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 'The Selfish Giant' by Simon Bruckard in Melbourne

Today, the Victorian Opera in Melbourne presents the world première of The Selfish Giant, a youth opera composed by Simon Bruckard with a libretto by Emma Muir-Smith after Oscar Wilde.

It is the composer's first opera.

A grumpy giant excludes children from his garden causing it to fall into perpetual winter. Only once he finds the love and generosity to welcome back the children, does his garden flourish with life and restore his happiness. (reproduced from the Victorian Opera website)

The cast consists of baritone Stephen Marsh (The Giant). Simon Bruckard conducts the Victorian Opera Chamber Orchestra and the Victorian Opera Youth Chorus Ensemble (VOYCE). Cameron Menzies directs.

The performance should last about 75 minutes. There is no interval.

The venue is the Gasworks Theatre in Albert Park.

Today : world première of 'Whiteley' by Elena Kats-Chernin in Sydney

Today, Opera Australia presents the world première of Whiteley, an opera composed by Elena Kats-Chernin with a libretto by Justin Fleming.

 (c) Cinque Artist Management 

It is the composer's fifth opera, after, among others, Iphis (Syndney, December 3, 1997), The Rage of Life (Antwerp, April 24, 2010) and Snow White (Berlin, November 1, 2015).

He burst onto the international art scene, all golden curls and bravado. He was dynamic, damaged, a big idea and a bold brush. With the vivacious Wendy on his arm, Brett Whiteley was magnetic. He abhorred straight lines, adored drugs, alcohol, women. He worked in vivid colour and ravishing curves. Heroin was both muse and merciless master. Out of this tumultuous life spilled a messy array of brilliant artworks and astonishing self-reflection. (reproduced from the Opera Australia website)

The cast includes baritone Leigh Melrose (Brett Whiteley), soprano Julie Lea Goodwin (Wendy Whiteley), soprano Kate Amos (Older Arkie Whiteley), mezzo Ruth Strutt (Younger Beryl Whiteley), mezzo Dominica Matthews (Older Beryl Whiteley) and bass Richard Anderson (Joel Elenberg). Tahu Matheson conducts the Opera Australia Orchestra and Chorus. David Freeman directs.

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

The opera is published by Boosey & Hawkes.

The venue is the Joan Sutherland Theatre.

Today : world première of 'Ned Kelly' by Luke Styles in Jarrahdale

Today, Lost & Found Opera and the Perth Festival present the world première of Ned Kelly, a chamber opera composed by Luke Styles with a libretto by Peter Goldsworthy.

It is the composer's 6th opera, after, among others, Lovers Walk (youth opera, Glyndebourne, 2012) and Macbeth (chamber opera, Glyndebourne, 2015).

Composer Luke Styles and librettist Peter Goldsworthy weave together the common myth with lesser known extraordinary facts about the politics, loves and quirks of Australia’s legendary bushranger. Cross dressing, pig stealing, bee keeping, opium smoking, devout republican supporting, armour wearing loyal family men — that’s just part of the story of the notorious Kelly gang. (reproduced from the Perth Festival website)

The cast includes baritone Samuel Dundas (Ned Kelly), mezzo Fiona Campbell (Ellen Kelly), bass Adrian Tamburini (Joe Byrne) and tenor Robert MacFarlane (Steve Hart). Chris van Tuinen conducts the Community Chorus and the orchestra. Janice Muller directs.

The venue is the Jarrahdale Heritage Mill in Jarrahdale on the outskirts of Perth.

New in my collection : programme for 'Lorelei' by Julian Langdon in Melbourne

I have recently received the programme brochure published by Victorian Opera in Melbourne for the world première performance of Lorelei, the 'operatic cabaret' composed by Julian Langdon, Casey Bennetto and Gillian Cosgriff, first performed on November 3, 2018.

It is a 24 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- production team ;
- Welcome, by Artistic Director Richard Mills ;
- Director's Note, by Director Sarah Giles ;
- Musical Director's Note, by Musical Director Phoebe Briggs ;
- The Lorelei - In Legeng, excerpt of Heinrich Heine's poem, translated in English ;
- biographies of the artists, with headshots.

I now have 613 programme books for contemporary operas. I have uploaded all scanned covers to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Lorelei' by Julian Langdon in Melbourne

Today, the Victorian Opera in Melbourne presents the world première of Lorelei, an opera-cabaret composed by Julian Langdon, with a libretto by Casey Bennetto and Gillian Cosgriff.

It is not the composer's first opera.

