Received this morning : programme book for '7 Minuti' by Giorgio Battistelli in Nancy

This morning, I have received the programme book published by the Opéra National de Lorraine in Nancy for the world première of 7 Minuti by Giorgio Battistelli, on February 1, 2019.

It is a 96 pages book. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- biography of the composer and librettist Giorgio Battistelli ;
- biography of Stefano Massini, author of the original play ;
- synopsis ;
- Echos de la composition - Opéra pour le temps présent (Echoes of the Composition - Opera for the Present Time), based on an interview of the composer, by dramaturge Carmelo Agnello ;
- Echos de la scène (Echoes of the Stage), by director Michel Didym ;
- Une pièce, le théâtre de Stefano Massini ( A Play, Stefano Massini's Theatre) ;
- Un opéra, les raisons de Giorgio Battistelli (An Opera, Giorgio Battistelli's Reasons) ;
- Titles and duration of the 3 'Tableaux' and 30 scenes of the opera ;
- Conseil d'usine, by Antonio Gramsci, published in L'Ordine nuovo (Turin) on June 5, 1920 ;
- Retour aux sources : les coulisses d'une révolution, by K. Naumov, published in Les Journées d'Octobre (1924) ;
- Un combat pour la dignité ? L'histoire, la vraie !, by Fanny Gallot, reproduced from her blog ;
- Où est la politique ? Vide honteux, by Stefano Massini, excerpt of an article published in La Repubblica in July 2018 ;
- complete libretto ;
- biographies of the artists with black and white headshots ;
- several colour photos of rehearsals.

The book is entirely in French.

I now have 635 programme books for contemporary operas. All scanned covers are available in this flickr folder.

New programme book : 'Elizabetta' by Gabriel Prokofiev in Regensburg

This morning, I have received the programme book published by the Theater Regensburg for the world première of Elizabetta, an opera composed by Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei.

It is a 36 pages booklet. It contains :

- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Geheime Leidenschaften und die Scheinheiligkeit der 'Health & Beauty'-Welt (Secret passions the hypocrisy of the 'Health and Beauty' world) : an interview with Gabriel Prokofiev, by Christina Schmidt, dramaturge ;
- Zum Sterben schön - Leben auf Kosten anderer (Beautiful to die for - life at the expense of others), by Christina Schmidt ;
- Elisabeth Bathory, by Ole Lux ;
- Alles für die Schönheit ? Der Mythos der Blutgräfin (Everything for the beauty ? The myth of the blood countess), by Christina Schmidt and Ole Lux ;
- Ewiges Leben : Möglich, aber wenig sinnvoll (Eternal life : Possible, but not very useful), an interview with Bertram Weiss, by Eckart Voland ;
- Baustelle Ich, by Melanie Mühl (reproduced from the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper) ;
- biographies of production team members with colour headshots ;
- several colour photos of rehearsals.

The programme book is entirely in German.

I now have 634 programme books for contemporary operas. All covers are available in this flickr folder.

New programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired 14 programme books for contemporary operas :

- Wolfgang Böhmer : SommerNachtTraum, Berlin, July 27, 2001, with complete cast leaflet. The opera was first performed at the Kloster Neuzelle on July 22, 2000. It is a 16 pages booklet ;
- Edison Denisov : L'Ecume des jours (Froth on the Daydream), Stuttgart, December 1, 2012, with complete cast leaflet. The opera was first performed in Paris (Opéra Comique) on March 15, 1986. It is a 76 pages book ;
- Detlev Glanert : Die drei Rätsel (The Three Riddles), Bonn, July 11, 2004, with complete cast on separate sheet paper. The opera was first performed in Halle on October 12, 2003. It is a folded poster ;

 - Volker David Kirchner : Belshazar, München, January 28, 1986 (with complete cast leaflet). The opera was first performed in München on January 25, 1985. It is a 96 pages book ;
- Luca Lombardi : Prospero, Nürnberg, April 15, 2006 (world première performance). It is a 48 pages book ;
- Siegfried Matthus : Judith, Berlin (Komische Oper), March 4, 1989 (with complete cast leaflet). The opera was first performed in the same theater on September 29, 1985. It is a 20 pages booklet ;

