3 new programme books in my collection

I have recently received in the mail the programme books for the 3 following contemporary operas :

- Sidney Corbett : Die Andere, Magdeburg, March 18, 2016 ;
- Alexander Muno : Sogno d'un mattino di primavera, Detmold, April 8, 2016 ;
- Hans Thomalla : Kaspar Hauser, Freiburg, April 9, 2016.

 The first one is a 36 pages brochure. It contains :

- The synopsis ;
- Die biblische Vorlage (excerpt from the Bible, Genesis 11) ;
- Stammvater Abraham, by Hans Küng ;
- Auf der Suche nach den Erzvätern, by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman ;
- color photos of rehearsals ;
- conversation with librettist Christoph Hein and composer Sidney Corbett, by Ulrike Schröder ;
- Monotheismus und Gewalt, by Jan Assmann ;
- an excerpt of the libretto ;
- Die Musik weiß, was sie braucht, by composer Sidney Corbett ;
- Scheiternde Väter, by Jürgen Ebach ;
- Ein Leben in Polygamie, by Rosaline Massado ;
- Gefährliche Symbolpolitik, by Susanne Knaul ;
- biographies of Sidney Corbett and Christoph Hein.

It is entirely in German. Attached are a 16 pages booklet with the complete libretto in German, and a leaflet with the complete cast and crew.

The second is a 68 pages brochure. It contains :

- color photos of rehearsals ;
- complete cast and crew ;
- the synopsis ;
- Alexander Muno und Gabriele d'Annunzio ;
- Der Dichter Gabriele d'Annunzio : Todgesagte leben länger ;
- Psychologische Funktion der Farben, by Harald Braehm ;
- Trauma & Dissoziation ;
- Rot ist die Strassfarbe, by Harald Braehm ;
- the composer's biography ;
- Die Abgründigkeit des Textes, a dialogue with the composer.

It is entirely in German.

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

- complete cast and crew ;
- the synopsis ;
- Kaspar Hauser Lied, by Georg Trakl ;
- Pro und Contra Kaspar Hauser ;
- several color photos of rehearsals ;
- Von Stiliseirungen und Meteoriten, excerpts reproduced from the magazine Die deutsche Bühne ;

It is entirely in German.

I know have 407 programme books for contemporary operas. The scanned covers are available in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Sidney Corbett's 'Die Andere' in Magdeburg

Today, Sidney Corbett's new opera, Die Andere, with a libretto by Christoph Hein, will be premiered at the Theater Magdeburg.

It is the composer's sixth (and second biblical) opera. His previous stage works include Noach (Bremen, 2001), Ubu (Gelsenkirchen, 2012) and Das große Heft (Osnabrück, 2013).

Abraham was prophesied that he would be the progenitor of a people. But he must face the fact that his wife Sara  gave birth to no son. She sugggests he should make her maid Hagar pregnant instead. Hagar becomes pregnant, but against all odds, Sara expects a child too. Abraham's claims to power seem ensured, but the seed of conflict - not only between the two women - is planted (freely adapted from the Theater Magdeburg website).

The cast includes baritone Roland Fenes (Abraham), mezzo Undine Dreißig (Sarah), soprano Julie Martin du Theil (Hagar) and tenor Manfred Wulfert (Nachor). Michael Wendeberg directs the Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Ulrich Schulz directs.

The performance takes place at the Schauspielhaus.