All aboard ! You’re on a boat, sailing down the River Rhine in Germany heading toward a particularly tricky bend in the river. A bend which few vessels manage to navigate without crashing and where sailors always drown.
Legend has it that it’s because of three sirens, the Lorelei, who sit atop the cliffs singing a song so alluring and irresistible that the sailors can’t seem to stay focused on the task at hand. You’ll meet this famous trio, who will prepare you to hear the most incredible songs of your life.
But you’ve caught the Lorelei on an odd day. Because today they're wondering if they’re sick of singing sailors to their death. Do they all really deserve to die ? Can the Lorelei help being so irresistible ?
The Lorelei seem to be having a crisis of conscience. Maybe they’ll shake things up a bit and see what happens if they change their tune. (reproduced from the Victorian Opera website)

The cast includes mezzo Dimity Shepherd (Lorelei A), soprano Ali McGregor (Lorelei B) and soprano Antoinette Halloran (Lorelei C). Phoebe Briggs conducts the Victorian Opera Chamber Orchestra. Sarah Giles directs.

The performance should last 75 minutes. The venue is the Coopers Malthouse, Merlyn Theatre.

Today : world première of 'I.th.Ak.A.' by Samuel Penderbayne in Hamburg

Today, the Staatsoper Hamburg presents the world première of I.th.Ak.A., an opera by Australian composer Samuel Penderbayne, with a libretto by Helmut Krausser.

It is the composer's first opera.

Ulysses in search of his island. Crossing the border between sea and land and setting foot on Ithaka is to restore his freedom, to liberate him from chaos, murder and lies. Ulysses is a clever navigator between the world of ghosts, lemurs and nightmarish creatures. Just like Juli, the main protagonist of this opera (as in “Ulysses”, pronounced in English and abbreviated), who is incarcerated in a correctional facility and has access to a computer because she administers the archives. Juli searches for a way out on the internet. She encounters cyber-creatures, humanoid artefacts, automated apps. They claim an “identity,” apparently willing to help Juli, but she cannot be sure. Cyber-bodies communicate, suggesting skin contact. Finally, the dark net opens, there is hope of crossing the border. Ithaka seems to be an underground organisation. (reproduced from the Staatsoper Hamburg website).

The cast includes soprano Lini Gong (Juli), tenor Peter Galliard (Cyclops / Borgo), mezzo Renate Spingler (Circe), and bass Bruno Vargas (Dark). Barbara Kler conducts the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg. Paul-Georg Dittrich directs.

The opera is performed at the 'Opera stabile' and the performance should last about 90 minutes.

May 2nd, 2015 : world première of Elliott Gyger's 'Fly Away Peter' in Eveleigh

Today, Saturday May 2nd, the Sydney Chamber Opera presents the world première performance of Elliott Gyger's opera Fly Away Peter, at the Carriageworks Bay 20, in Eveleigh.

Pierce Wilcox's libretto is based on David Malouf's novel.

World War One. Jim Saddler is a visionary young birdwatcher thrust into the nightmare of the Western Front. Fly Away Peter travels from a land of life to a panorama of horror through Jim’s voice of delicate insight. This is a story of the Australian spirit that begins at peace, builds into tragedy, and ends in transcendence. (reproduced from the Sydney Chamber Opera website)

Three soloists (tenor, baritone, messo-soprano) are accompanied by a chamber ensemble consisting of clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone, percussion, violin and double bass. Conducted by Jack Symonds, the singers Mitchell Riley, Jessica Aszodi and Brenton Spiteri will be directed by Imara Savage.

Received in the mail this morning : program book for Iain Grandage's opera 'The Riders' in Melbourne

This Tuesday morning, I have received in the mail the program book published by Victorian Opera in Melbourne for the world première of Iain Grandage's opera The Riders. It was first performed on September 23rd in the Merlyn Theatre (Coopers Malthouse).

It is a 32 pages brochure, and it contains :

- messages from Richard Mills (artistic director and conductor), Marion Potts (artistic director and director), Iain Grandage (composer), Alison Croggon (librettist) ;
- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- biographies with pictures.

On the composer's website, this work is listed as his first opera, though his catalogue already includes Dryblower and the Water Girl (opera for children, 2002) and Red Cap (musical, 2007), among other stage works.

The librettist Alison Croggon transformed Tim Winton's novel into a libretto. Here is what she wrote about it :

The Riders is about a man whose wife inexplicably abandons him and his daughter. Scully, one of Wintons's bluff, emotionally inarticulate men, is renovating a house in Ireland, waiting for this wife Jennifer and his daughter Billie to arrive from Perth and complete the home he is making for them. But when he goes to the airport, only Billie, traumatised and silent, is waiting for him. The novel consists of what unravels after this event, as Scully hunts frantically through Europe for his wife. (reproduced from the program book).

Grandage wrote his score for a chamber orchestra including : violin, viola, cello, double bass, recorders, bass clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, guitars, piano, accordion, sampler and percussion.

The cast for the world première was : Barry Ryan (Scully), Jessica Aszodi (Jennifer), Isabela Calderon (Billie), Dimity Shepherd (Marianne), David Rogers-Smith (Alex) and Jerzy Kozlowski (Arthur). Members of the Orchestra Victoria were conducted by Richard Mills. The opera was directed by Marion Potts with sets and costumes designed by Dale Ferguson.

The performance of September 27th was recorded by ABC and broadcast by ABC Classic FM on Sunday, November 30th. The duration was 98 minutes.