New in my collection : programme book for 'Persinette' by Albin Fries in Vienna

Yesterday, I have received in the mail the programme book for Persinette, an opera composed by Albin Fries, first performed in Vienna on December 21st, 2019.

It is a 18 pages brochure. It contains :

- synopsis ;
- short biographies of the composer Albin Fries and the librettist Birgit Mathon ;
- Daten & Fakten, essential facts about the opera ;
- 3 questions to the composer Albin Fries ;
- interview with the stage director Matthias von Stegmann ;
- important notions about opera explained by conductor Guillermo Garcia Calvo ;
- several color photos of rehearsals.

I now have the programme books for 712 contemporary operas. I have scanned all the covers and uploaded the images on flickr.

I am cataloguing all the programme books I have on LibraryThing. I hope to complete the process before the end of April 2020.

Today : new programme book in my collection, 'The Selfish Giant' in Melbourne

Today, I have receveid the programme book for the world première of Simon Bruckard's opera The Selfish Giant. It was first performed at the Gasworks Theatre in Melbourne, on October 16, 2019.

It is a 12 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- complete production team ;
- Simon Bruckard : composer's note ;
- Emma Muir-Smith : librettist's note ;
- synopsis ;
- biographies with headshots.

I now have 711 programme books for contemporary operas. I have scanned all the covers and uploadedthe images to this flickr folder.

Recently, I have started to catalogue all the programme books I have on LibraryThing. I hope to complete the task before the beginning of April 2020. Here is the link.

Today : world première of 'Persinette' by Albin Fries in Vienna

Today, the Wiener Staatsoper presents the world première of Persinette, a children's opera composed by Albin Fries with a libretto by Miriam Mollard.

It is the composer's third opera after Nora (2011) and Tizian (2012).

The story follows this popular fairy tale about the girl with the long hair imprisoned in a tower. (reproduced from the Wiener Staatsoper website)

The cast includes soprano Olga Bezsmertna (Persinette), tenor Jinxu Xiahou (Prince), mezzo Monika Bohinec (Witch), soprano Regine Hangler (Mother) and baritone Samuel Hasselhorn (Father). Guillermo Garcia Calvo conducts the Stage Orchestra and the Opera School Chorus of the Vienna State Opera. Matthias von Stegmann directs.

Today : world première of 'Poil de carotte' by Reinhardt Wagner in Montpellier

Today, the Opéra Orchestre National de Montpellier presents the world première of Poil de carotte (Carrot Head), a musical tale composed by Reinhardt Wagner, with a libretto based on the novel by Jules Renard, with songs by Frank Thomas.

Reinhardt Wagner already composed several works for the stage, including the opéra bouffe René l'énervé (Paris, September 7, 2011).

Unhappy with his family, Carrot Haed owes its nickname to his red hair and freckles. Taunted and humiliated by his entourage, he suffers from the authority of his sadistic mother and an indifferent father. Therefore, he must do all the household chores. He will soon discover a trick to soften his ordeal. But Poil de Carotte is also a sensitive child who dreams of being loved one day like other children. (freely adapted from the Opéra national de Montpellier website)

The cast includes soprano Amélie Tatti (Poil de carotte), actress Sylvia Bergé (La mère), actor Bernard Alane (Le père), tenor Yoann Le Lan (Big brother Félix) and soprano Cécile Madelin (Mathilde). Victor Jacob conducts the Opéra Junior Choir and the Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie. Zabou Breitman directs.

The performance should last about 90 minutes. No intermission. The venue is the Opéra Comédie.

New programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired 7 new programme books for performances of contemporary operas :

- Harrison Birtwistle : The Mask of Orpheus, London (ENO), October 18, 2019 ;
- John Corigliano : The Ghosts of Versailles, Versailles, December 4, 2019 (National première) ;
- Chaya Czernowin : Heart Chamber, Berlin (Deutsche Oper), November 15, 2019 (world première) ;

- Søren Nils Eichberg : Wolf unter Wölfen, Koblenz, November 23, 2019 (world première) ;
- Philip Glass : Orphée, London (ENO), November 15, 2019 ;
- Olga Neuwirth : Orlando, Vienna (Staatsoper), December 8, 2019 (world première) ;
- Philip Venables : Denis & Katya, Philadelphia, September 18, 2019 (world première).