- Siegfried Matthus : Omphale, Weimar, September 7, 1976 (world première), with complete cast on separate sheet paper. It is a 16 pages booklet ;
- Olivier Messiaen : Saint François d'Assise, Leipzig, November 8, 1998, with complete cast on separate sheet paper. It is a 56 pages booklet. The opera was first performed in Paris (Palais Garnier) on November 28, 1983. I have other programme books for performances in Paris (1992) and München (2011) ;
- Einojuhani Rautavaara : Vincent, Hagen, October 5, 1991 (with complete cast leaflet). The opera was first performed in Helsinki on May 17, 1990. It is a 28 pages booklet ;

- Aribert Reimann : Melusine, Nürnberg, May 12, 2007. The opera was first performed in Schwetzingen on April 29, 1971. It is a 48 pages book. I have another programme book for performances in München (1997) ;
- Aribert Reimann : Troades, München, July 7, 1986 (world première), with complete cast leaflet. It is a 116 pages book ;
- Wolfgang Rihm : Jakob Lenz, Stuttgart, November 2, 2014, with complete cast on a separate leaflet. It is a 56 pages book. The opera was first performed in Hamburg on March 8, 1979. I also have programmes for performances in Strasbourg (1993), Nanterre (1995) and Lugo (2012) ;

- Kaija Saariaho : Adriana Mater, Helsinki, February 23, 2008. It is a 32 pages booklet. The opera was first performed in Paris (Opéra Bastille) on April 3, 2006. I also have the programme book for the world première ;
- Vladimir Tarnopolski : Wenn die Zeit über die Ufer tritt (When Time Overflows), München (Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz im Prinzregententheater), April 25, 1999 (world première). It is a 64 pages book, with the complete cast on a separate leaflet.

I now have 627 programme books for contemporary operas.

New in my collection : programme for 'Lorelei' by Julian Langdon in Melbourne

I have recently received the programme brochure published by Victorian Opera in Melbourne for the world première performance of Lorelei, the 'operatic cabaret' composed by Julian Langdon, Casey Bennetto and Gillian Cosgriff, first performed on November 3, 2018.

It is a 24 pages brochure. It contains :

- complete cast ;
- production team ;
- Welcome, by Artistic Director Richard Mills ;
- Director's Note, by Director Sarah Giles ;
- Musical Director's Note, by Musical Director Phoebe Briggs ;
- The Lorelei - In Legeng, excerpt of Heinrich Heine's poem, translated in English ;
- biographies of the artists, with headshots.

I now have 613 programme books for contemporary operas. I have uploaded all scanned covers to this flickr folder.

New programme book in my collection : 'Violetter Schnee' by Beat Furrer in Berlin

Last Saturday, I have received in the mail the programme book published by the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin for the world première performance of Beat Furrer's opera Violetter Schnee, on January 13th, 2019.

It is a 108 pages book. It contains :

- synopsis, in German and English ;
- Das Ende kann nur offen sein : discussion with composer Beat Furrer, librettist Händl Klaus and dramaturges Yvonne Gebauer and Roman Reeger ;
- Yvonne Gebauer : ... ein Übergang zu etwas vollkommen neuem., dialogue with director Claus Guth ;
- Bertram Kaschek : Die weisse Falle, about Pieter Bruegel's painting Die Jäger im Schnee ;
- Marie Luise Maintz : Spiel ohne Grenzen, about Furrer's Violetter Schnee ;
- Sascha Gebauer : Wo schimmernden Schnee die alles erleuchtende Sonne zwingt, notice about Furrer's Violetter Schnee ;
- black and white photos by Florian Ruiz (The White Contamination) ;
- short excerpts of works by Thomas Lehr, Günther Anders, Jacques Derrida, Boris Groys, Christoph Ransmayr, William Carlos Williams, Robert Musil, Zbigniew Herbert and Mark Strand ;
- complete libretto ;
- production team and cast for the première.

