Today : world première of 'Aliénor' by Alain Voirpy in Limoges

 

Today, the Opéra de Limoges presents the world première of Aliénor, Allah i Nour, Queens of Light, an opera composed by Alain Voirpy.

 

It is the composer's first opera.

The action takes place at the crossroads of multiple temporal fractures, illustrating the permanence of the fight led by women to defend their legitimate rights: Eleanor, in the Middle Ages, recluse in a castle in England, alone, facing her past, her demons, her guilt, but also the frustrations of the queen, the mother and the Christian, Eleanor still, today a prisoner of a museum in the Middle East, a Western mirage in a world fanaticized by the obscurantism, Eleanor, finally, contemplating in New York the result of 8 centuries of incessant struggles: a freedom which remains to be conquered in the face of a humanity which has forgotten its past to convince us, today, of his sincerity. (freely adapted from the Opéra de Limoges website)

The cast includes soprano Catherine Hunold (Aiénor), baritone Jérôme Boutillier (Richard) and actress Marie Vanhonnacker (Norah). Daniel Kawka conducts the chorus and orchestra of the Opéra de Limoges. Kristian Frédric directs.

The performance should last 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Today : world première of Kris Defoort's 'Daral Shaga' in Limoges

Today, Kris Defoort's new opera, Daral Shaga, will be performed for the first time in Limoges, France.

It is the composer's third opera, after The Woman who Walked into Doors (Ghent, 2001) and The House of Sleeping Beauties (Brussels, 2009). The libretto in French has been written by Laurent Gaudé.

Daral Shaga is the story of a wall standing between two worlds, a wall some manage to get across, but others may never reach. That wall shuts one out from everything especially freedom.
Young Nadra and her migrant father, along with the choir, tell about a voyage, a crossing and the loss of identity. It is about a contemporary and timeless issue : the dream of an exile, in which all kinds of arts combine, and eventually narrate a universal tale about indignation as a way to stand up against despair and freedom, against oblivion. In the very middle of all this, a God gets created as he gives up the race : Daral Shaga is, indeed, the one who has not succeeded in crossing the wall. (reproduced from www.operalimoges.fr)

The opera should last about 90 minutes. It is conceived for three singers (mezzo soprano Michaele Riener, bass Maciej Straburzynski and baritone Tiemo Wang), three musicians (Fabian Fiorini, piano, Lode Vercampt, cello and Bogdan Varlan, clarinet) and circassian artists (Feria Musica). Philippe de Coen conducts and Fabrice Murgia directs.

The opera will also be performed in Besançon (October 2014), Strasbourg (December 2014) and Grenoble (March 2015).

Received in the mail this Friday morning

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

- Amsterdam, Het Concertgebouw : July-August 2014 agenda and magazine ;
- Limoges, Opéra-Théâtre : 2014-2015 season program brochure ;
- Vichy, Opéra : Summer season brochure ;
- Wien, Wiener Staatsoper : October 2014 leaflet.