I now have programme books for 710 performances of contemporary operas in my collection. I have scanned all the covers and uploaded the images to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Orlando' by Olga Neuwirth in Wien

Today, the Wiener Staatsoper presents the world première of Orlando, an opera in 19 scenes composed by Olga Neuwirth with a libretto by Catherine Filloux and Olga Neuwirth after Virginia Woolf's novel.

(C) Harald Hoffmann

It is the composer's fourth opera after Bählamms Fest (Vienna, June 19, 1999), Lost Highway (Graz, October 31, 2003) and American Lulu (Berlin, September 30, 2012).

Ever since I was a child I have been interested in everything from the arts to politics, from the sciences to human psychology (…) I have let myself be inspired by the small and big things that the world has to offer, by the wonderful diversity of life, and I see this reflected in Orlando. For it is a love of oddities, of the paradoxical, the grotesque, virtuosity, exaltation and exaggeration that are the essence of this fictional biography, which aims to create a new morphology of narration. At all times it is also about (…) a sophisticated and highly subtle form of sexual attraction that rejects being pigeonholed in any one gender. As well as about refusing to be patronised and treated in a condescending manner – something that continually happens to women, with no end in sight. (reproduced from the Wiener Staatsoper website)

The cast includes mezzo Kate Lindsey (Orlando), countertenor Eric Jurenas (Angel), soprano Agneta Eichenholz (Sasha) and baritone Leigh Melrose (Shelmerdine). Matthias Pintscher conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Vienna State Opera. Karoline Gruber directs.

The following orchestra is required (according to the Ricordi website) :

- 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons ;
- 3 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone ;
-  timpani ;
- strings (12.10.8.6.4).

The score is published by Ricordi.

Today : world première of 'El Milagro del Recuerdo' in Houston

Today, the Houston Grand Opera presents the world première of El Milagro del Recuerdo (The Miracle of Remembering), a mariachi opera composed by Javier Martinez with a libretto in Spanish by Leonard Foglia.

It is the composer's first opera.

Set during Christmas, the opera lovingly explores the themes of traditions, familial bonds, while dealing with life-changing decisions and the dream of something more. (reproduced from the Houston Grand Opera website)

The cast includes mezzo Cecilia Duarte (Renata), bass Daniel Noyola (Laurentino), tenor Miguel de Aranda (Chucho), mezzo Vanessa Cerda-Alonzo (Lupita) and tenor Rafael Moras (Father Matias). David Hanlon conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Houston Grand Opera. Leonard Foglia directs.

The performance should last about 75 minutes. No intermission.

The venue is the Cullen Theater at Wortham Theater Center.

Today : French première of 'The Ghosts of Versailles' by John Corigliano in Versailles

Today, the Royal Opera House in Versailles presents the French première of Ghosts of Versailles, an opera in two acts composed by John Corigliano with a libretto by William M. Hoffman suggested by La Mère coupable by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais.

(c) J. Henry Fair

The opera was first performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on December 19, 1991. This production was first performed at the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown (NY) on July 13, 2019. It is the alternate standard version with 10 principals (instead of 14 at the Met).

Marie-Antoinette’s ghost is devastated by her premature death. Her favourite theatre writer, Beaumarchais, tries to amuse her with a new composition. He creates an opera within an opera, featuring Figaro, Count Almaviva and Susanna, all trying to save the queen from beheading in a musical and spirited production. (reproduced from the Château de Versailles website)

The cast includes soprano Teresa Perrotta (Marie-Antoinette), bass Jonathan Bryan (Beaumarchais), mezzo Kayla Siembieda (Susanna), baritone Ben Schaefer (Figaro), tenor Brian Wallin (Earl Almaviva), soprano Joanna Latini (Rosina), bass baritone Peter Morgan (Louis XVI) and tenor Christian Sanders (Patrick Honoré Bégearss). Joseph Colaneri conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Jay Lesenger directs.