The book is entirely in German. Only the synopsis is also available in English.

With the book, there is a 8 pages leaflet with the complete cast and crew, a 20 pages booklet with biographies and a 28 pages booklet with color photos (by Monika Rittershaus) of the dress rehearsal with piano on January 7.

I now have 612 programme books for contemporary operas. I have scanned all the covers and uploaded them to this flickr folder.

New programme book in my collection : 'Marx in London' by Jonathan Dove

Yesterday, I have received the programme book published by Theater Bonn for the world première of Marx in London by Jonathan Dove, first performed on December 9, 2018.

It is a 44 pages brochure. It contains :

- Die Handlung, 24 Stunden im Leben des Karl Marxs (Synopsis, 24 hours in Marx's life) ;
- Das historisch belegte Personal (the historic characters) ;
- Helmut Trotnow : Ein Leben mit und für Karl Marx : dennoch Karl, ich fühl' keine Reue ;
- Jonathan Dove über Marx in London, interview with the composer ;
- Jürgen R. Weber über Marx in London, interview with the author of the original scenario ;
- biographies of composer Jonathan Dove, librettist Charles Hart and Jürgen R. Weber ;
- Jens Baumeister : Die Weinfreunde Marx und Engel.

The programme doesn't include the cast or biographies of the artists.

I now have 608 programme books for contemporary operas. You can see all the scanned covers in this flickr folder.

Programme book for 'Die Weiden' by Johannes Maria Staud in Vienna

This morning, I have received the programme book published by the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) for the world première performance of Die Weiden, an opera composed by Johannes Maria Staud with a libretto by Durs Grünbein, on December 8, 2018.

It is a 140 pages book. It contains :

- Inhaltsangabe and Ausführliche Inhaltsangabe ;
- several color photos of rehearsals ;
- technical details : complete cast with tessitura, litterature sources, location and time of the action, complete orchestral setting (with detailed percussion section and musicians on stage), duration, cast for the first performance ;
- detailed biography of the composer Johannes Maria Staud ;
- detailed biography of the librettist Durs Grünbein ;
- list of operas composed by Staud ;
- excerpt of Die Weiden by Algernon Blackwood ;
- excerpt of Das Herz der Finsternis by Joseph Conrad ;
- Andreas Lang : Ein Fluss als Protagonist ;
- Johannes Maria Staud : Anmerkungen über die Musik der Weiden ;
- excerpt of Der arme Spielmann by Franz Grillparzer ;
- Oliver Rathkolb : Die Todesmärche von Engerau ;
- Miklos Radnoti : Gewaltmarsch 1944 (poem) ;
- Peter Filzmaier : Die Welt der Demagogen und Populisten ;
- Franz Tumler : Sätze von der Donau (poem) ;
- Rotraud A. Perner : 'Aber vielleicht war all das nur Wahnsinn' ;
- Ilse Aichinger : excerpt of Unglaubwürdige Reisen ;
- Konrad Paul Liessmann : 'Dreitausend Jahre denken' ;
- Hans Dieter Schäfer : Die unsichtbare Tätowierung ;
- Andreas Lang : Aber Lea verkarpft nicht..., discussion with Johannes Maria Staud and Durs Grünbein ;
- Oliver Lang : Eine Oper zum Leben erweckt, dialogue with conductor Ingo Metzmacher ;
- Andreas Lang : Eine Oper als Interpretation der Wirklichkeit, dialogue with director Andrea Moses ;
- Urs Dürbein : epilogue of the libretto.

The book is entirely in German. The Vienna State Opera has also published an English version of this book.

I now have 607 programme books for contemporary operas. You can see all the scanned covers in this flickr folder.

The three libretti written by Durs Grünbein for Joahnnes Maria Staud (Berenice, Munich, 2004, Die Antilope, Lucerne, September 3, 2014 and Die Weiden) have been published in a single volume by Suhrkamp.

New programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired several programme books for contemporary operas :

- Jonas S. Bohlin, Tristessa, Stockholm, October 6, 2018
It is a 28 pages brochure. It contains :
- complete cast and crew with B & W headshots ;
- synopsis (in Swedish and English) ;
- Torbjörn Elensky : Angela Carter satte allt på spel (Angela Carter put everything at stake) ;
- Torbjörn Eriksson : interview with Katharina Thoma ;
- Katarina Aronsson : Operan är scenkonstens moder (Opera is the mother of the performing arts), interview with visual artist Ann-Sofi Sidén ;
- Jonas S. Bohlin : Känslan av att stå utanför är en erfarenhet som påverkat mitt liv (The feeling of standing outside is an experience that has affected my life) ;
- Tiina Rosenberg : Divor är trasiga tanter, excerpt of HBTQ spelar roll (LGBT plays a role) ;
- several color photos.
The brochure is entirely in Swedish, unless otherwise stated.

- Niklas Brommare, När då då, Stockholm, October 13, 2018
It is a 28 pages brochure. It contains :
- complete cast and crew with B & W headshots ;
- color photos of rehearsals and drawings (sketches of characters), with quotes of the libretto.
The brochure is entirely in Swedish.

- Christian Diendorfer, Die Wand, Linz, Septembre 16, 2018
It is a 32 pages brochure. It contains :
- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Ira Goldbecher : Marlen Haushofer, kurze biografische Einblicke ;
- Hermann Schneider : Zum Libretto ;
- Dialogue with Eva-Maria Melbye (director) and Marcus Olson (set designer) : Eine poetische Neufassung ;
- Composer's biography ;
- several color photos.
The brochure is entirely in German.

 - Adam Gorb, The Path to Heaven, Leeds, June 19, 2018
It is a 20 pages brochure. It contains :
- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- biographies of artists with color headshots ;
- color photos of rehearsals ;
- complete libretto.
The brochure is entirely in English.

- Michael Jarrell, Bérénice, Paris, September 29, 2018
It is a 136 pages book. It contains :
- Complete cast ;
- In Brief (French and English) ;
- Synopsis and Characters (Franch and English) ;
- Timeline (French and English) ;
- Michael Jarrell : Faire chanter le français de Racine ;
- Philippe Albèra : Un portrait de Michael Jarrell ;
- Julia de Gasquet : L'instant et le moment : l'alexandrin métamorphosé ;
- Georges Forestier : Racine et le choix de Bérénice ;
- Christian-Georges Schwentzel : La reine "amie" et l'empereur ;
- Konrad Kuhn : Une pièce contemporaine ;
- Nathalie Azoulai : Tous les cahots de l'abandon (excerpt of Titus n'aimait pas Bérénice) ;
- complete libretto ;
- B & W photos of rehearsals ;
- biographies of the artists, with B& W headshots.
The book is entirely in French, unless otherwise stated.

- David Sawer, The Skating Rink, Wormsley (Garsington Opera), July 5, 2018
It is a 128 pages book that contains information on all four operas performed this year. There are actually 10 pages about The Skating Rink, not included the artists' biographies. It contains :
- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Creative Collaboration, David Sawer and Rory Mullarkey in conversation with Fiona Maddocks ;
- Chris Andrews : Roberto Bolaño and 'The Skating Rink' ;
- Enric's dream of skating, excerpt of Bolañ's The Skating Rink.
Biographies of artists with B & W headshots are included in the general roster for the Festival.

Other new programmes for past operas :

- Thomas Adès, Powder Her Face, Irish National Opera, Wexford, February 24, 2018. The opera was first performed in 1995. I also have the programme book for performances in Bologna (November 2010) ;
- Harrison Birtwistle, The Last Supper, Berlin (Staatsoper Unter den Linden), April 18, 2000 (world première). It contains a leaflet with complete cast and crew and another leaflet with biographies ot the artists ;
- Friedrich Cerha, Onkel Präsident, Munich (Gärtnerplatztheater im Prinzregententheater), June 1st, 2013 (world première) ;

- Silvia Colasanti, La metamorfosi, Firenze (Teatro Goldoni), March 9, 2014. The opera was first performed in the same theatre in May 2012 ;
- Nico Muhly, Two Boys, London (English National Opera), June 24, 2011 (world première) ;

- Hans Schanderl, Der Maschinist, Magdeburg, September 23, 2000. The opera was first performed on September 16, 2000 in Hannover. It contains a separate leaflet with the complete cast and crew ;
- Marco Tutino, Le Braci, Firenze, November 5, 2015. The opera was first performed in Budapest in October 2014.

