Tagged with 'opera'

Rodion Shchedrin’s opera Lolita opens at the Estates Theatre in Prague on 3 October in what will be the opera’s first Czech production. The new production will be directed by Sláva Daubnerová and conducted by Sergey Neller. Following the first night there will be eight more performances in Prague until 10 January 2020.

The opera, which takes its title from the famous novel by Vladimir Nabokov, is Shchedrin’s fifth stage work inspired by Russian literature. Shchedrin himself compiled the opera’s libretto from the novel using music and dramaturgy to navigate the various layers of motivations that exist between the characters.

Rodion Shechdrin – Lolita: Opera inspired by Russian literature

Lolita follows Humbert Humbert who upon meeting 12-year-old Dolores develops a infatuation with her and gives her the nickname Lolita. In order to get  closer to Lolita, Humbert marries the girl’s mother, but when she dies shortly afterwards he embarks on an increasingly fraught relationship with the girl. Their relationship eventually ends and three years later Humbert meets Lolita again, now married to another man and expecting a baby. Lolita reveals to Humbert that when she left him she stayed with a friend of her mother’s, a playwright named Quilty, who tried to make her perform in his erotic films. Enraged by Lolita’s confession, Humbert finds Quilty and murders him before allowing himself to be arrested by the police.

To only repeat what others already did before will be boring for the listener. You have to hold the listener, give them something new and fresh. That is a very difficult task but that should be the goal in ideal circumstances for everyone dedicating oneself to composing. – Rodion Shchedrin

Audiences will have further opportunities to hear Shchedrin’s music this year, including performances of Two Tangos by Albéniz with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Centre Concert Hall, Washington DC on 7 and 9 November, as well as Beethovens Heiligenstädter Testament in Berlin on 28 November with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.

• Rodion Shchedrin – composer profile


• Lolita – work details 


• National Theatre Prague

Foto: Royal Opera Stockholm

The tragedy of Bizet’s Carmen has gripped audiences and inspired countless productions since its first performance in 1875. Today, the opera is one of the most well-known and frequently performed works in the genre. On 14 September, a new production by Barrie Kosky opens at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, conducted by Alexander Vedernikov. The new production will use material from Verlagsgruppe Hermann’s “Edition Meisterwerke”, which brings together all previously published versions of the work into a single critical edition allowing for direct comparison of the differences between individual publications.



The libretto to Bizet’s opera was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halvéy, based on the eponymous novel by Proser Mérimée. The immense success Carmen enjoys today contrasts the initial reaction it received from the audience at its premiere in Paris, who reacted negatively to the subject matter of the opera. Unfortunately, Bizet did not live to see the opera’s breakthrough production in Vienna later that year.

Georges Bizet – Carmen: Critical Edition of a Classic

Carmen is a woman who is totally aware of her womanhood. Even more: I’m convinced that Mérimée built with this character a type of woman in which the feminine is totally realized - this shows her individual value as a literary creation. In a modern way one could say that Carmen is the ideal type of an emancipated woman, which means she is free, safe and makes her own decisions. Teresa Berganza

Carmen will run in Copenhagen until mid-February, and another production will be presented later in the season in Mannheim, Meiningen and Chemnitz.

• Work details: Bizet's Carmen as part of the Edition Meisterwerke of the Verlagsgruppe Hermann


• Royal Theatre Copenhagen

photo: Det Kongelige Teater

On 1 July, Toshio Hosokawa’s new opera Erdbeben. Träume, commissioned by the Staatstheater Stuttgart, will receive its world premiere in a production by Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito with Oper Stuttgart. This will be Jossi Wieler’s last production before Viktor Schoner takes over the management of the opera house next season.

Following Japan’s devastating Tohoku earthquake in 2011, Hosokawa has composed a series of works dedicated to the victims of the disaster, including his two most recent works for the stage: Stilles Meer and Futari Shizuka. In his new opera, Hosokawa has turned his focus to the future: a child whose parents were killed seeks a better understanding of where he came from, and so learns how to accept the present and come to terms with the past.