The performance should last about 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one interval.

I will attend the first two performances on December 4 and 5.

Today : world première of 'Schellen-Ursli' by Marius Felix Lange in Basel

Today, the Theater Basel presents the world première of Schellen-Ursli (A Bell for Ursli), a children opera composed by Marius Felix Lange with a libretto by the composed based on the Engadine Trilogy by Selina Chönz and Alois Carigiet.

It is the composer's sixth opera for children after, among others, Das Opernschiff oder am Südpol, denkt man, ist es heiss (Köln, April 26, 2005), Schneewittchen (Köln, April 21, 2011) and Die Schneekönigin (Duisburg, April 23, 2016).

A little village lies peacefully covered in snow high up in the Swiss mountains. But not for long! Because Chalandamarz will soon be here and the children are waiting impatiently to drive winter away with the sound of loud bells. However, Ursli’s feverish excitement turns into deep despondency when everyone laughs at him being given the smallest of all the goat bells. He determinedly makes his way to the lonely Maiensässhütte to fetch the largest of the cow bells. However, the steep path that leads there is a dangerous one and when Flurina also sets off into the snow and ice to look for her brother, the adventure takes a more serious turn. (reproduced from the Theater Basel website)

The cast includes Michael Bauer or Aaron Christ (Schellen-Ursli), Alma Bleich or Mira Feigel (Flurina), soprano Kali Hardwick or mezzo Ena Pongrac (Mutter), baritone Dmytro Kalmuchyn or Anelio Rodriguez (Vater) and bass baritone Raphael Sigling (Gian / Der Winter). Stephen Delaney conducts a Chalanda-Banda. Tim Jentzen directs.

Today : world première of 'Wolf unter Wölfen' by Soren Nils Eichberg in Koblenz

Today, the Theater Koblenz presents the world première of Wolf unter Wölfen (Wolf Among Wolves), an opera composed by Søren Nils Eichberg with a libretto by John von Düffel based on Hans Fallada's novel.

It is the composer's fourth opera after Grete Minde (2009), Glare (London, November 15, 2014) and Schönerland (Wiesbaden, September 16, 2017).

Berlin in the summer of 1923 : inflation keeps people on their toes. From day to day, the value of the mark falls down. The social fabric has got into trouble. On the streets of the capital, the innocent impoverished, the opportune criminals, the war disabled, gamblers, drunkards and whores. In the midst of this charged atmosphere, three former soldiers meet. Wolfgang Pagel is desperately looking for money to marry his girlfriend Petra and to lead her out of poverty. Officer Studmann never got on his feet again professionally after the end of the war. And Captain von Prackwitz urgently needs reapers to bring in the harvest on his estate Neulohe. Together they leave Berlin - 'Capital of Sin and Cheap Babylon' - to start a better life on the Prackwitz estate. But the idyll there is deceptive : for a long time now, people have lost all their properties. Everyone cares only about themselves, being only a wolf among wolves. (freely adapted from the Theater Koblenz website)

The cast includes mezzo Danielle Rohr (Petra Ledig), tenor Tobias Haaks (Wolfgang Pagel), baritone Christoph Plessers (Joachim von Prackwitz), tenor Mark Bowman-Hester (Studmann), mezzo Monica Mascus (Frau Thumann / Frau Pagel) and soprano Theresa Dittmar (Eva von Prackwitz). Karsten Huschke conducts the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie and the Opera Chorus. Waltraud Lehner directs.

Today : world première of 'The Snow Queen' by Samuel Penderbayne in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper Berlin presents the world première of Die Schneekönigin (The Snow Queen), a children opera composed by Samuel Penderbayne with a libretto by Christian Schönfelder based on Christian Andersen's tale.

It is the composer's second opera after I.th.Ak.A (Hamburg, April 6, 2018).

