Received this morning : programme book for '7 Minuti' by Giorgio Battistelli in Nancy

This morning, I have received the programme book published by the Opéra National de Lorraine in Nancy for the world première of 7 Minuti by Giorgio Battistelli, on February 1, 2019.

It is a 96 pages book. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- biography of the composer and librettist Giorgio Battistelli ;
- biography of Stefano Massini, author of the original play ;
- synopsis ;
- Echos de la composition - Opéra pour le temps présent (Echoes of the Composition - Opera for the Present Time), based on an interview of the composer, by dramaturge Carmelo Agnello ;
- Echos de la scène (Echoes of the Stage), by director Michel Didym ;
- Une pièce, le théâtre de Stefano Massini ( A Play, Stefano Massini's Theatre) ;
- Un opéra, les raisons de Giorgio Battistelli (An Opera, Giorgio Battistelli's Reasons) ;
- Titles and duration of the 3 'Tableaux' and 30 scenes of the opera ;
- Conseil d'usine, by Antonio Gramsci, published in L'Ordine nuovo (Turin) on June 5, 1920 ;
- Retour aux sources : les coulisses d'une révolution, by K. Naumov, published in Les Journées d'Octobre (1924) ;
- Un combat pour la dignité ? L'histoire, la vraie !, by Fanny Gallot, reproduced from her blog ;
- Où est la politique ? Vide honteux, by Stefano Massini, excerpt of an article published in La Repubblica in July 2018 ;
- complete libretto ;
- biographies of the artists with black and white headshots ;
- several colour photos of rehearsals.

The book is entirely in French.

I now have 635 programme books for contemporary operas. All scanned covers are available in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of '7 Minuti' by Giorgio Battistelli in Nancy

Today, the Opéra national de Lorraine presents the world première of 7 Minuti (7 Minutes), an opera composed by Giorgio Battistelli with a libretto in Italian by the composer after Stefano Massini's play.

(c) Marco Borrelli

Battistelli has already composed about 20 stage works, including Il Medico dei pazzi (Nancy, June 2014), CO2 (Milano, May 2015), Lot (Hannover, April 2017) and Wake (Birmingham, March 2018).

A textile factory is threatened with closure, unless its workers agree to lose seven minutes on their daily break. A debate ensues, with the question : how far would one go to keep one's job ? (freely adapted from the Opéra national de Lorraine website)

The cast includes mezzo Milena Storti (Blanche), soprano Francesca Sorteni (Mireille), soprano Erika Beretti (Sabine), soprano Alexandra Zabala (Odette), mezzo Elenora Vacchi (Rachel), soprano Lavinia Bini (Agnieska),mezzo Loriana Castellano (Mahtab), soprano Arianna Vendittelli (Zoélie), mezzo Sofia Pavone (Arielle), soprano Daniela Cappiello (Sophie) and soprano Grazia Doronzio (Lorraine). Francesco Lanzillotta conducts the Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy and the Chorus of the Opéra national de Lorraine. Michel Didym directs.

The performance should last 2 hours and 10 minutes, without intermission.

Today : world première of Giorgio Battistelli's 'Wake' in Birmingham

Today, the Birmingham Opera Company presents the world première of Giorgio Battistelli's new opera, Wake, with a libretto by Sarah Woods.

Battistelli has already composed about 20 stage works, including Il Medico dei pazzi (Nancy, June 2014), CO2 (Milano, May 2015) and Lot (Hannover, April 2017).

Wake begins with the death of Lazarus, and the desperation of Martha and Mary, which becomes an echo of the injustice and unhappiness of man’s lot. But when Lazarus is brought back to life by Jesus, he is no longer able to cope with the reality he’d left behind. The celebration of his return is haunted by the despair over his non-return. Everything has changed, nothing is as it once was. Only in the end, in a boat surrounded by a sea of people telling their own stories, does Lazarus regain hope and his own humanity thanks to the solidarity among the desperate. (reproduced from the Ricordi website)

The cast includes soprano Nardus Williams (Martha), soprano Mimi Doulton (Mary), baritone Elliott Carlton Hines (Jesus) and tenor Joshua Stewart (Lazarus). Jonathon Heyward conducts the orchestra. Graham Vick directs.

