Work of the Week – Ludger Vollmer: Tschick

Off to Wallachia: During the summer holidays, 14-year-old Maik and his friend Tschick drive across East Germany in a stolen Lada towards Wallachia. Despite never reaching their destination, the joyriding friends will bask in a new found freedom and sense of adventure but not without some bizarre encounters. On 18 December 2022, a new production of Ludger Vollmer's "Road Opera" Tschick will celebrate its opening at the Vienna State Opera whilst simultaneously marking the Austrian premiere.

Vollmer has previously brought important topical themes to the mainstage operatic scene aimed at younger audiences with Gegen die Wand and Lola Rennt based on the films. The year 2017 saw multiple performances of his setting of the successful coming-of-age novel Tschick by Wolfgang Herrndorf, as well as Crusades, another youth opera featuring two hours of action. 

Coming of Age on the Opera Stage in Tschick by Ludger Vollmer

In keeping with the boys' road trip, the traditional operatic structure based on acts is discarded, instead "departures" divide the work, mirroring the pace of the journey in the Lada. Obscure locations including a rubbish dump, a quarry pond and an overturned pig transporter form the scenery, whilst Vollmer’s vocal parts incorporate frenzied vocal spreads, fast punk and singing in the style of Nina Hagen:

The extraordinarily dynamic music adds an emotional, sometimes very comic drive to the material. Many of the deeper, psychological layers of Herrndorf's material, which also has fascinating philosophical aspects despite its punky surface, only become visible through the music. (Ludger Vollmer)

The upcoming production at the Vienna State Opera is directed by Krysztina Winkel, with Johannes Mertl as Music Director, with nine scheduled performances between now and summer 2023.

Links:

Ludger Vollmer: Composer profile

Tschick: Work details and online score

Website Vienna State Opera

photo: Nickolay Khoroshkov