Gerda and Kay are best friends. Yet when Kay gets a splinter in his eye, everything changes in an instant. He finds Gerda and his other friends childish, plain and silly, and follows the enticing voice of the icily beautiful Snow Queen. Now Gerda sets off, and while she searches for Kay she finds herself: in the eerily beautiful realm of the Flower Queen, the humdrum golden court of the Princess, the dangerous and dark cave of the Robber Queen, she learns to stand up for herself and her friends. With help from the Crow and the Reindeer she finally finds the way to the cold north of Lapland, and is able to free Kay from the Snow Queen's clutches with the true power of friendship – laughter. (reproduced from the Deutsche Oper Berlin website)

The cast includes soprano Sophia Körber, soprano Theresa Pilsl, mezzo Marlene Gaßner and baritone Martin Gerke. They are accompanied by five musicians including a clarinet, a tuba and a synthesiser. Brigitte Dethier directs.

The performance should last 70 minutes. No interval. The venue is the Tischlerei.

Today : world première of 'A Roman on Mars' by Vittorio Montalti in Roma

Today, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma presents the world première of Un romano a Marte (A Roman on Mars), an opera composed by Vittorio Montalti, with a libretto by Giuliano Compagno.

It is the composer's third opera after Ehi Gio’ – Vivere e sentire del grande Rossini (Firenze, October 16, 2081) and Le leggi fondamentali della stupidità umana (Firenze, May 25, 2019)

Milan, November 23, 1960, on the stage of the Teatro Lirico the 'Compagnia del Teatro Popolare Italiano', led by Vittorio Gassman is struggling to complete a comedy based on a successful story by Ennio Flaiano : 'A Martian in Rome'. Shortly before the end, the audience, already noisy, is inspired by a joke to trigger a resounding protest.
That theatrical defeat that will mark a gap between the Milanese and Roman cultures, between the productive and concrete attitude of one and the listless, cynical and indolent temperament of the other.
But here, with the curtain lowered, the Martian Kunt appears in flesh and blood, on whose existence Ennio Flaiano had kept the secret and that the young Ilaria Occhini greets astonished. From there begins a journey to Italy and Rome that are changing landscape, language and thoughts ; hence the portrait of an original and free European writer, burdened by a private melancholy, that literary conformism will try to reduce to a facetious inventor of quirks. (freely adapted from the Rome Opera website)

The cast includes soprano Rafaela Albuquerque (Ilaria Occhini), tenor Domingo Pellicola (Ennio Flaiano), baritone Timofei Baranov (Kunt il Marziano) and actor Gabriele Portoghese (Il Critico). John Axelrod conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Opera di Roma. Fabio Cherstich directs.

Today : world première of 'Heart Chamber' by Chaya Czernowin in Berlin

Today, the Deutsche Oper Berlin presents the world première of Heart Chamber, an opera composed by Chaya Czernowin with her own libretto in English.

It is the composer's fifth opera after, among others, Pnima... ins Innere (Munich, May 10, 2000), Zaïde / Adama (Salzburg, August 17, 2006) and Infinite now (Antwerp, April 18, 2017).

The opera is conducting an 'examination of love' in the 21st century, addressing the romantic sense of love with doubt and destruction while hoping for a utopia of love. At the centre is a loving relationship between two people and the forces that result from it : they alternate between attraction and repulsion, between the longing to melt into one another and the desire for independence. (reproduced from the Deutsche Oper Berlin website)

The cast includes soprano Patrizia Ciofi (She), baritone Dietrich Henschel (He), contralto Noa Frenkel (Her Internal Voice) and countertenor Terry Wey (His Internal Voice). Johannes Kalitzke conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin as well as the soloists of the Ensemble Nikel. Claus Guth directs.

The performance should last 90 minutes. No interval.

New in my collection : programme brochure for the children opera by Oliver Ostermann in Chemnitz

Last Saturday, I have received the programme brochure published by Theater Chemnitz for the world première of Oliver Ostermann's children opera Bei der Feuerwehr wird der Kaffee kalt (Coffee gets cold in the fire department) on November 2.