The full score is available on the Ricordi website. It includes the composition of the required orchestra :

- 3 (II also picc., III picc.).1 (also cor.i.).5 (I Picc. in Mib, II in Sib e La, also Picc. in Mib, III bcl., IV dbcl. also bcl.). 2 (II dbn.) ;
- 4.2.2.2 tu. wag. 1. ;
- 2 acc., 4 perc., 2 grand piano, harp, guit. ;
- strings : 1.1.1.1.1.

The performance should last about 75 minutes.

3 new programme books in my collection : Battistelli, Fairouz and Nemtsov

I have recently received three new programme books for contemporary operas :

- Giorgio Battistelli : Lot, Hannover, April 1, 2017 ;
- Mohammed Fairouz : The New Prince, Amsterdam, March 24, 2017 ;
- Sarah Nemtsov : Sacrifice, Halle, March 5, 2017.

 The first one is a 64 pages book. It contains :

- synopsis ;
- Klaus Angermann : Experiment mit offenem Ausgang - Vorläufige Bemerkungen zu Giorgio Battistellis Oper Lot ;
- Umberto Eco : Projekt einer Apokalypse ;
- Pier Paolo Pasolini : Ach, meine nackten Füsse... ;
- Julia Kristeva : Toccata und Fuge für den Fremden ;
- Klaus Lelek : A und O ;
- Pier Paolo Pasolini : Die Zerstörung der Selbsteinschätzung ;
- biographies of composer and librettist with black and white headshots ;
- complete libretto in German ;
- complete cast for the first performance (on the last page) ;
- several colour photos of the piano dress rehearsal on March 22.

The programme book is entirely written in German.

The second is a 88 pages book. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- Marijke Schouten : Machiavelli's wijsheid van de straat (Machiavelli's wisdom of the street) ;
- Frans van Dooren : Machiavelli's ideeënwereld (Machiavelli's world of ideas) ;
- Mark de Boorder : Eigentijdse figuren (Contemporary figures) ;
- Eelco Runia : Het Ancien régime zag de revolutie ook niet aankomen (The Ancient Regime did not se the Revolution coming) ;
- Edward Said : Het gezag de waarheid zeggen (Speaking Truth to Power) ;
- Fabienne Vegt : Korte inhoud (Synopsis) ;
- complete libretto ;

The entire programme book is in Dutch. The libretto is bilingual, Dutch and English.

The third and last one is a 16 pages leaflet. It contains :

- the complete cast ;
- May I be Sacrificed - Möge ich geopfert sein, by Michael v. zur Mühlen.

It is entirely in German.

I now have 472 programme books for contemporary operas. All the scanned covers have been uploaded to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Giorgio Battistelli's 'Lot' in Hannover

Today, the Staatsoper Hannover presents the world première of Giorgio Battistelli's new opera, Lot, with a libretto by Jenny Erpenbeck.

Giorgio Battistelli has composed several operas including Prova d'Orchestra (Strasbourg, 1995), Richard III (Antwerpen, 2005), Divorzio all'italiana (Nancy, 2008) and Il Medico dei pazzi (Nancy, 2014).

God wants to destroy the city of Sodom because of its moral depravity, but Abraham worries about his nephew, Lot, who is a god-fearing man. Abraham haggles with God about the minimum number of innocents that Sodom must have in order that the city be spared. But the angels of God find only one, Lot, whose family they want to save before the city is razed to the ground. For a single "righteous" is not enough for divine power to prevent the massacre of others. The salvation proves to Lot as a curse. His way leads to uncertainty, where his wife can only hesitantly follow him and is therefore also destroyed. Alone left by his God, he escaped with his two daughters to the mountains, where he lived in social isolation with them like a wild beast, and bears children with them. (freely adapted from the Staatsoper Hannover website)

The cast includes baritone Brian Davis (Lot), soprano Dorothea Maria Marx (1st Daughter), mezzo Stella Motina (2nd Daughter), contralto Khatuna Mikaberidze (Woman), bass Franz Mazura (Abraham) and mezzo Renate Behle (Sara). Mark Rohde conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Staatsoper Hannover and Frank Hilbrich directs.

