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.

Received today : programm book for 'Andersens Erzählungen' by Jherek Bischoff in Basel

Today, I have received in the mail the programm book published by Theater Basel for the world première of Andersens Erzählungen, an opera composed by Jherek Bischoff, first performed on September 27, 2019.

It is a 44 pages book. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- plot summary ;
- Jan Dvorak (librettist) : Das unsagbare Sagen ;
- Jens Andersen : Der Fehler wr allein die Liebe ;
- Niklas Luhmann : Vernunftehe, Liebesehe und eheliche Liebe ;
- Discussion with conductor Thomas Wise, director Philipp Stölzl, set designer Heike Vollmer and costume designer Kathi Maurer : Man kann diesem Märchen wie einer Melodie folgen ;
- Johanna Mangold (dramaturge) : Jherek Bischoff : ein Kurzporträt ;
- Andreas Krass : Verderberin, Gebärerin, Verführerin - Meerjungfrauen als Sinnbild einer unmöglichen Liebe ;
- Dag Heede : Busenfreund und Frauenleichen - oder Der dänische Krieg um Hans Christian Andersens Sexualität ;
- biographies of the artists ;
- four colour postcards of the production (photos by Sandra Then).

I now have 683 programm books for contemporary operas in my collection. I have scanned the covers and uploaded the images to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Andersens Erzählungen' by Jherek Bischoff in Basel

Today, the Theater Basel presents the world première of Andersens Erzählungen (Andersen's Tales), an opera drama composed by Jherek Bischoff with a libretto by Jan Dvorak.

(c) Allan Amato

It is the composer's first opera.

Hans Christian Andersen is just starting to write the fairy tale «The Little Mermaid» when he turns up at his friend Edvard Collin’s house the night before his wedding in order to confess his love for him. However, he is rejected once again. Upset by this, Andersen continues spinning his yarn and allows it to take a tragic turn : for love of a prince, the Little Mermaid wants to be human, at any price. To achieve this she enters a fatal bargain with the Sea Witch. The Little Mermaid then becomes a human being – but she is still unable to gain the prince’s love.

Andersen discharges his unfulfilled longings in a fictional story and in turn that story then influences his personal life. Side by side with the Danish writer who escapes into an imaginary world in order to be able to gain greater control over his own life, we dive deep into the world of the Little Mermaid. (reproduced from the Theater Basel website)

The cast includes actor Moritz von Treuenfels (Hans Christian Andersen), actor Mario Fuchs (Edvard Collin), counter tenor Bruno de Sa (Der kleine Meerjungfrau), mezzo Ena Pongrac and soprano Stefanie Knorr (Die zwei Meerschwestern), soprano Jasmin Etezadzadeh (Grossmutter) and tenor Rolf Romei (Meerhexe). Thomas Wise conducts the Basel Sinfonietta. Philipp Stölzl directs.

Today : world première of 'Diodati. Unendlich' by Michael Wertmüller in Basel

Today, the Theater Basel presents the world première of Diodati. Unendlich (Diodati. Neverending), an opera composed by Michael Wertmüller, with a libretto by Dea Loher.

(c) Kim Culetto

It is Wertmüller's third opera after Anschlag (Lucerne Festival, August 2013) and Weine nicht, singe (Hamburg, September 2015).

A group of Britons with literary ambitions involved in a ménage à six travel to Switzerland in 1816 in search of « sublime » nature – they include Percy Shelley and his later wife Mary, Lord Byron and his personal physician John Polidori. However, the catastrophic weather of this legendary « year without a summer », the result of a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, forces the friends to wait for eight days in a villa on Lake Geneva. Here these cosmopolitan libertines – in no small measure under the influence of hallucinogens – tell each other made up stories about creatures controlled by others that reflect the depths of their own personalities – as well as their longing to actively shape their lives and to tackle social problems. (reproduced from the Theater Basel website)

The cast includes mezzo Kristina Stanek (Mary Godwin), tenor Rolf Romei (Percy Bysshe Shelley), soprano Sara Hershkowitz (Claire Clairmont), baritone Holger Falk (Lord Byron), bass baritone Seth Carico (Dr. John Polidori) and soprano Samantha Gaul (Augusta Leigh). Titus Engel conducts the Sinfonieorchester Basel. Lydia Steier directs.

New programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired several programme books for contemporary operas :

 - John Adams, The Death of Klinghoffer, London (ENO), February 25, 2012.
It is a 98 pages book, with only 48 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in Brussels in 1991. I already have programme books from Lyon (1991) and Long Beach (2014).
- John Adams, Doctor Atomic, London (ENO), February 25, 2009.
It is a 78 pages book, with 36 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in San Francisco in 2005. I already have programme books from Amsterdam (2007) and Strasbourg (2014).
- Gavin Bryars, Doctor Ox's Experiment, London (ENO), June 15, 1998.
It is a 42 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première performance.

