Today : world première of 'Poil de carotte' by Reinhardt Wagner in Montpellier

Today, the Opéra Orchestre National de Montpellier presents the world première of Poil de carotte (Carrot Head), a musical tale composed by Reinhardt Wagner, with a libretto based on the novel by Jules Renard, with songs by Frank Thomas.

Reinhardt Wagner already composed several works for the stage, including the opéra bouffe René l'énervé (Paris, September 7, 2011).

Unhappy with his family, Carrot Haed owes its nickname to his red hair and freckles. Taunted and humiliated by his entourage, he suffers from the authority of his sadistic mother and an indifferent father. Therefore, he must do all the household chores. He will soon discover a trick to soften his ordeal. But Poil de Carotte is also a sensitive child who dreams of being loved one day like other children. (freely adapted from the Opéra national de Montpellier website)

The cast includes soprano Amélie Tatti (Poil de carotte), actress Sylvia Bergé (La mère), actor Bernard Alane (Le père), tenor Yoann Le Lan (Big brother Félix) and soprano Cécile Madelin (Mathilde). Victor Jacob conducts the Opéra Junior Choir and the Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie. Zabou Breitman directs.

The performance should last about 90 minutes. No intermission. The venue is the Opéra Comédie.

Today : world première of 'Denis & Katya' by Philip Venables in Philadelphia

Today, the Opera Philadelphia presents the world première of Denis & Katya, an opera composed by Philip Venables with a libretto by Ted Huffman.

It is the composer's third opera after The Schmürz (chamber opera after Boris Vian (London Contemporary Opera, 2012) and 4.48 Psychosis (London, May 24, 2016).

They could have been your teenage children, best friends, or classmates. Two beautiful 15-year-olds who lived every moment − including their last − online. What led to their violent deaths ? Why did they choose to broadcast their final moments on social media ? And what does it say about the voyeuristic society who watched, liked, and objectified them, transforming two kids into clickbait ? (reproduced from the Opera Philadelphia website)

The cast includes baritone Theo Hoffman and mezzo Siena Licht Miller. Emily Senturia conducts the orchestra. Ted Huffman directs.

The performance should alst about 70 minutes, with no intermission. It is part of the Festival O19. The venue is the Suzanne Roberts Theatre.

The work is published by Ricordi.

Further performances by Music Theatre Wales across Wales and England in February and March 2020 and in Montpellier.

Received in the mail this Saturday morning : program book for Mathis Nitschke's 'Happy Happy' from Montpellier

This Saturday morning, I have received the program book published by Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier for the world première performance of Mathis Nitschke's Happy, Happy.

 

The 48 pages book contains :
- complete cast ;
- bilingual synopsis (English and French) ;
- a 7 pages article on the composer and his works ;
- the original libretto (in French, English and German) and its translation in French ;
- biographies of the artists.

Today : world première of 'Happy Happy' by Mathis Nitschke in Montpellier

Today, Mathis Nitschke's second opera, Happy Happy, will be performed at the Opéra Comédie in Montpellier. This opera is described by the composer as an 'operatic song cycle with party', and is written for soprano and chorus, chamber orchestra and electronics.

 

It is Nitschke's second opera after Jetzt, first performed in Montpellier in November 2012. The composer wrote his own libretto.

There is no alternative. The public debate is under the seal of fatalism. There is no other objective than that of universal restrictions. The economy, the climate, overpopulation – the next catastrophe lies in wait at every bend. Minute by minute, the modern media feed us bad news. We know we should act but we feel powerless. We reduce our sphere of activity. We cease asking for anything whatsoever. We retreat into our shells. The link that would constitute values other than economic ones is missing. What might we do ?
Happy Happy shows us a society in which efficacity has become the determining value. It is a matter of favouring the formation of synapses as early as possible. Schooling is shortened, studies must be useful, work better organized. Music and the muses have lost their freedom of mind as well as their playful innocence and find themselves reduced to the simple functions to fulfil : they serve for learning more efficiently, communicating more efficiently, relaxing more efficiently, and procuring a real life more efficiently. Music has lost its self-worth. Life, too, perhaps.

Happy Happy brings together, in a sort of cabinet of wonders, impressions, quotations and scenes to become the plea for autonomy and co-humanity. Going back to the origins of Greek theatre, the play, written for a singer and a chorus, explores, in so doing, the connection between individual and crowd. It turns out that the person’s singing gets lost in the hot-tempered aspiration of the multitude at the celebration. And life goes on, ‘Happy Happy’. (reproduced from the composer's website)

Soprano Karen Vourc'h will be joined by the chorus of the Opéra national Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon and the Orchestre national Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon. It will be conducted by Arno Waschk and directed by Urs Schönebaum.

Recently received in the mail

I have recently received the following items in the mail :

- Frankfurt, Alte Oper : October 2014 leaflet ;
- Giessen, Stadttheater : October 2014 leaflet
- Linz, Landestheater : September and October 2014 leaflets ;
- Ludwigshafen, Theater im Pfalzbau : Festspiele Ludwigshafen leaflet ;
- Magdeburg, Theater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Montpellier, Opéra Orchestre National : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Trier, Theater : September and October 2014 leaflets ;
- Weimar, Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle : October 2014 leaflet ;
- Wien, Volksoper : October 2014 leaflet.

Received in the mail this Thursday morning

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

- Aix-en-Provence, Festival : 2014 program book ;
- Chemnitz, Theater : July 2014 leaflet ;
- Kaiserslautern, Pfalztheater : 2014-2015 season program book ;
- Montepllier, Festival de Radio France : 2014 program book.

I have also downloaded the program book for the world première of Robin Stokes' opera Pauline (first performed on May 23rd), available on the website of the City Opera Vancouver :
http://cityoperavancouver.com/pauline/pauline-programme