According to the publisher's website (Ricordi Milano), the required orchestra is the following :

- piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons ;
- 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 tubas ;
- timpani, percussion (3 players), piano, harp ;
- strings.

The performance should last about 90 minutes. The first performance will be broadcast live by NDR Kultur.

New programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired several programme books for contemporary operas :

- Thomas Adès : Powder Her Face, Bologna, November 9, 2010 (95 pages book). First performance in Cheltenham on July 1st, 1995 ;
- Thomas Adès : The Tempest, Wien (Staatsoper), June 14, 2015 (128 pages book). First performance in London (Royal Opera House) on February 10, 2004, for which I also have the programme book ;
- Giorgio Battistelli : Divorzio all'italiana, Bologna, June 11, 2013 (128 pages book). First performance in Nancy on September 30, 2008 ;

 
- Luciano Berio : Cronaca del Luogo, Salzburg, July 24, 1999 (124 pages book, with a 32 pages booklet). World première ;
- Paul Dessau : Einstein, Berlin, February 16, 1974 (16 pages leaflet and 6 pages leaflet in a folder). World première ;
- Moritz Eggert : Linkerhand, Hoyerswerda (Theater Görlitz), May 10, 2009 (182 pages book). World première ;

 
- Peter Eötvös : Tri Sestri, Wien (Staatsoper), March 06, 2016 (124 pages book). First performance in Lyon on March 13, 1998 (for which I have the programme book), and first performance in Wien at the Theater in der Wien on May 25, 2002 ;
- Luca Francesconi : Quartett, Milano (Teatro alla Scala), Avril 26, 2011 (139 pages book). With a separate cast sheet for the third performance. World première ;
- Detlev Glanert : Joseph Süss, München (Gärtnerplatz), March 3, 2012 (48 pages book with a separate 4 pages leaflet with the cast for the 8th performance on April 5 and a 10 pages leaflet with photos). First performance in Bremen on October 13, 1999 ;
- Hans Werner Henze : Phaedra, Firenze, June 5, 2008 (116 pages book). First performance in Berlin on September 6, 2007. I also have the programme book for performances in Brussels in Septembre 2007 ;
- Michael Jarrell : Cassandra, Bologna, October 31, 2014 (73 pages book). First performance in Paris on February 4, 1994, for which I also have the programme ;

 
- Giselher Klebe : Die Fastnachtsbeichte, Darmstadt, Decembre 20, 1983 (40 pages brochure with a separate 8 pages leaflet). World première ;
- Rainer Kunad : Sabellicus, Berlin (Deutsche Staatsoper), December21, 1974 (16 pages brochure with a separate 4 pages leaflet). World première ;
- Alexander Raskatov : A Dog's Heart, Milano (Teatro alla Scala), March 13, 2013 (249 pages book with a separate cast sheet for the third performance). World première in Amsterdam on June 7, 2010. I also have the programme books for the Amsterdam performances and for performances in Lyon (January 20, 2014) ;
- Wolfgang Rihm : Jakob Lenz, Lugo, March 30, 2012 and Bologna, April 12, 2012 (112 pages book). First performance in Hamburg on March 8, 1979. I also have programme books for performances in Strasbourg (September 21, 1993) and Nanterre (October 11, 1995) ;

 
- Salvatore Sciarrino : Luci mie traditrici, Bologna, June 14, 2016 (87 pages book). World première in Schwetzingen on May 19, 1998 ;
- Fabio Vacchi : Teneke, Milano (Teatro alla Scala), September 22, 2007 (192 pages book, with a separate cast sheet for the second performance. World première ;
- Bernd Alois Zimmermann : Die Soldaten, Milano (Teatro alla Scala), January 17, 2015 (200 pages book, with a separate cast sheet for the third performance). The opera was first performed in Köln, on February 15, 1965. I also have programme books for performances in Strasbourg (September 17, 1988), Paris (January 22, 1994), München (May 25, 2014) and Wiesbaden (April 30, 2016).

