Work of the Week – Stefan Heucke: Aida - The Fifth Act

A sequel to Verdi's opera: The Niederrheinische Sinfoniker will perform the world premiere of the chamber opera Aida - The Fifth Act by Stefan Heucke on September 03 2023 in Mönchengladbach with the conductor Giovanni Conti. The libretto is by Ralph Köhnen with a production by Dennis Krauß.

Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida ends with the coming together of the two lovers Aida and Radamés. The death of the two is inevitable, but the work ends before that, leaving room for personal interpretation and further spinning of the story. Stefan Heucke, together with Ralph Köhnen, has asked himself how the story of the two main characters continues and what happens between their incarceration in prison and their death. The work is designed with only two singers and revolves around the feelings and thoughts of Aida and Radamés.

German Musical Drama: Aida - The Fifth Act by Stefan Heucke

For the 75-minute piece, Heucke used Verdi's musical material and transformed it into his own musical language. As a result, the formerly Italian opera became a German drama that carries within it a musical longing for Italy.

“Have you ever thought about what happens to Aida and Radamès at the end of Verdi's opera? After all, we leave them alive "in questa tomba". The libretto was written by Ralph Köhnen and we had to find an answer to the crucial question: How should the two die?” - Stefan Heucke

Aida - The Fifth Act will be performed several more times this year in other German cities: 08, 16, 23 and 29 September, 12, 19 and 26 November and 18 and 19 December.

Links:

Stefan Heucke: Composer Profile

Aida - The Fifth Act: Work Details and Online Score

Website Niederrheinische Sinfoniker

Photo: Ursus Samaga