I now have 599 programme books for contemporary operas. I have scanned all the covers and uploaded them to this flickr folder.

New programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired several programme books for contemporary operas :

 - John Adams, The Death of Klinghoffer, London (ENO), February 25, 2012.
It is a 98 pages book, with only 48 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in Brussels in 1991. I already have programme books from Lyon (1991) and Long Beach (2014).
- John Adams, Doctor Atomic, London (ENO), February 25, 2009.
It is a 78 pages book, with 36 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in San Francisco in 2005. I already have programme books from Amsterdam (2007) and Strasbourg (2014).
- Gavin Bryars, Doctor Ox's Experiment, London (ENO), June 15, 1998.
It is a 42 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première performance.

 
- John Cage, Europeras 1 & 2, Braunschweig, November 25, 2017.
It is a 32 pages brochure. The operas were first performed in Frankfurt in 1987.
- Elliott Carter, What Next ?, München, November 20, 2011.
It is a 40 pages brochure. It also includes a separate 12 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Berlin in 1999. Puccini's Gianni Schicchi was performed as the first part of a double bill evening. I have another programme for a concert version in Paris in 2000.
- Peter Eötvös, Tri Sestri, München, February 8, 2010.
It is a 44 pages brochure. It also includes a separate 12 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Lyon in 1998. I have the programme book the the world première and another one for performances at the Wiener Staatsoper in March 2016.

 
- Philip Glass, The Making of the Representative for Planet 8, London (ENO), November 17, 1988.
It is a 48 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in Houston in July 1988. The performances in London were the first in Europe.
- Philip Glass, The Perfect American, London (ENO), June 1, 2013.
It is a 76 pages book, with only 38 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in Madrid in January 2013. I have the programme book for the world première.
- Iain Hamilton, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, London (ENO), February 2, 1977.
It is a 44 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première.

- Hans Werner Henze, Die Bassariden, München, May, 19, 2008.
It is a 140 pages book. It also includes a separate 6 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Salzburg in 1966. I have another programme book for performances in Paris in 2005.
- Helmut Lachenmann, Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern, Hamburg, January 26, 1997.
It is a 48 pages book. This is the programme book for the world première. I already have two other programme books for this opera : Paris in September 2001 and Stuttgart in October 2001.
- Jost Meier, Dreyfus - Die Affäre, Basel, October 16, 1994.
It is a 112 pages book. The opera was first performed in Berlin in May 1994. I have another programme brochure for performances at New York City Opera in April 1996.

- Lucia Ronchetti, Rivale, Braunschweig, October 29, 2017.
It is a 16 pages leaflet. The opera was first performed in Berlin on October 8, 2017. I have the programme book for the world première.
- Poul Ruders, The Handmaid's Tale, London (ENO), April 3, 2003.
It is a 96 pages brochure, with only 40 pages dedicated to the opera. The opera was first performed in Copenhagen in 2000.
- Aulis Sallinen, The King Goes Forth to France, London (Royal Opera House), April 1, 1987.
It is a 72 pages brochures, with only 32 pages dedicated to the opera. The opera was first performed in Savonlinna in 1984.

- Mark Anthony Turnage, Greek, London (ENO), September 27, 1990.
It is a 64 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in München in June 1988. I have two other programme books for this opera : Wuppertal in 1992 and Paris in 2000.
- Mark Anthony Turnage, The Silver Tassie, London (ENO), February 16, 2000.
It is a 96 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première.
- Rufus Wainwright, Prima Donna, Augsburg, February 3, 2018.
It is a 24 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in Manchester in 2009.

I now have 586 programme books for contemporary operas. I have scanned and uploaded all the covers to this flickr folder.