I now have 469 programme books for contemporary opera. I have uploaded all the scanned covers in this flickr folder.

New in my collection : program books from Teatro alla Scala : Battistelli's 'CO2' and Maazel's '1984'

This morning, I have received two program books published by the Teatro alla Scala in Milano for two contemporary operas :

- Giorgio Battistelli : CO₂, world première on May 16th, 2015 ;
- Lorin Maazel : 1984, world première in London (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden) on May 3rd, 2005, first performed in Milan on May 2nd, 2008.

The program book for Battistelli's opera is a 180 pages book. It contains :

- an introduction by librettist Ian Burton (in English and Italian) ;
- the complete libretto (in English and Italian) ;
- the synopsis (in Italian, French, English, German, Japanese and Russian ;
- a detailed biography of the composer, by Giulia Accornero (in Italian) ;
- The opera : a brief overview, by Cesare Fertonani (in Italian and English) ;
- The music, by Marco Moiraghi (in Italian and English) ;
- L'opera oggi, al servizio di una malata terminale, interview with the composer (in Italian) ;
- A climate change opera, by Ian Burton (in Italian and English) ;
- 24 pages of color photographs of landscapes damaged by human activities ;
- Un soggetto per la nostra epoca, by Robert Carsen (in Italian) ;
- detailed biographies of the members of the production team ;
- black and white portraits of the singers.

The program book for Maazel's opera is a 210 pages book. It contains :

- complete libretto (in English and Italian) ;
- color photos of the 2005 production in London ;
- the synopsis (in Italian, French, English, German and Japanese) ;
- L'opera in breve, by Cesare Fertonani ;
- The music, by Marco Moiraghi ;
- Come ho scritto 1984, by Lorin Maazel ;
- 1984, Maazel, Orwell : dal totalitarismo alla dittatura dei media, by Michele Porzio ;
- George Orwell e l'indagine letteraria sull'autoritarismo, by Angelo Arciero ;
- interview with the director Robert Lepage (originally published in the London program book) ;
- B& W photos of London rehearsals ;
- detailed chronology of Lorin Maazel's life, with lots of photos.

This book is mainly in Italian. The CO₂ book is mostly bilingual Italian / English, most likely because the performances of the opera (a commission of the Teatro alla Scala) are connected to the Expo Milano 2015.

May 16th, 2015 : world première of Giorgio Battistelli's 'CO₂' in Milan

Today, Giorgio Battistelli's new opera, CO₂, with a libretto in English by Ian Burton, will be performed at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. It is a commission by the Theatre as a contribution to the theme of Expo Milano 2015, Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.

 

  

Since the 1980s, Battistelli has composed several works for the theater, including Prova d'Orchestra (1995), Richard III (2005) and Divorcio all'italiana (2008). 

The opera is divided into nine scenes, plus a prologue and an epilogue. The dramatic structure centres on the lecture given by a climatologist whose name is emblematic of the entire human race : David Adamson. As he attempts to explain the risks facing the planet and endangering the survival of humanity, he himself comes to realise the absolute necessity of loving the environment in which we live and for which we are all personally responsible, and not merely of respecting its ecology. In scene after scene, Adamson’s lecture is interrupted by and interspersed with episodes or insights, according to a postmodern narrative logic that generates a whirlwind of “short-circuits” in time and space. So, alongside David Adamson appear a range of diverse characters : four archangels (Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel and Michael) ; scientists and ecologists ; Adam, Eve and the Serpent ; Gaia, the ancient Greek goddess of the earth ; MrsMason, the sister of a survivor of the tsunami, and Mr Changtalay, a Thai hotel manager ; and also young people, travellers, women doing their shopping. (reproduced from the Scala website).