It is a folded 18 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- Suzanne Holfter : synopsis ;
- biographies of librettist / director and composer / conductor ;
- a Goose Game with four figurines to cut out ;
-  the recipe for Eierscheke.

I now have 701 programme books and brochures for contemporary operas. I have scanned all covers and uploaded the images to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver' by Elena Kats-Chernin in Berlin

Today, the Komische Oper Berlin presents the world première of Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer (Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver), a children's opera in two acts composed by Elena Kats-Chernin with a libretto in German by Susanne Felicitas Wolf based on Michael Ende's book.

Elena Kats-Chernin has already composed several operas for children, including Schneewittchen und die 77 Zwerge (Berlin, Komische Oper, November 1, 2015).

Because the island of Morrowland with its two mountains has become too small for its four inhabitants (including the king), Luke and the orphan Jim are forced to venture into the outside world. On their marvelous journey they discover foreign lands, overcome many dangers, and rescue Princess Li Si from the clutches of the terrible dragon woman, Mrs. Grindtooth. After gathering many new experiences, they return together to their homeland, bringing with them a new, floating island in tow. (reproduced from the Komische Oper Berlin website)

The cast includes soprano Georgina Melville (Jim Knopf), bass Philipp Meierhöfer (Lukas), baritone Dominik Köninger (King Alfred the Quarter-to-Twelfth / Nepomuk / Big Wig Pi Pa Po) and mezzo Christiane Oertel (Mrs. Waas / Mrs. Grindtooth). Ivo Hentschel conducts the Orchestra and Children Chorus of the Komische Oper. Christian von Götz directs.

Today : world première of 'IchundIch' by Johannes Harneit in Hamburg

Today, the Staatsoper Hamburg presents the world première of IchundIch, an opera in 5 acts composed by Johannes Harneit, with a libretto by Lis Arends after Else Lasker-Schüler's play.

It is the composer's third opera after Idiot (2001) and Alice im Wunderland (2015).

After Hitler seized power, the poet Else Lasker-Schüler fled to Zurich and lived in Jerusalem from 1939 until her death in 1945. Her eloquent and bitterly satirical play 'IchundIch' is a clear-minded drama of her times and life in Jerusalem. It is set in Biblical hell as well as in the Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem, “Hell’s Valley”, and it is set both in eternity and in the present time of 1941. The dramatis personae include (orthographically masked): Faust, Mephisto and Marta Schwertlein, but also the “Nacis” Göbbels, Göhring and Hitler, the poet (Lasker-Schüler herself), the stage director Max Reinhardt and the Haaretz reviewer Gershon Swet. In her play, the author imagines the utopian arrangement between Faust and Mephisto as a historical compromise against right-wing power, which then perishes in a stream of lava. (reproduced from the Staatsoper Hamburg website)

The cast includes soprano Gabriele Rossmanith (Dichterin), tenor Daniel Kluge (Faust), bass Martin Summer (Mephisto 1), baritone Zak Kariithi (Mephisto 2), mezzo Ida Aldrian (Marthe), tenor Hiroshi Amako (Goebbels) and soprano Hellen Kwon (Vogelscheuche). The composer conducts the Projektensemble der Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg and the Chor of the Hamburg State Opera. Christian von Treskow directs.

The performance should last 3 hours. The venue is the Rehearsal Stage 1 (Probebühne 1).

Today : world première of 'Coffee gets cold in the fire department' by Oliver Ostermann in Chemnitz

Today, the Theater Chemnitz presents the world première of Bei der Feuerwehr wird der Kaffee kalt (Coffee gets cold in the fire department), a children opera composed by Oliver Ostermann with a libretto by Alexander Kuchinka based on Hannes Hüttner's book.

Oliver Ostermann has composed several works for the stage, including musicals and children operas.

