Venus und Adonis

The prima donna, the heroic actor and the young tenor Clemente are rehearsing for a performance of the mythical tale of Venus, Adonis and Mars which relates the love between the goddess Venus and the handsome youth Adonis. This incurs the displeasure and jealousy of the god Mars and culminates in the death of Adonis who is attacked by a boar. During the performance, the boundaries between the myth and the singers’ private conflicts become blurred: the heroic actor is just as enamoured of the prima donna as his persona Mars is of Venus. Following initial resistance, a relationship between them develops, causing the heroic actor to be as outraged as was Mars at the sight of Venus and Adonis together. In the same moment as Adonis is killed by the boar, the heroic actor stabs Clemente. In death, Clemente and Adonis become one. Accompanied by shepherd song, Adonis is transported to the planet Venus. (Source: Bavarian State Opera Munich, season 1996| 1997)

"Venus and Adonis is a modern treatise on love: the love of two ageing persons for an adolescent boy, a youth. I describe great currents of emotion which have probably always been fa- miliar to humans, but are possibly now portrayed differently in our time. This begins with their tonal representation. I also attempt – and this has been of special interest to me – to create music of our time in its unmitigated vehemence (and also in its entire range) on the basis of a generally familiar plot with the aid of a simple, classical formal vehicle."