WORK OF THE WEEK - JÖRG WIDMANN: DAS GESICHT IM SPIEGEL

Das Gesicht im Spiegel (The Face in the Mirror) is a swinging pendulum, lurching between a romance and a nightmare. This first opera by Jörg Widmann makes its Viennese debut on September 12th directed by Venezuela’s Carlos Wagner. 

AN UNWELCOME REFLECTION

JOERG WIDMANN: DAS GESICHT IM SPIEGEL

Entrepreneurial couple Patrizia and Bruno want their biotech firm to explode on the stock market: Inventor Milton creates a living clone of Patrizia, namely Justine, and perfect in every aspect. Against all assumptions, she has the ability to feel physical pain as well as experience psychological processes, but most notably, Justine is forbidden to view her reflection in a mirror. if she violates this rule, she will realise that she is just a copy of Patrizia. In a predictable turn of events, both men, Bruno and Milton fall in love with Justine and the capacity for catastrophe becomes evident.

The wish for an artificial being is not only an ancient human dream, but also an ancient theatre dream. In his libretto Schimmelpfennig is utilising archetypes. But today the times are completely different: Maybe we are close to realising artificial life. This incredible Situation hasn’t been the case neither for the Greeks nor for author E.T.A. Hoffmann. Jörg Widmann

In Das Gesicht im Spiegel Roland Schimmelpfennig constructs a love triangle à la Hoffmann with capitalism and technical advancements at the heart until its inevitable demise. Widmann combines the chamber orchestra with diverse timbres featuring techno, a children’s choir who learn the alphabet by blaring out technical terms, and everything in between. Every new scene brings new surprises.

Four productions of this musical horror will be staged from September 12th to 18th in the Neue Oper Wien.

INFO BOX:

SCORE WITH PREVIEW

JÖRG WIDMANN: COMPOSER PROFILE

NEUE OPER WIEN

Illustration: Adobe Stock / Photobank