Today : world première of 'Le Miroir d'Alice' by Thomas Nguyen in Reims

Today, the Opéra de Reims presents the world première of Le Miroir d'Alice (Alice's Mirror), a children opera composed by Thomas Nguyen with a libretto by Brigitte Macadré based on Lewis Carroll.

It is the composer's third opera after La petite marchade d'allumettes (after Andersen's tale, Reims, 2011) and La Tranchée des Berlingots (Reims, 2015).

Since Alice and her friends can not repeat their end-of-year piece, they decide to go to the Hanging Rock, whose mysterious atmosphere will help them focus. But one of the girls, Paula, disappears, victim of a strange curse. Alice decides to go looking for her and her quest will take her to the Mirror World, with a white rabbit for a guide ... (freely adapted from the Opéra de Reims website)

The cast includes mezzo Ambroisine Bré (Alice), mezzo Victoire Bunel (Paula / The Mad Hatter / The Cheshire Cat), soprano Judith Derouin (Young Paula, The White Rabbit), soprano Amandine Ammirati (Paula's Double / The White Queen), tenor Etienne Duhil de Bénazé (Paula's Brother / The White Knight / The Jack of Hearts), baritone Igor Bouin (Louis / The March Hare / The Red King / Tweedledum) and baritone Romain Dayez (Martin / Dormouse / Red Knight / Tweedledee). Bertrand Causse conducts the Orchestra. Gauthier Lefèvre directs.

The performance should last about 90 minutes.

May 2nd, 2015 : world première of 'Alice in Wunderland', opera by Johannes Harneit, in Gera

Today, Saturday May 2nd, 2015, Alice in Wunderland, the new 'chamber opera for children and adults' composed by Johannes Harneit will be performed for the first time in Gera (Bühne am Park).

The libretto by Lis Arends is an adaptation of the world famous novel by Lewis Carroll. This is at least the third lyrical work composed after this work. Previous operas on the same subject include works by Peter Westergaard (2006) and Unsuk Chin (Munich, 2007).

On a hot, long summer day, the little girl Alice encounters a white rabbit with a clock – she follows him into his hutch and thus becomes immersed in a fascinating world full of absurdities and peculiar challenges. But everything in Wonderland that perhaps appears senseless or arbitrary at first glance reveals itself to be logical and providing of new insights. Alice encounters a mouse, the Mad Hatter, the Marchrabbit, a smoking caterpillar, a grinning cat that can simply dissolve into the air, and the dominating Queen of Hearts in command of an entire army of playing cards. Alice faces up to all situations, full of courage and curiosity; these become ever more threatening until they ultimately become a matter of death or freedom. (reproduced from the Sikorski website)

The main parts will be performed by members of the Thüringer Opernstudio : Anja Elz, Sin Ae Choi, Jaegyeong Jo, Eleonora Vacchi and Salomon Zulic del Canto. Holger Krause conducts and Cornelia Poppe directs.