A timeless story about the turbulent missions of sincerely bizarre firefighters. Emilia Zahnlücke would like to become an animal keeper. During a visit to the zoo with her grandmother Eierschecke, she is rescued by the fire brigade and landed in the hospital. At the same time, her grandmother has dinner with Futtersack, the zoo director... (freely adapted from the Theater Chemnitz website)

The cast includes baritone Matthias Winter (Löschmeister Wasserhose), soprano Dagmar Schellenberger (Oma Eierschecke), soprano Franziska Krötenheerdt (Emilia Zahnlücke) and tenor Reto Rosin (Futtersack). Oliver Ostermann conducts the orchestra. Alexander Kuchinka directs.

The performance should last about 2 hours, including one intermission.

Today : world première of 'La Cucina' by Andrew Synnott in Wexford

Today, the Wexford Festival Opera presents the world première of La Cucina, a 'Divertissement' in one act composed by Andrew Synnott with a libretto in Italian by Rosetta Cucchi.

It is the composer's third opera after Breakdown (Dublin, January 20, 2015) and Dubliners (Wexford, October 20, 2017).

The opera tells the story of a chef's assistant, Bianca, who is baking a wedding cake. (reproduced from the Wexford Festival website)

The cast includes actor Luca Nucera (Alberto Famosissimo), tenor Manuel Amati (Tobia Aiuto del fornitor), baritone Sheldon Baxter (Zeno Fornitore), soprano Maire Flavin (Bianca) and baritone Emmanuel Franco (Camillo Aiuto cuoco). Michele Spotti conducts the soloists and orchestra. Rosetta Cucchi directs. 

La Cucina will be paired with Gioachino Rossini's Adina, following the interval.

The venue is the O'Reilly Theatre.

Today : world première of 'Trilogy in Two' by Andrea Liberovici in Reggio Emilia

Today, the Teatro Cavallerizza in Reggio Emilia presents the world première of Trilogy in Two, an 'opera mosaic' with music and libretto by Andrea Liberovici.

Andrea Liberovici has already composed several works of music theatre, including Children of Uranium (Genova, 2005) and Macbeth Remix (Genova, 2016)

A dramaturgical investigation of three conflicting beauties : the ephemeral beauty of illusions, the profound beauty of solidarity, the ancient beauty of listening. Personalized respectively in three European archetypes: Faust as a fictional character, Florence Nightingale (founder of modern nursing) as an historic personality, and Venice as a listening architecture: the selfishness of the former, the attention to others of the latter (counterposed to the new racisms), the synthesis of the objective and indisputable beauty of the lagoon city, which in its architecture made of water and mosaics preserves the aptitude for listening and meeting. (reproduced from the Schallfeld Ensemble website)

The cast consists of singer Helga Davis, with the Schallfeld Ensemble conducted by Sara Caneva. Andrea Liberovici directs.

Today : world première of 'Effi Briest' by Siegfried Matthus in Cottbus

Today, the Staatstheater Cottbus presents the world première of Effi Briest, an opera composed by Siegfried Matthus with a libretto in German by Anton Perrey based on Theodor Fontane's novel.

It is the composer's twelfth opera. His lyrical output includes Judith (Berlin, September 28, 1985), Graf Mirabeau (Berlin, July 14, 1989), Farinelli oder Die Macht des Gesanges (Karlsruhe, February 28, 1998), and Die unendliche Geschichte (Weimar, April 10, 2004).

Seventeen-year-old Effi Briest is married to Baron von Innstetten, twice as old. Innstetten can not do anything with the young girl and neglects her, being more preoccupied with his career. Effi has a short affair. As Innstetten learns years later, he kills the lover in a duel and repudiates Effi. Her parents also abandon her. (freely adapted from the Staatstheater Cottbus website)

The cast includes soprano Liudmila Lokaichuk (Effi), tenor Martin Shalita (Crampas), baritone Andreas Jäpel (Innstetten), soprano Gesine Forberger (Luise) and bass Ulrich Schneider (Briest). Alexander Merzyn conducts the Cottbus Philharmonic Orchestra. Jakob Peters-Messer directs.