WHAT’S ON
EDITOR JOLENE DEN BOER
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WHAT’S ON
Dutch National Opera & Ballet A Highly Acclaimed Cultural Institute
Dutch National Opera & Ballet is one of the largest cultural organizations in the Netherlands. Housing both opera and ballet, it offers high-quality productions to its audiences worldwide. And with a unique building overlooking the river Amstel, it is hard to beat a night out at the opera or ballet in Amsterdam.
D
utch National Opera & Ballet has a unique housing situation. It shares its building with the Amsterdam city council. The building was erected in the eighties after an extended period of debate. As early as 1915, plans for a new city hall and an opera house were already in place, albeit not in the same building. At the time, there were no talks about a building for ballet yet, since the art form was too unfamiliar to the Dutch. Many sites were considered before the Waterlooplein came into view. In 1955, architects Berghoef and Vegter received a commission to design a city hall on the square, but the design was never built. In 1967 the city council tried again, only to find out that the city’s financial problems prevented a new city hall from being constructed. Simultaneously, the construction of a new opera house met a similar fate. By the end of the 1970s, both projects had hit a wall. It was Austrian architect Wilhelm Holzbauer who proposed the audacious plan to combine the two buildings in one complex in 1979. The Dutch State approved the design by Holzbauer and Dutch architect Cees Dam in 1981. The part of the structure reserved for opera and ballet, named The Amsterdam Music Theatre, was officially opened in September 1986. The Amsterdam city council moved into the new city hall two years later. The famous Waterlooplein flea market, which had been temporarily relocated, returned to the square next to the building in the same year.
“ With its rounded façade looking out on the river Amstel, the building is a remarkable landmark in the area.” Built for performances
With its rounded façade looking out on the river Amstel, the building is a remarkable landmark in the area. Inside, the foyer is divided into a playful mix of different floor levels and goes all the way up to fourteen meters. With the high glass windows placed in the façade, the panoramic view of the river is exceptional. The theatre hall itself is quite large, offering some 1600 seats. Because of the semicircular shape, the distance to the stage is small from all points in the room, creating a surprisingly intimate setting with excellent views of the performances.
High-quality productions
Over the last decades, Dutch National Opera & Ballet has evolved into one of the largest cultural companies in the Netherlands. Performing both in the Netherlands and on international stages, Dutch National Opera & Ballet is the leading Dutch organization for opera and ballet today. Over 600 employees work together to present the highest quality productions of traditional and innovative opera and ballet. They direct their art to a wide and varied audience. The institute belongs to the top five of its kind in the world.
Opera
Dutch National Opera creates dramatic musical performances. It does so by taking a fresh approach to the classics, while also rediscovering forgotten gems and creating new pieces. The artistic leadership of Pierre Audi has been an essential driving force behind the innovation of Dutch National Opera. Audi introduced exciting collaborations between the existing staff and visual artists, for example. He has expanded the repertoire of the Dutch National Opera tremendously and has built an impressive oeuvre for the company. The institution has made a name for itself in both the Netherlands as well as globally.
Ballet
If Pierre Audi is the big name behind Dutch National Opera, Rudi van Dantzig, Hans van Manen, and Ted Brandsen are the men most associated with Dutch National Ballet. Van Dantzig created his first choreography in 1955 and became the artistic leader of the National Ballet in 1965. Under his leadership, the dance company has become renowned for its own repertoire as well as remarkable versions of the classic ballets. Van Dantzig’s 1967 epic version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette remains in the collection of Dutch National Ballet today. Hans van Manen also started choreographing for the dance company in 1955 and has since then realized over 150 ballets. In the international modern dance world, Hans van Manen is a wellknown name as well. Over 50 foreign dance companies perform his ballets. Van Manen has been lauded for his merits in the art of modern dancing numerous times, and still holds an active position at the institution at the age of 86. Ted Brandsen was a dancer at Dutch National Ballet from 1981 to 1991. After being the artistic
director of West Australian Ballet in Perth, Australia, he rejoined Dutch National Ballet and became its artistic director in 2003. Under Brandsen’s guidance, Dutch National Ballet has made huge progress. The New York Times ranked Dutch National Ballet in the top five dance companies worldwide to present new productions in 2013. Brandsen has played a crucial role in the innovation of classic ballets like Giselle, or Cinderella. He was also a driving force behind the addition of new classics to the repertoire like La Dame aux Camélias.
“ The institution has an impressive list of classic titles lined up to warm the hearts of its audiences.” Program
The new theatre season of Dutch National Opera & Ballet starts in September. The institution has an impressive list of classic titles lined up to warm the hearts of its audiences this fall.
Die Zauberflöte September 2018
The cultural season 2018-2019 kicks off with Mozart’s classic Die Zauberflöte. Nicknamed “the opera of operas”, it tells the story of the beloved bird-catcher Papageno. Director Simon McBurney creates a stunning fairytale, set in a dreamlike world. With OperaFlirt XL Die Zauberflöte, Dutch National Opera has created a version especially for a younger audience, aged 16-35.
La Dame aux Camélias October 2018
Second in line this season is La Dame Aux Camélias. Dutch National Ballet brings back this recent successful dance drama, a moving and melancholic tale of impossible love. Guest choreographer John Neumeier (Hamburg Ballett) has turned this love story into a psychological dance drama. Audiences love the lavish nineteenth-century costumes and the melancholic piano music of Chopin. Later this year, the audience can warm their hearts to other classics like Swan Lake (March & May 2019) and Madama Butterfly (April 2019). Head to www.operaballet.nl/en/program to see the entire programme. Dutch National Opera & Ballet Amstel 3, operaballet.nl HELLOAMS.COM
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