language and civilization, he is the object of medical, educational and pseudo-scientific experiments. (reproduced from the Oper Köln website)

The cast includes countertenor Xavier Sabata (Kaspar Hauser) and several singers as citizens from Nuremberg and Ansbach. Daniel Carter conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra Freiburg. Frank Hilbrich directs.