New in my collection : 3 programme books for contemporary operas

I have recently received in the mail the programme books for the three following contemporary operas :

- Viktor Åslund : Der Steppenwolf, Würzburg, May 7, 2016 ;
- Bernhard Lang : Der Golem, Mannheim, April 16, 2016 ;
- Helmut Oehring : Agota ?, Wiesbaden, May 4, 2016.

The first one is a 36 pages brochure, entirely in German. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Tractat vom Steppenwolf, by Hermann Hesse ;
- color photos of rehearsals ;
- Verschmitzte Suggestionskraft, by Christoph Blitt ;
- Lerne, zu lachen !, by Hermann Hesse (the end of the novel Der Steppenwolf) ;
- Entdecke den Steppenwolf in dir !, by librettist Rainer Lewandowski ;
- Ein Spiel mit musikalischen Identitäten, by composer Viktor Åslund ;
- Spaziergang in Würzburg, by Hermann Hesse ;
- biographies of the composer, the librettist, the conductor, the stage director and the costume and set designer, with headshots.

The second is a 88 pages book. It is entirely in German. It contains :

- cast and crew ;
- excerpts of the Gustav Meyrink novel ;
- biography of the composer ;
- synopsis ;
- color photos of the piano dress rehearsal (April 4, 2016) ;
- Von der Legende über den Roman zur Oper, by Merle Fahrholz ;
- Eine Ode an die Schizophrenie oder Musiktheater in 22 Kapiteln, by Christine Dysers with musical quotes from the full score of the opera ;
- 22 Karten, die man auflegt wie ein Orakel, by Merle Farhrholz (interview withe the composer and the librettist and director Peter Missotten) ;
- Jetzt und für immer, by Tilman Baumgärtel ;
- Gustav Mayrink und der Okkultismus, by Jean-Jacques Pollet ;
- Der Golem des Hoch-Rabbi-Löw, poem by A. M. Tendlau ;
- Vom Siegeszug der künstlichen Intelligenz, by Hans Moravec ;
- Glossar zum Textbuch von Der Golem ;
- complete libretto.

The third one is a 24 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- the work structure ;
- Agota Kristof : Muttersprache - Feindessprachen - Schicksalsprache ;
- Das Autoren-Team : Komposition - Textbuch - Sounddesign ;
- In-Schriften, by Stefanie Wördermann, dialogue with sound designer Torsten Ottersberg and composer Helmut Oehring.

I know have 414 programme books for contemporary operas in my collection. I have uploaded all the scanned covers to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Bernhard Lang's 'Der Golem' in Mannheim

Today, the Nationaltheater Mannheim presents the world première of Bernhard Lang's new opera, Der Golem (music theatre in 22 chapters), with a libretto by Peter Missotten after Gustav Meyrink's novel.

Bernhard Lang already composed several pieces of music theater, including Das Theater der Wiederholungen (Graz, 2003), Schachoper (Vienna, 2005) and Der Reigen (Schwetzingen, 2012).

Pernath's life is breaking apart : he is brought to life with real intrigues, experiencing hallucinations and falling into spiritualistic intricacies. He meets the merchant Wassertrum, who is very rich and rules the ghetto. Charousek, the merchant's illegitimate son, follows relentlessly his father to their death. Pernath finds relief in the presence of Rabbi Hillel an his daughter Miriam, and crosses the path of the Golem, a surreal creature. With the help of old tarot cards, he appears as Pernath's doppelganger. (freely adapted from the NTM website).

The cast includes baritone Raymond Ayers (Athanasius Pernath), countertenor Alin Deleanu (Charousek / Wassertrum), soprano Astrid Kessler (Angelina / Waitress), bass baritone Steven Scheschareg (Athanasius Pernath Double / Hillel) and mezzo Marie-Belle Sandis (Miriam). Joseph Trafton conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Nationaltheater Mannheim. Peter Missotten directs.