 
- John Cage, Europeras 1 & 2, Braunschweig, November 25, 2017.
It is a 32 pages brochure. The operas were first performed in Frankfurt in 1987.
- Elliott Carter, What Next ?, München, November 20, 2011.
It is a 40 pages brochure. It also includes a separate 12 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Berlin in 1999. Puccini's Gianni Schicchi was performed as the first part of a double bill evening. I have another programme for a concert version in Paris in 2000.
- Peter Eötvös, Tri Sestri, München, February 8, 2010.
It is a 44 pages brochure. It also includes a separate 12 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Lyon in 1998. I have the programme book the the world première and another one for performances at the Wiener Staatsoper in March 2016.

 
- Philip Glass, The Making of the Representative for Planet 8, London (ENO), November 17, 1988.
It is a 48 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in Houston in July 1988. The performances in London were the first in Europe.
- Philip Glass, The Perfect American, London (ENO), June 1, 2013.
It is a 76 pages book, with only 38 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in Madrid in January 2013. I have the programme book for the world première.
- Iain Hamilton, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, London (ENO), February 2, 1977.
It is a 44 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première.

- Hans Werner Henze, Die Bassariden, München, May, 19, 2008.
It is a 140 pages book. It also includes a separate 6 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Salzburg in 1966. I have another programme book for performances in Paris in 2005.
- Helmut Lachenmann, Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern, Hamburg, January 26, 1997.
It is a 48 pages book. This is the programme book for the world première. I already have two other programme books for this opera : Paris in September 2001 and Stuttgart in October 2001.
- Jost Meier, Dreyfus - Die Affäre, Basel, October 16, 1994.
It is a 112 pages book. The opera was first performed in Berlin in May 1994. I have another programme brochure for performances at New York City Opera in April 1996.

- Lucia Ronchetti, Rivale, Braunschweig, October 29, 2017.
It is a 16 pages leaflet. The opera was first performed in Berlin on October 8, 2017. I have the programme book for the world première.
- Poul Ruders, The Handmaid's Tale, London (ENO), April 3, 2003.
It is a 96 pages brochure, with only 40 pages dedicated to the opera. The opera was first performed in Copenhagen in 2000.
- Aulis Sallinen, The King Goes Forth to France, London (Royal Opera House), April 1, 1987.
It is a 72 pages brochures, with only 32 pages dedicated to the opera. The opera was first performed in Savonlinna in 1984.

- Mark Anthony Turnage, Greek, London (ENO), September 27, 1990.
It is a 64 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in München in June 1988. I have two other programme books for this opera : Wuppertal in 1992 and Paris in 2000.
- Mark Anthony Turnage, The Silver Tassie, London (ENO), February 16, 2000.
It is a 96 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première.
- Rufus Wainwright, Prima Donna, Augsburg, February 3, 2018.
It is a 24 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in Manchester in 2009.

I now have 586 programme books for contemporary operas. I have scanned and uploaded all the covers to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Der Goldkäfer' by Dai Fujikura in Basel

Today, the Theater Basel presents the world première of Dai Fujikura's new opera, Der Goldkäfer (The Gold-Bug), with a libretto by Hannah Dübgen based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story.

 

(c) Milena Mihaylova

It is the composer's second opera after Solaris (Paris, 2015).

A powerful storm is raging over the island when Albert and his daughter Lilith knock at Sam and his grandfather William’s door. William opens up and tells them excitedly of his latest discovery, a beautiful, precious glittering golden bug. He is convinced that the insect has magic powers and tries everything he can think of to unlock them. In the process the boundaries between fantasy and reality become increasingly blurred and soon the four characters find themselves caught up in a thrilling adventure with secret messages, pirate escapades and a legendary treasure trove. (reproduced from the Theater Basel website)

The cast includes soprano Sarah Brady (Lilith), baritone Domen Krizaj (Albert), tenor Matthew Swensen (Sam), bass José Coca Loza (Wilhelm Legrand) and mezzo Anastasia Bickel (Anneli). Stephen Delaney conducts the orchestra. Julia Hölscher directs.

The performance should last about 70 minutes.

Received in the mail this Friday morning

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

- Michel Legrand : Dreyfus, Nice, May 16, 2014 : program book for the world première performance ;

 
- Basel, Theater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Dortmund, Theater : 2014-2015 season program book and June-July 2014 leaflet ;
- Gera / Altenburg, Theater & Philharmonie Thüringen : 2014-2015 season program book, May and June 2014 leaflets ;
- Mannheim, Nationaltheater : June 2014 leaflet ;
- München, Bayerische Staatsoper : September to December 2014 brochure ;
- Münster, Theater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Saarbrücken, Saarländisches Staatstheater : June 2014 leaflet ;
- Zürich, Opernhaus : 2014-2015 season program book.