May 29th, 2015 : world première of Isidora Zebeljan's 'Nahod Simon' in Gelsenkirchen

Today, Isidora Zebeljan's new opera, Nahod Simon (Simon the Foundling), with a libretto by Borislav Čičovački after a Serbian popular tale, will be performed in Gelsenkirchen, at the Musiktheater im Revier.

It is Isidora Zebeljan's fourth opera, after Zora D. (Amsterdam, 2003), The Marathon (Bregenz, 2008) and Two Heads and a Girl (Sienna, 2012).

Simon is a foundling. Monks found him as a baby like Moses, in a floating basket. At the age of 15, when other children his age call him a bastard, the abbot of the monastery handed him a letter and a gold coin, that where lying in the basket with him. The search for his parents is a resteless, crazy and laborious journey through an inhospitable Diaspora. (freely translated from the opera house website)

The cast includes Piotr Prochera (Simon), Gudrun Pelker (Ana), Anke Sieloff, Noriko Ogawa-Yatake, Joachim G. Maass, William Saetre and Dong-Won Seo. Valtteri Rauhalammi conducts and Michiel Dijkema directs.

Received in the mail this Saturday morning

This Saturday morning, I received the following items in the mail :

- Berlin, Deutsche Oper : August October 2014 leaflet ;
- Berlin, Konzerthaus : September October 2014 brochure ;
- Gelsenkirchen, Musiktheater im Revier : September October 2014 leaflet ;
- Helsinki, Finnish National Opera : Spring 2014 and Autumn 2014 brochures ;
- Koblenz, Theater : September October 2014 leaflet.

2014-2015 Season at the Musiktheater im Revier - Gelsenkirchen

During the 2014-2015 season, the Musiktheater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen will perform the following operas :

- Richard Strauss : Die Frau ohne Schatten, conducted by Rasmus Baumann, directed by Michael Schulz (new production, coproduction with the Staatstheater Kassel, where it will be first performed later this month) ;
- Georg Friedrich Händel : Belsazar, conducted by Christoph Spering, directed by Sonja Trebes (new production) ;
- Carsten Kirchmeier : Das Gespenst von Canterville, conducted by Askan Geisler, directed by Carsten Kirchmeier (world première). This new children opera consists of arrangements of music by Jean-Philippe Rameau, Henry Purcell and others ;
- Emmerich Kalman : Die Csardasfürstin, directed by Dietrich W. Hilsdorf (new production) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Rasmus Baumann, directed by Michiel Dijkema (revival of a 2009 production) ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : Rigoletto, conducted by Rasmus Baumann, directed by Michael Schulz (new production) ;
- Isidora Zebeljan : Simon das Findelkind, conducted by Valtteri Rauhalammi, directed by Michiel Dijkema (world première). The première was originally planned for last April, but was postponed to next year.

Received in the mail this Monday morning

This Monday morning, I have received the following in the mail :

- Gelsenkirchen, Musiktheater im Revier : 2014-2015 season book ;
- Gelsenkirchen, Musiktheater im Revier : 2014 June and July leaflet ;
- Freiburg, Theater : June 2014 leaflet ;
- Nürnberg, Staatstheater : May and June 2014 leaflets.