Sunday 8 June 2014

Today : world première of 'Iokaste' by Stefan Heucke in Marl


Iokaste is the second opera composed by Stefan Heucke after Das Frauenorchester von Auschwitz, first performed in Mönchengladbach on September 16, 2006. It will received its world première performance today in Marl, during the Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen.


The libretto by Jörg Maria Welke is based on motives by Sophocles and Homer. The score is published by Schott Music and is available online :
http://www.schott-music.com/shop/products/show,303168,,f.html

The orchestra is the following : 4 woodwinds, 3 brass, 3 percussions, harp, accordion, piano and strings. There is only one character, Jocasta, but two performers : a mezzosoprano and an actress. the opera is in 24 scenes and should last about 2 hours.

The opera tells the whold myth of the Labdacus family from the perspective of Theban queen Jocasta, mother and wife of King Oedipus. The two Jocasta figures will incarnate 8 different roles. A central four-note motif symbolizes the curse that will finally destroy the whole family.

Mezzosoprano Birgit Remmert and actress Veronika Maruhn will share the character of Jocasta. Rüdiger Bohn conducts the Duisburger Philharmoniker.  The director is the librettist Jörg Maria Welke.

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