Today : world première of 'Les Bienveillantes' by Hèctor Parra in Antwerpen

Today, the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerpen presents the world première of Les Bienveillantes (The Kindly Ones), an opera in 2 parts and 7 scenes composed by Hèctor Parra, with a libretto by Händl Klaus based on Jonathan Littell's novel.

It is Parra's sixth work for the stage, after Das geopferte Leben (Munich, May 2014) and Wilde (Schwetzingen, May 2015).

The main character, SS officer Max Aue, is not only a witness but above all, also a participant in the horrors of war, but he is not burdened by it. (reproduced from the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen website)

The cast includes tenor Rainer Trost (Maximilian Aue), soprano Rachel Harnisch (Una Moreau), soprano Nadja Michael (Héloïse Aue), tenor David Alegret (Aristide Moreau) and baritone Günter Papendell (Thomas Hauser). Peter Rundel conducts the Symfonisch Orkest and Koor of the Opera Vlaanderen. Calixto Bieito directs.

The opera is coproduced with the Staatstheater Nürnberg and the Teatro Real Madrid.

May 22nd, 2015 : world première of Hèctor Parra's 'Wilde' in Schwetzingen

Today, Hèctor Parra's new opera, Wilde, with a libretto by Händl Klaus, will be performed for the first time at the Rokokotheater in Schwetzingen, as part of the Schwetzingen Festival.

It is Parra's fifth opera since Zangezi in 2007.

Gunter aus Bleibach has just arrived in Neumünster an der Lau. The connecting train that will take him to his parents does not leave until tomorrow. He bumps into the Flick brothers who retain him. The compelling delay will help Gunter to achieve catharsis : his experiences as a war doctor haunt him, but the three Flick sisters promise him healing. (from the Festival website)

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

- 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons ;
- 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 1 tuba :
- percussion (2) ;
- 1 harp ;
- strings (6.6.4.4.2).

The cast is the following : bass baritone Ekkehard Abele (Gunter aus Bleibach), soprano Marisol Montalvo (Hedy Flick), mezzo Mireille Lebel (Angela Flick), soprano Lini Gong (Iris Flick), tenor Vincent Lièvre-Picard (Hanno Flick), countertenor Bernhard Landauer (Emil Flick) and actor Ernst Alisch (Wolfgang Flick). The Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR is conducted by Peter Rundel. Calixto Bieito directs.

The opera will be broadcast by SWR2 on Sunday, June 7th, 2015.