Toshio Hosokawa – Erdbeben. Träume: Questions of identity

Inspired by Heinrich von Kleist’s “Das Erdbeben von Chili” (1806), the libretto for Erdbeben. Träume was written by the Büchner prizewinning writer Marcel Beyer. Erdbeben. Träume tells the story of the young boy Philipp whose parents were murdered. After learning that he has been adopted, Philipp goes on a journey to find his real parents asking himself, ‘Where are my real parents?’ and ‘Who am I?’The story of his past then gradually unfolds in a series of flashbacks, as part of a dream sequence.

“The audience follows the aural and visual representation of the child’s existential voyage as he prepares to become an adult. Nevertheless, this journey is by no means without peril. Awaiting him are violent forces of nature (earthquakes and tsunamis), the terrifying unconscious mass violence hidden in the heart of the humans, and the ferocity of nature; on the other hand, there emerges the love story of his parents, the solidarity of mankind, and the grace of nature.” – Toshio Hosokawa

Following the world premiere on 1 July, five more performances of Erdbeben. Träume will follow on 6, 11, 13, 18 and 23 July at the Staatstheater Stuttgart.

• Toshio Hosokawa – profil


• Erdbeben. Träume – work details


• Stuttgart Opera

 

photo: © Anna Viebrock

On 13 November the complete original version of George and Ira Gershwin’s classic opera Porgy and Bess will premiere at La Scala in Milan in an evening dedicated to the memory of conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who passed away earlier this year. The production is directed by his brother, Philipp Harnoncourt, and conducted by Alan Gilbert.

The original full-length version of Porgy and Bess more noticeably reveals an influence of the European avant-garde than the more frequently performed 'reduced version' of the opera. In the late 1920s, Gershwin was profoundly impacted when he met the Austrian composer Alban Berg. Gershwin referred to Porgy and Bess as ‘his Wozzeck’, referring to Berg's first opera, and while its more avant-garde passages are often cut, they can be seen to strengthen the dramatic effect of the opera.

Gershwin's Porgy and Bess - And the livin’ is easy…?

Arguably, no other opera has produced so many hits, such as the ever popular Summertime, one of the most recorded songs of all time. Yet the calming lullaby of Summertime at the beginning of Porgy and Bess contrasts starkly with the violent reality of the opera’s setting in Catfish Row, Charleston, South Carolina. In a run-down tenement block dominated by criminals, a crippled beggar, Porgy, attempts to rescue the beautiful Bess from the clutches of her violent lover and the local drug dealer. The opera is based on the novel “Porgy” by Dubose Heyward, who also wrote the libretto.

While the world premiere in 1935 was a success, Porgy and Bess was often criticised for Gershwin's decision to cast African American singers in the main roles. A classically trained musician, Gershwin intended to write a piece that fused traditional form with other musical styles, and shows a great breadth of stylistic diversity. Classical influences, such as a fugue in the opening act, can be heard alongside jazz, ragtime and blues. Gershwin wished Porgy and Bess to be respected as a fully-formed opera, not a Broadway musical, and can therefore be regarded as an attempt to close a stylistic gap that Kurt Weill once described as:

“Metropolitan: the worst example of old fashioned opera on the one side, and musical comedy which tries to be sophisticated and low brow at the same time on the other side. Nothing in between.”

Porgy and Bess will run at La Scala until 23 November, and a production by Sydney Opera will open in Australia on 26 November.

• George Gershwin — Pro­file


• Porgy and Bess — Details


• Tea­tro alla Scala

 

Photo: Lena Obst, Staats­thea­ter Wies­ba­den 2013.

On 11 November, Karl Amadeus Hartmann’s 1930s opera Simplicius Simplicissimus will be given its UK premiere at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. The Independent Opera production, directed by Polly Graham with Timothy Redmond conducting the Britten Sinfonia, will use a new English translation by David Poutney.

In three acts, the opera tells the story of a naïve shepherd boy, Simplicius Simplicissimus, during the horrific Thirty Years' War which devastated Germany in the seventeenth century. Simplicius doesn’t understand his father who tries to warn him of the evils of the world, nor his mysterious dreams of a ‘tree of life’. After a series of unfortunate events, such as the destruction of his family farm and his kidnapping, Simplicius retrospectively understands his dream as a metaphor for social injustice.

