Today : world première of 'L'Européenne' by Richard van Schoor in Lübeck

Today, the Theater Lübeck presents the world première of L'Européenne, an opera composed by Richard van Schoor, with a libretto by Thomas Goerge.

 
It is the composer's second opera after Alp Arslan (Gießen, May 4, 2019).

The European development worker Lena gets to know Boubakar at an electrical waste disposal site in a large African city. He follows her to Germany. But Lena is sick, on a date with Boubakar she kills herself with tablets. Boubakar flees the apartment, is arrested and charged with murder. In kaleidoscopic images, the opera based on the short film »The Wrong Side« by Lionel Poutiaire Somé shows the story of the relationship between an African migrant and a European. As a cinema opera, "L’Européenne" combines cinematic means in different ways with the performance of the performers on stage. (freely adapted from the Theater Lübeck website)

The cast includes soprano Emma McNairy (Lena), soprano Caroline Nkwe (several parts), tenor Owen Metsileng (Bouba), baritone Steffen Kubach (several parts) and bass Youngkug Jin (Féticheur). Andreas Wolf conducts the Philharmonisches Orchester der Hansestadt Lübeck and the Lübeck Theater Chorus. Lionel Poutiaire Somé directs.

Three new programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired the following programme books for contemporary operas :

- David T. Little, JFK, Augsburg, March 24, 2019 (European première) :
- Richard van Schoor, Alp Arslan, Giessen, May 4, 2019 (world première) ;
- Ludger Vollmer, The Circle, Weimar, May 4, 2019 (world première).

 The first one is a 28 pages booklet. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- introduction by David T. Little and Royce Vavrek ;
- synopsis ;
- Sophie Walz : Inzenierter Mythos ;
- several color photos of the production by Jan-Pieter Fuhr (March 18) ;
-  Familie & Politik ;
- biographies of authors and production team with black and white headshots.

The second one is a 24 pages booklet. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- Zum Inhalt (synopsis) ;
- Willem Bruls : Zur Entstehung einer Oper - Vom historischen Hintergrund zur Idee, with biography of librettist Willem Bruls ;
- Richard van Schoor : Eine Komposition entsteht - Vom Text zur Musik, with biography of composer Richard van Schoor ;
- Amin Maalouf : Historische Schlaglichter ;
- Die historischen Figuren ;
- Der Granatapfel, Powerfrucht aus dem Orient ;
- biographies of singers, with black and white headshots ;
- color photos of rehearsals by Rolf K. Wegst.

The third one is a 52 pages booklet. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Hans-Georg Wegner : Die Macht, die sie haben, ist die Macht, die wir Ihnen geben, interview with Dave Eggers, author of the original novel ;
- Ludger Vollmer : Ausbeutung durch Verführung ;
- Tiina Hartmann : Literatur.Oper ;
- Hans-Georg Wegner : Mercer muss nicht sterben ;
- Kate Knibbs : 'The Circle' ist eine krude Warnung ;
- color photos of rehearsals by Candy Welz.

The three programmes are entirely in German.

I now have 678 programme books for contemporary operas. I have scanned all the covers and uploaded the images to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Alp Arslan' by Richard van Schoor in Giessen

Today, the Stadttheater Giessen presents the world première of Alp Arslan, an opera composed by Richard van Schoor, with a libretto by Willem Bruls.

It is the composer's first opera.

Aleppo in 1113. In the middle of the war, a 16-year-old sultan comes to power. During bloody battles between Christians, Turks, Kurds and Arabs he has to find ways to himself. Alienated from his mother, he is driven into the arms of the person he hates the most : Loulou, the eunuch and powerful adviser to his father. An emotional confusion fundamentally shatters the political and personal life of the youth. (freely adapted from the Stadttheater Giessen website)

The cast includes tenor Daniel Arnaldos (Alp Arslan), countertenor Denis Lakey (Loulou), mezzo Marie Seidler (Bent Yaghisiyan) and baritone Tomi Wendt (Tughtakin). Jan Hoffmann conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra Giessen and the Theater Chorus. Cathérine Miville directs.