Receivd this morning : program book for 'Lunea' by Heinz Holliger in Zurich

This Thursday morning, I have received in the mail the program book published by Opernhaus Zürich for the world première performance of Lunea, composed by Heinz Holliger. It took place on March 4.

It is a 96 pages book. It contains :

- color photos of rehearsals ;
- detailed synopsis, scene by scene ;
- Fantasie, die keine Grenzen kennt, interview with composer Heinz Holliger, by Claus Spahn ;
- Der Künstler als Getriebener - Über das Leben des Dichters Nikolaus Lenau, by Michael Ritter ;
- Lunea - Eine Mondoper - Zur Musik von Heinz Holligers neuem Werk für Musiktheater, by Roman Brotbeck ;
- Kammerspielartige Verdichtung, interview with director Andreas Homoki, by Claus Spahn ;
- Asche, im Mörser zerrieben, by librettist Händl Klaus ;
- Höchste Freude unf tiefste Düsterkeit, excerpts from letters by Nikolaus Lenau to Sophie von Löwenthal ;
- complete libretto.

The book is entirely in German. There is also a 16 pages booklet with the complete cast and biographies of the artists, with black and white headshots.

I now have 519 progrm books for contemporary operas. I have scanned all covers and uploaded them to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Lunea' by Heinz Holliger in Zürich

Today, the Opernhaus Zürich presents the world première of Heinz Holliger's new opera, Lunea, with a libretto by Händl Klaus inspired by poet Nikolaus Lenau's life. The opera is subtitled '23 pages from a life'.

It is the composer's sixth opera, almost 20 years after Schneewittchen (Zürich, October 1998).

A dramatist, political intellectual, guitarist and violinist, as well as the most successful lyricist of the Biedermeier period, Lenau was a highly talented polymath. He led a restless, intense life informed by his love for a succession of women before becoming mentally deranged in 1844, remaining in psychiatric care until his death in 1850. His most passionate and almost lifelong love affair was with Sophie von Löwenthal, the wife of his friend Max. With Sophie, Lenau maintained a dual correspondence that was split between “official” letters and unrestrainedly intimate messages. (reproduced from the Zurich Opera House website)

The cast includes baritone Christian Gerhaher (Lenau), soprano Juliane Banse (Sophie von Löwenthal), baritone Ivan Ludlow (Anton Schurz), soprano Sarah Maria Sun (Marie Behrends / Karoline Unger) and mezzo Annette Schönmüller (Therese Schurz). Heinz Holliger himself conducts the Philharmonia Zürich and the Basler Madrigalisten. Andreas Homoki directs.

According to the full score available for perusal on the Schott Music website, the required orchestra is the following :

- 2 flutes (also 2 piccolo, 1 alto flute and 1 bass flute), 2 oboes (also 1 English horn), 2 clarinets in B (also 1 clarinet in A and 2 bass clarinets in B), 1 contrabass clarinet in B (also bass clarinet in B), 2 bassoons (also 1 contrabassoon) ;
- 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 2 trombones ;
- timpani, percussion (4 players), cymbal, harp, celesta, piano ;
- strings (4.2.2.2.2).

The performance should last 1 hour and 45 minutes and there is no interval.