Received this morning : programme book for 'Oceane' by Detlev Glanert

This Friday morning, I have received the programme book published by the Deutsche Oper Berlin for the world première of Oceane by Detlev Glanert.

The opera was first performed in Berlin on April 28, 2019.

It is a 56 pages book. It contains :

- synopsis ;
- Kerstin Schüssler-Bach : Sommerliche Abgründe - Zur Musik von Detlev Glanerts 'Oceane' ;
- Jörg Königsdorf : Gefangen in der Unfähigkeit zu lieben, dialogue with the composer ;
- several colour photos of the piano dress rehearsal on April 17, by Bernd Uhlig ;
- Katharina Duda : Der Dichter und seine Nixe - Theodor und Martha Fontane ;
- Robert Carsen : Gedanken zu 'Oceane' ;
- Ian Burton : Ein altes Thema in neuem Gewand.

The entire book is in German. There is an English translation of the synopsis at the end of the book.

There is a separate 8 pages leaflet with the complete cast for the first performance, with biographies of the artists.

I now have 651 programme books for contemporary operas in my collection. I have scanned all the covers and uploaded the images to this flickr folder.

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.