Hartmann's Simplicius Simpliccissimus - History repeats itself

Hartmann’s work, based on the 1668 novel “Der Abentheurliche Simpliccimus Teutsch” by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen, was also shaped by the political circumstances of his present time. Though it was composed in 1934-1935, Simplicius Simplicissimus was not premiered until 1949 since Hartmann’s music was classified as “degenerate Art” by the Nazi regime. A parallel is drawn between the two historically distinct events, and the opera becomes an allegorical outcry against war and tyranny.

I became acquainted with the book and the descriptions of the Thirty Year’s War captured my attention. How current the line seemed to me: “The times are so strange, that nobody knows whether they will get out of it all without losing their life.” Then, as now, the individual was helplessly at the mercy of the devastating brutality of the age, where people were close to losing their souls. There was no hope for salvation, except in the most simple-minded human brought forth against it. – Karl Amadeus Hartmann

Hartmann realises this historic parallel musically by incorporating among others passages of Jewish melodies, creating a complex network of compositional meaning. Also prominent is the use of a German folk melody from the 13th century, put to the words “oh world I must leave you” (“Oh Welt ich muss dich lassen”). Withdrawal from the world is a very important theme in Hartmann’s work, but at the same time, the opera shows its impossibility: reality can be found reflected in Hartmann’s engagement with an older history, and even in Simplicius innocent fantasies.

The Independent Opera’s production of Simplicius Simplissimus will have repeat performances on the 15, 17 and 19 November. Next year the work will be performed in Bremen, Germany from 28 January.

 

• Karl Ama­deus Hart­mann — Pro­file


• Sim­pli­cius Sim­pli­cis­si­mus — Details


• Inde­pen­dent Opera at Sadler’s Wells Lon­don 

 

Photo: Monika Rit­ters­haus, Oper Frank­furt 2009

On 20 October, Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman (“Der Fliegende Holländer”) will celebrate its opening night at the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, Belgium. Directed by Tatjana Gürbacas and conducted by Cornelius Meister and Philipp Pointer, the production will run until 4 November, followed by performances in Gent until the 22 November. This production is the first to use material for The Flying Dutchman from the Richard Wagner Complete Edition.



First completed in 1841 as a “Romantic Opera in One Act and Three Scenes”, The Flying Dutchman went through a tale of constant revision. Even before the Dresden premiere (2 January 1843) Wagner undertook fundamental alterations. He transposed the location from Scotland to Norway, changed characters’ names as appropriate, divided the opera into three acts, and transposed Senta’s Ballad from A minor to G minor. It was this version of the opera that went to print in 1845. For a performance in 1860 he composed the later so-called ‘Tristan’ or ‘Redemption’ ending to the Overture. As with Wagner’s later opera Tannhäuser, to this day there is no definitive final version of The Flying Dutchman.

The Flying Dutchman – An eternal work in progress?

 

Despite claiming to have written the original version in just seven weeks, Wagner ultimately found The Flying Dutchman to be unendingly problematic, and the lack of a final version continues to fascinate Wagner scholars. The Wagner Complete Edition, however, rejects the concept and priority of the last available version, instead endeavouring to assemble all of Wagner’s multitudinous revisions as completely and accurately as possible. Despite Wagner’s difficulties with the work, it endures as one of his most popular operas today.

If I reach my aim [of approval] among merely a handful of individuals, that attainment will richly compensate me for all those who remain unconvinced; and cordially do I grasp the hands of those valiant artists who shall not feel shame to concern themselves with me, and more familiarly to befriend me, than is typical in our modern art world. – Richard Wagner

Because the Compete Edition consolidates all available source material and the most current developments of Wagnerian scholarship, it allows performers a deeper understanding of the composer’s processes and musical intentions. This new performance material is now available from Schott for any production of The Flying Dutchman.

• The Flying Dutchman, Version 1842-1880 - Details


• The Flying Dutchman, Original Version - Details


• Opera Vlaanderen 

A new production of Nino Rota’s Aladino e la lampada magica ("Aladdin and the Magic Lamp") directed by Julien Ostini will open in Saint-Etienne in France on 16 October, performed by the Orchestre Symphonique Saint-Etienne Loire and conducted by Laurent Touche. The fairytale opera will be performed in a French translation.



