Two new programme books in my collection : Eggert and Holten

I have recently received two programme books for two new operas :

- Moritz Eggert : M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder, Berlin (Komische Oper), May 5, 2019 ;
- Bo Holten : Schlagt sie tot !, Malmö, May 11, 2019.

The first one is a 40 pages book. It contains :

- characters and orchestral setting ;
- synopsis ;
- Ulrich Lenz : 90 Minuten Achterbahnfahrt, dialogue with director Barrie Kosky and composer Moritz Eggert ;
- Ulrich Lenz : Und mit mir rennen die Gespenster, Psychogramm eines (vermeintlichen ?) Mörders ;
- synopsis in English, French and Turkish ;
- several colour photos of the piano dress rehearsal (April 25).

There is a separate 6 pages leaflet with the complete cast and crew for the first performance.

The book is entirely in German.

The second one is a 66 pages book. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- Catarina Ek : En värld i förändring (A Changing World) ;
- Persongalleri : short biographies of historical characters with their portraits and headshots of singers playing their roles (Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, Georg Spalatin, Lucas Cranach, Erasmus, among others) ;
- detailed synopsis ;
- Eva Sommestad Holten : Förändringens eld - Tankar bakom texten till 'Schlagt sie tot !' (Fire of Change - Thoughts behind the text of 'Schlagt sie tot !') ;
- Bo Holten : Om musiken i 'Schlagt sie tot !' (About the music of 'Schlagt sie tot !') ;
- Eva Sommestad Holten : Luthers värld - En översikt (Luther's world - an overview) ;
- Eva Sommestad Holten : Musiken som Guds verktyg (Music as God's instrument) ;
- Arne Järtelius : Luther som antisemit (Luther as antisemit) ;
- Arne Järtelius : 500 år med Luther i Sverige (500 years with Luther in Sweden) ;
- biographies of artists with black and white headshots ;
- synopsis in English ;
- several colour photos of rehearsals.

The book is entirely in Swedish.

I now have 680 programme books for contemporary operas in my collection. I have scanned the covers and uploaded the images to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'M' by Moritz Eggert in Berlin

Today, the Komische Oper in Berlin presents the world première of M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (M - A City searches for a Murderer), an opera in one act composed by Moritz Eggert with a libretto by Barrie Kosky and Ulrich Lenz based on Fritz Lang's film and using poems by Walter Mehring.

Moritz Eggert has already composed several works the stage, including All diese Tage (Bremen, April 28, 2012), Terra Nova (Linz, May 26, 2016) and Caliban (Amsterdam, March 25, 2017).

The city is up in arms! A serial murderer is on the loose. Several girls have already been found dead. Under great pressure and using all the means at their disposal, the police search for the culprit. And the city’s criminals are also keeping busy, as the increased police activities – which involve raids and house-to-house searches – is bad for business in every sense. And so the murderer, ultimately a victim of his own sick urges, is pursued, hunted and driven to madness by all the city’s thieves, burglars, whores, fences, beggars and con artists. (reproduced from the Komische Oper website)

The cast includes baritone Scott Hendricks (M. the Murderer), soprano Alma Sadé and tenor Tansel Akzeybek. Ainars Rubikis conducts the Orchestra and the Children Chorus of the Komische Oper. Barrie Kosky directs.

The score is published by Sikorski. The required orchestra is the following :

- 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, 1 tenor saxophone, 1 bassoon ;
- 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- timpani, percussion (2 players), electric guitar, electric bass guitar, 3 keyboards, accordion, celesta (doubling organ and harpsichord) ;
- strings (6.6.4.3.2).

(reproduced from the Sikorski website)

Three new programme books in my collection

I have recently received the programme books for the three following contemporary operas :

- Chaya Czernowin : Infinite Now, Gent (Opera Vlaanderen), April 18, 2017 ;
- Moritz Eggert : Caliban, Amsterdam (De Nationale Opera), March 25, 2017 ;
- Lliam Paterson : The 8th Door, Glasgow (Scottish Opera), March 28, 2017.

