Today : world première of 'Les Bienveillantes' by Hèctor Parra in Antwerpen

Today, the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerpen presents the world première of Les Bienveillantes (The Kindly Ones), an opera in 2 parts and 7 scenes composed by Hèctor Parra, with a libretto by Händl Klaus based on Jonathan Littell's novel.

It is Parra's sixth work for the stage, after Das geopferte Leben (Munich, May 2014) and Wilde (Schwetzingen, May 2015).

The main character, SS officer Max Aue, is not only a witness but above all, also a participant in the horrors of war, but he is not burdened by it. (reproduced from the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen website)

The cast includes tenor Rainer Trost (Maximilian Aue), soprano Rachel Harnisch (Una Moreau), soprano Nadja Michael (Héloïse Aue), tenor David Alegret (Aristide Moreau) and baritone Günter Papendell (Thomas Hauser). Peter Rundel conducts the Symfonisch Orkest and Koor of the Opera Vlaanderen. Calixto Bieito directs.

The opera is coproduced with the Staatstheater Nürnberg and the Teatro Real Madrid.

Today : world première of 'Violetter Schnee' by Beat Furrer in Berlin

Today, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin presents the world première of Violetter Schnee (Violet Snow), an opera composed by Beat Furrer with a libretto in German by Händl Klaus based on a work by Vladimir Sorokin translated by Dorothea Trottenberg.

(c) Dimitri Papageorgiou

It is the composer's 8th opera, after Die Blinden (Vienna, 1989), Narcissus (Graz, 1994), Invocation (Zurich, 2003), Wüstenbuch (Basel, 2010) and La bianca notte (Hamburg, 2015).

The world is in a state of emergency. Five people are trapped in perpetual snowdrifts. Time appears to stand still. Will this ever end ? Jacques remains apart in the middle of the group, affirming the snowfall and the nothingness that he dedicates himself to – by holding a dialogue with the snow in agreement with its uncanny effects. Peter und Silvia, by contrast, are gloomy, fearful and pessimistic. Jan and Natascha attempt to keep a perspective, continue to hope and remain active, believing that a new era will come. The ability to communicate becomes visibly more difficult for all of them. What happens namelessly alienates all of them : they have no language for it. When a stranger appears and speaks – Tanja, who moves through the landscape as if she were in a picture – she initially triggers euphoria, followed by deep isolation. She functions like a projection surface or a space of memory ; Jacques believes he sees his dead wife in her – he touches the membrane between life and death. Nothing, however, is stronger than the sun. The group is obliterated in the violet illumination of the snow. (reproduced from the Staatsoper Berlin website)

The cast includes soprano Anna Prohaska (Silvia), soprano Elsa Dreisig (Natascha), baritone Gyula Orendt (Jan), baritone George Nigl (Peter) and bass baritone Otto Katzameier. Matthis Pintscher conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin. Claus Guth directs.

The required orchestra is the following (accroding to the composer's website) :

- 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons ;
- saxophone ;
- 3 horns, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- percussion (2 players), piano, accordion ;
- strings (12.10.8.6.4).

There will be four performances alltogether in January. The score is published by Bärenreiter. A perusal score is available for download on their website.

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.

Today : world première of 'Der Mieter' by Arnulf Herrmann in Frankfurt

Today, the Oper Frankfurt presents the world première of Der Mieter (The Tenant), an opera composed by Arnulf Herrmann with a libretto by Klaus Händl based on motifs from Roland Topor's novel Le Locataire chimérique.

It is the composer's second opera after Wasser (München, 2012).

Lodgings are scarce, so Georg is delighted to have found a room. The previous tenant is dead. She threw herself out of the window. Not long after he moves in the other people in the house start intruding on his life. It starts with complaints about noise. Then he is expected to help drive other tenants away. Everything takes place in a climate of increasing fear, intimidation and – what weighs most heavily – gradual self-restraint and the need to become increasingly obedient in order to be able keep his room. The extent to how he is free to move and act becomes less and less. His (bio)sphere begins to vanish. In the end it is unclear whether the threat is real or imagined – advanced paranoia. He begins to imagine that he is being forced to suffer the same fate as the previous tenant. And worse: that he should become part of her. Not only does he lose his own identity, he turns into a woman and takes his life. (reproduced from the Oper Frankfurt website)

The cast includes baritone Björn Bürger (Georg), soprano Anja Petersen (Johanna), bass Alfred Reiter (Herr Zenk), mezzo Hanna Schwarz (Frau Bach), mezzo Claudia Mahnke (Frau Greiner), tenor Michael Porter (Körner) and mezzo Judita Nagyova (Frau Dorn). Kazushi Ono conducts the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester and the Philharmonia Chorus Vienna. Johannes Erath directs.

The required orchestra is the following (reproduced from the Peters Edition website) :

- 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 4 clarinets, 3 bassoons ;
- 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- 2 timpani and 5 percussionists ;
- harp and keyboard ;
- strings (12.10.8.8.6).

The performance should last about 1 hour and 50 minutes, without interval.