The cast includes soprano Pumeza Matshikiza (Eve), counter-tenor David DQ Lee (Serpent), mezzo soprano Jennifer Johnston (Gaia), tenor Sean Panikkar (Adam), baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore (D. Adamson), bass Dennis Wilgenhof (Archangel Raphael), bass Alain Coulombe (Archangel Uriel). Cornelius Meister conducts and Robert Carsen directs. The opera should last about 90 minutes. The first performance is to be broadcast live by Italian Rai Radio 3.

The orchestra is the following :

- 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 4 clarinets, 4 bassoons ;

- 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 tubas ;

- timpani and 4 percussionists ;

- amplified bass guitar, 2 samplers

- strings

(according to the Ricordi website)

Received this morning in the mail : Giorgio Battistelli - Il Medico dei pazzi

This Wednesday morning, I have finally received the program book published by the Opéra de Nancy et de Lorraine for the world première of Giorgio's Battistelli's opera Il Medico dei pazzi.

It contains :
- complete cast and crew for the performances
- biography of the composer
- an article by the stage director Carlos Wagner
- an article on Eduardo Scarpetta
- an excerpt of Eugene Ionesco's play Rhinocéros
- the complete libretto, in French
- biographies of the performers
- several pictures of sketches for the sets and costumes

Today : new opera by Giorgio Battistelli in Nancy

Today, the new opera by Giorgio Battistelli, Il Medico dei pazzi, will be performed for the first time in Nancy. The libretto by the composer is a free adaptation of Eduardo Scarpetta's play.

When all masks of the Neapolitan comedy are summoned in a frantic dance sweeping all the quirks of our living together... we admire the wit, we laugh and we are surprised to see how all these truths are part of another wild round, which is nothing more than our daily lives.

The cast includes Alessandro Luongo (Felice Sciosciammocca), Bruno Taddia (Cicillo), Giuseppe Talamo (Michelino), Bruno Pratico (Carlo), Maurizio Pace (Errico), Valeriu Caradja (Raffaele). Francesco Lanzillotta conducts and Carlos Wagner directs.

This 'Neapolitan musical action' is Battistelli's 30th stage work, following, among others Prova d'orchestra (1995), The Cenci (1997), Impressions d'Afrique (2000) and Richard III (2004).

2014-2015 season at the Staatsoper in Hannover

The following operas will be performed in Hannover during the 2014-2015 season :

- Giorgio Battistelli : Lot, conducted by Karen Kamensek, directed by Frank Hilbrich (world première) ;
- Georges Bizet : Carmen, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier, directed by Monique Wagemakers (revival, first performed in June 2013) ;
- Arrigo Boito : Mefistofele, conducted by Karen Kamensek (in concert) ;
- Engelbert Humperdinck : Hänsel und Gretel, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier, originally directed by Steffen Tiggeler (before December 2011) ;
- Leos Janacek : Jenufa, conducted by Karen Kamensek, directed by Floris Visser (new production) ;
- Pietro Mascagni : Cavalleria rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo : Pagliacci, conducted by Mark Rohde, directed by Philipp Himmelmann (revival, from last January) ;
- Jules Massenet : Werther, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier, directed by Bernd Mottl (new production) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Don Giovanni, conducted by Benjamin Reiners, directed by Benedikt von Peter (revival, production to be premièred later this month) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Le Nozze di Figaro, conducted by Anja Bihlmaier, directed by Ingo Kerkhof (revival) ;
- Giacomo Puccini : Tosca, conducted by Mark Rohde, directed by Alexandra Szemerédy and Magdolna Parditka (new production) ;
- Jean-Philippe Rameau : Castor et Pollux, conducted by Benjamin Reiners, directed by Alexander Charim (revival, production to be premièred next June) ;
- Johann Strauß : Die Fledermaus, conducted by Benjamin Reiners, directed by Martin G. Berger (new production) ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : La Traviata, directed by Benedikt von Peter (revival) ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : Un ballo in maschera, conducted by Mark Rohde, directed by Olivier Tambosi (revival, first performed in September 2013).

15 operas will be performed in only 4 different languages (German, Italian, French and Czech). There is only one opera composed since 1914, but it is a world première. The season consists of 9 revivals, 1 opera in concert and 5 new productions, including the new Battistelli opera.