Rota, sometimes called the “Italian Mozart”, composed his first children’s opera Il principe porcaro (1925-26) at the age of 13. A sense of childlike wonder has infused Rota’s music throughout his career, evident particularly in his film scores composed for director Federico Fellini, which remain among his best-known works today. For Rota, fairytales were never trivial; although they provided fantastical entertainment, they stemmed from deeper moral motivations and life lessons. Such is Rota’s understanding of Aladdin, which was first recounted to him as a child by his Grandmother.

Aladino e la lampada magica by Nino Rota – an opera for everyone

Aladino e la lampada magica (1968) comes from one of the most popular tales of the well-known collection of stories “One Thousand and One Nights,” commonly known as “Arabian Nights”. The narrative follows Aladdin, an impoverished young boy, who dreams of wealth. After a sorcerer gains Aladdin’s trust, intending to use him only as a tool to obtain a mysterious oil lamp from a magical cave, an exciting and dangerous adventure begins.

The enchanted world of Rota’s Aladino e la lampada magica gives great scope for appealing staging, with colourful bazaars and extravagant costumes, presenting an ideal first opera experience for young children.  The work is further full of refreshingly tonal musical language, employing the traditions of operatic composition yet in a modern and distinctive fashion. Despite being termed a children’s opera, it will nonetheless appeal to audience members of all ages.

When I’m creating at the piano, I tend to feel happy; but, the eternal dilemma arises - how can we be happy amid the unhappiness of others? I'd do anything I could to give everyone a moment of happiness. That's what's at the heart of my music. – Nino Rota

The Leipzig Opera will perform a reduced orchestration version of Aladino e la lampada magica, as arranged by Rainer Schottstädt, on 28 and 31 October.

 

• Nino Rota - profile


• Aladino e la lampada magica - workdetails


• Reduced version by Rainer Schottstädt - details


• Grand Théâtre Massenet 

On 2 July, a production of Henze’s opera Elegy for Young Lovers will be staged by the Armel Opera Competition and the Liszt Academy in celebration of what would have been Henze’s 90th birthday on 1 July. The production will be directed by András Almási-Tóth with the Pannon Philharmonic conducted by Gergely Vajda at the Thália Theatre, Budapest.



Elegy for Young Lovers is set in an inn near the Austrian Alps where poet Gregor Mittenhofer has assembled a circle of loyal companions: his secretary countess Carolina, his physician Dr. Reischmann, his lover Elizabeth, and Hilda Mack who is haunted by the husband she last saw 40 years ago before he vanished in the mountains. Elisabeth falls in love with Toni Reischmann, the son of Mittenhofer’s doctor and although Mittenhofer agrees to let Elisabeth go, he begs her for one last labour of love: The young couple must bring him an Edelweiss from the mountains. Mittenhofer and the countess fail to warn Elizabeth and Toni that there is a snow storm approaching and soon after they set out into the mountains the storm comes. The young lovers both die, tightly embraced in each other’s arms.

Henze worked with two of his most admired American authors, W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, to write the libretto. In his autobiography he writes about their collaboration:

I told them I wanted a small group of singers and a small instrumental ensemble comprising no more than twenty players. These instruments might perhaps play a role within the piece’s dramaturgical structure by being identified with particular characters. I told them that I would like the work to be a psychological drama, a chamber drama that would deal in the most general terms with questions of guilt and atonement, in other words, with subtle and complex issues. I was delighted with this draft and even while reading it could already hear the artificial air of the Hammerhorn buzzing in my ears. I could already hear the first notes of the music for the two lovers, delicate flowers, meadow saffron and violets, and the grotesque, Wotanesque huffing and puffing of Mittenhofer, the cold-hearted poet who offers up human sacrifices to his Muse. These people are real people, modern men and women, with their weaknesses and strengths, mortals, not gods or heroes or any other kind of supernatural beings. – Hans Werner Henze

Elegy for Young Lovers will also be staged in spring 2017 at the Theater an der Wien with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marc Albrecht. Further birthday performances include a concert of Henze’s chamber works to be performed in his home town, Gütersloh on 1 July, and the orchestral works L'usignolo dell'imperatore and Seconda sonata per archi in Montepulciano.

• Hans Werner Henze - profile


• Elegy for Young Lovers - workdetails