The first one is a 72 pages book. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- Instap. Vreemdgaan en thuiskomen in 'Infinite Now', by Luc Joosten ;
- synopsis ;
- Structuur van het werk ;
- Homecoming, Can Xue - een schrijfster van de ziel ;
- Chaya Czernowin, een portret ;
- Kunst kan een soort laboratorium zijn voor het leven, an interview with the composer ;
- Vergeten waar niet te vergeten valt, an interview with director Luk Perceval ;
- De biografie van een werk - Luk Perceval bij het begin van de repetitie ;
- Het besef van iets wat ons in stand houdt - Chaya Czernowin bij het begin van de repetitie ;
- Over de muziek in 'Infinite Now' ;
- the complete libretto in Dutch ;
- biographies of all the artists with black and white headshots.

The complete book is entirely in Dutch.

The second one is a 16 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- Over het stuk - About the piece, bilingual synopsis in Dutch and English ;
- Artistiek team en cast (biographies).

The third one is a 56 page book. It contains :

- Cast & Creative team ;
- Synopsis and Director's note (by Matthew Lenton) ;
- biographies of director and composer, with colour headshots ;
- The 8th Door, by David Kettle (music critic) ;
- biographies of artists with black and white headshots.

The book is entirely in English. About a fourth of it is dedicated to Paterson's work. The other part is about Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle.

I now have 475 programmes for contemporary operas in my collection. I have uploaded the scanned covers in this flickr folder.

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.

Today : world première of Moritz Eggert's 'Caliban' in Amsterdam

Today, the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam presents the world première of Moritz Eggert's Caliban, a chamber opera with a libretto by Peter te Nuyl based on William Shakeseare's The Tempest. Like The New Prince yesterday, it is part of the Opera Forward Festival.

Moritz Eggert already composed several works for the stage including Freax (Bonn, 2007 in concert, Regensburg, 2017), Linkerhand (Hoyeswerda, 2009), Terra Nova (Linz, 2016).

In a society ruled by success, beauty, talent and fame, there is little scope for the underdog; for someone who has never made it and probably never will. Caliban is the ultimate anti-hero. After being abandoned in the forest as a child, he leads a life of slavery. He has a huge inferiority complex, is not very smart and fails in his attempt to free himself. (reproduced from the DNO website)

The cast includes baritone Michael Wilmering (Caliban), soprano Alexandra Flood (Miranda / Trinculo), tenor Timothy Fallon (Stephano / Ferdinand) and tenor Alexander Oliver (Prospero). Steven Sloane conducts the Asko Schönberg Ensemble. Lotte de Beer directs.

According to the composer's website, the required orchestra is the following :

- contrabass flute / flute / piccolo, clarinet / bass clarinet, trumpet, tenor / bass trombone ;
- percussion (1 player) ;
- keyboard / toy piano, accordion :
- violin, viola, cello, double bass.

The performance will take place at Het Compagnietheater and should last about 90 minutes. The work is published by Sikorski.

Today : world première of Moritz Eggert's 'Terra Nova' in Linz

Today, the Landestheater Linz presents the world première of Terra Nova, an opera in three acts composed by Moritz Eggert, with a libretto by Franzobel (a.k.a. Franz Stefan Griebl) and Rainer Mennicken.

Moritz Eggert has already composed several musical theatre pieces and operas, including Helle Nächte (Munich, 1997), Freax (Bonn, 2007), Linkerhand (Hoyeswerda, 2009) and All diese Tage (Bremen, 2011).

An apocalyptic scenario : The world government under President Ruler has not been able to prevent the exploitation and step-by-step destruction of the Earth. But Pandura, the state-certified astronomer, promises a specific utopia. A paradisiacal “sister planet” with seemingly peaceful and immortal aliens has contacted the Earth. Does this offer a chance at surviving in outer space ?! (reproduced from the Landestheater Linz website)

The cast includes tenor Jacques le Roux (Ruler), soprano Mari Moriya (Lara alias Chang'e), Anaïs Lueken (Marylin), mezzo Katerina Hebelkova (Pandura), baritone Martin Achrainer (Kolker) and tenor Sven Hjörleifsson (Armstrong). Dennis Russell Davies conducts the Bruckner Orchester Linz and the Chorus of the Landestheater Linz.

The orchestra is the following :

- 1 piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon ;
- 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, 1 bass trombone, 1 bass tuba ;
- timpani, 2 percussionists, 1 harp, electric guitar, electric bass, organ / keyboards / piano ;
- strings

The performance should last about 2 hours and 45 minutes. The score is published by Sikorski.