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.

Received in the mail this morning : program book for 'Münchhausen' by Jan Masanetz in Hannover

This Monday morning, I have received in the mail the program book published by the Staatstheater Hannover for the world première of Münchhausen, children opera composed by Jan Masanetz, first performed on May 8th.

It is a 32 pages brochure, with several questions children (and adults !) might have while watching the show and answering them. It contains :

- complete cast and crew (who is involved ?) ;
- synopsis (what happens in the opera ?) ;
- an article on the real Hieronymus Carl Friedrich Freiherr von Münchhausen ;
- how do you make fire on stage ?
- where does the snow come from ? is it real ?
- how do you direct penguins ?
- the moon princess has glowing hair. How does it work ?
- biographies of composer Jan Masanetz and librettist Klaus Angermann ;
- several color pictures and drawings.

It is entirely in German.

May 8th, 2015 : world première of 'Münchhausen' by Jan Masanetz in Hannover

Today, the first opera composed by Jan Masanetz, Münchhausen, with a libretto by Klaus Angermann, will be performed in Hannover.

This children opera, commissioned by the Staatsoper Hannover, will be performed in Ballhof Eins.

Should anyone lie ? Where is the line between truth and falsehood ? Is lie the opposite of reality or is it not sometimes a new reality ? Sometimes, it is really difficult to separate truth from falsehood, and now and then the fiction is far more exciting than the everyday reality. Baron von Münchhausen, also known as the 'Lying Baron', born in the nearby village of Bodenwerder an der Weser, is always the best, when it comes to inventing the most outrageous stories one wants to have experienced oneself. Of course, it has little to do with his real life, but his richly illustrated tales are so entertaining that noone would blame him for his jokes. He travels inside a volcano, through the center of the earth, to the South Pole, sails on treacherous seas, or flies to the moon where he encounters the strangest creatures looking for his dream Princess. (personal translation of the opera house's website)

The cast includes baritone Byung Kweon Jun (Münchhausen), baritone Michael Checewicz (the Baron's servant), mezzo Marie-Sandre Papenmeyer (the Mother), Martin Busen, Jeong-Min Nam and Eunhye Choi (three Agents / three Fantastic Creatures). They are accompanied by the Niedersächsisches Staatsorchester Hannover conducted by Siegmund Weinmeister. Beverly Blankenship directs this new opera, with sets designed by Antonella Mazza and costumes by Elvira Freind.

Received in the mail this Tuesday morning

This Tuesday morning, I have received the following articles in the mail :

- Cincinnati, Opera : 2014 season program book ;
- Fort Worth, Opera : 2015 Festival brochure ;
- Hannover, Bühnen : July 2014 magazine ;
- Kansas City, Lyric Opera : 2014-2015 season brochure ;
- Napoli, Teatro di San Carlo : 2014-2015 season brochure ;
- Seattle, Opera : 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 season brochures, August 2013 Ring brochure, 5 'encore arts programs' (Ring, La Fille du régiment, Rigoletto, The Consul, Les Contes d'Hoffmann) ;
- Vancouver, Opera : 2014-2015 season brochure.

Received in the mail this Tuesday morning

This Tuesday, I have received the following items in the mail :

- Cottbus, Staatstheater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Hannover, Bühnen : 'Spielzeit' magazine No. 6.

Received in the mail this Friday morning

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

- Angers and Nantes, Opéra : 2014-2015 season brochure ;
- Hamburg, Staatsoper : July 2014 leaflet ;
- Hannover, Staatstheater : July 2014 leaflet ;
- Stockholm, Operan : 2014-2015 season brochure ;
- Wiesbaden, Theater : July 2014 leaflet and June-July magazine.

Received in the mail this Wednesday morning

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

- Halle, Bühnen : June and July-August 2014 leaflets ;
- Hannover, Staatstheater : June 2014 leaflet ;
- Hof, Theater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Karlsruhe, Badisches Staatstheater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Luxembourg, Théâtres de la Ville : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- München, Bayerische Staatsoper : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Oslo, Den Norske Opera & Ballet : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Vienna, Theater an der Wien : 2014-2015 season program books ('Das neue Opernhaus' and 'In der Kammeroper').

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.

Received yesterday in the mail

Yesterday, I received the following brochures in the mail :

- Berliner Philharmoniker, 2014-2015 season ;
- Bühnen Hannover : Magazin n° 5 (Hannoversche Allgemeine, April 25, 2014) ;
- Staatsoper Hannover : 2014-2015 season, with Konzerte 2014-2015 book and Schauspiel Hannover (2014-2015 season program book) ;
- Braunschweig, Staatstheater : June 2014 brochure ;
- Bonn, Theater : June-July 2014.

Next season, the Berliner Philharmoniker will perform the following operas :

- Hector Berlioz, La Damnation de Faust, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle (first in Baden-Baden in March and April 2015, then in Berlin) ;
- Jonathan Dove, Was lauert da im Labyrinth (The Monster in the Maze), conducted by Sir Simon Rattle (June 2015), world première performance of a new children opera, then to be performed by the London Symphony Orchestra ;
- Richard Strauss : Der Rosenkavalier in Baden-Baden (directed by Brigitte Fassbaender) in March and April 2015.

Received this Friday morning

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

- Semperoper Dresden : May to July 2014 ;
- Landestheater Detmold : May 2014 ;
- Landestheater Linz : May 2014 ;
- Staatstheater Hannover : May 2014.