Today : three new short operas in Stockholm

Today, the Royal Opera in Stockholm presents the world première of three short operas composed by three Swedich composers with libretti based on real events :

Viktor Åslund's Value Creation, with a libretto by Hermann Schneider, is a bizarre story, inspired by film noir, that looks deeply into the moral mire of the world of finance.

The cast includes soprano Kristina Hansson Unander (Nora), mezzo Louise Reitberger (Christina), tenor Michael Stenbaek (Charles) and baritone Peter Haeggström (Ed). Natalie Ringler directs.

Malin Hülphers' comedy Jag kommer hem (I’m Coming Home), with a libretto by Lotta Olsson, goes straight into a comical conversation with a marriage counsellor.

The cast includes bass Thorvald Bergström (Mannen), mezzo Therese Badman Stenius (Kvinnan) and tenor Anders Blom (Terapeuten). Ola Eliasson directs.

Andrea Tarrodi's Sigrid H. is inspired by Sigrid Hjertén, a much-loved artist whose paintings never cease to inspire.

The cast includes alto (Katarina Böhm (Sigrid), tenor Simon Petersson (Isaac), bass Thorvald Bergström (Einar) and bass Peter Achrén (Läkaren). Natalie Ringler directs.

For all three operas, James Grossmith conducts musicians of the Royal Swedish Orchestra. The venue is the Rotundan. The performance should last about 90 minutes, with one intermission.

New in my collection : 3 programme books for contemporary operas

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

- Viktor Åslund : Der Steppenwolf, Würzburg, May 7, 2016 ;
- Bernhard Lang : Der Golem, Mannheim, April 16, 2016 ;
- Helmut Oehring : Agota ?, Wiesbaden, May 4, 2016.

The first one is a 36 pages brochure, entirely in German. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Tractat vom Steppenwolf, by Hermann Hesse ;
- color photos of rehearsals ;
- Verschmitzte Suggestionskraft, by Christoph Blitt ;
- Lerne, zu lachen !, by Hermann Hesse (the end of the novel Der Steppenwolf) ;
- Entdecke den Steppenwolf in dir !, by librettist Rainer Lewandowski ;
- Ein Spiel mit musikalischen Identitäten, by composer Viktor Åslund ;
- Spaziergang in Würzburg, by Hermann Hesse ;
- biographies of the composer, the librettist, the conductor, the stage director and the costume and set designer, with headshots.

The second is a 88 pages book. It is entirely in German. It contains :

- cast and crew ;
- excerpts of the Gustav Meyrink novel ;
- biography of the composer ;
- synopsis ;
- color photos of the piano dress rehearsal (April 4, 2016) ;
- Von der Legende über den Roman zur Oper, by Merle Fahrholz ;
- Eine Ode an die Schizophrenie oder Musiktheater in 22 Kapiteln, by Christine Dysers with musical quotes from the full score of the opera ;
- 22 Karten, die man auflegt wie ein Orakel, by Merle Farhrholz (interview withe the composer and the librettist and director Peter Missotten) ;
- Jetzt und für immer, by Tilman Baumgärtel ;
- Gustav Mayrink und der Okkultismus, by Jean-Jacques Pollet ;
- Der Golem des Hoch-Rabbi-Löw, poem by A. M. Tendlau ;
- Vom Siegeszug der künstlichen Intelligenz, by Hans Moravec ;
- Glossar zum Textbuch von Der Golem ;
- complete libretto.

The third one is a 24 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- the work structure ;
- Agota Kristof : Muttersprache - Feindessprachen - Schicksalsprache ;
- Das Autoren-Team : Komposition - Textbuch - Sounddesign ;
- In-Schriften, by Stefanie Wördermann, dialogue with sound designer Torsten Ottersberg and composer Helmut Oehring.

I know have 414 programme books for contemporary operas in my collection. I have uploaded all the scanned covers to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Viktor Aslund's 'Der Steppenwolf' in Würzburg

Today, the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg presents the world première performance of Viktor Aslund's opera Der Steppenwolf, with a libretto by Rainer Lewandowski after Hermann Hesse's novel.

Viktor Aslund has composed music of multiple styles, including, progressive rock, rock songs, chamber music, music for theatre and orchestral music.

Hermann Hesse, highly acclaimed author, poet, novelist, critic of the rich bourgeoisie and expert in analysing life crises, published in 1927 an autobiographical novel with the title Der Steppenwolf. It mixes the author's boredom of everyday life, the outburst of repressed desires and the wish to overcome all constraints of conservative philistinism. (freely adapted from the Mainfranken Theater website).

The cast includes mezzo Polina Artsis (Maria), bass baritone Bryan Boyce, soprano Silke Evers, baritone Daniel Fiolka and soprano Anja Gutgesell. Sebastian Beckedorf conducts the Philharmonic Orchestra Würzburg. Anna Vita directs.