Leporello No 13 October 2012

Leporello Contemporary

Opera

Newsletter

Nr. 13

October 2012

World Première Performances In October 2012, twelve new operas will be performed for the first time, in France, the USA, Germany, Slovakia, Scotland and Switzerland, including two children operas and two multimedia works. Two historic figures (Victoria Woodhull and holy roman empress Maria Theresa) will come back to life. A great variety of styles, stories and characters will prove, if necessary that opera is alive and well !

Michèle Reverdy : Le Roi du bois Musical theatre Libretto : Pierre Michon, in French Malakoff, Théâtre 71 October 2, 2012 Duration : 70 minutes

with actor Jacques Bonnaffé, the Varèse String Quartett and a child soprano.

The story of Gian Domenico Desiderii, servant to the painter Claude Le Lorrain from 1634 to 1659. While living so close to the genius of his master, Desiderii tried to imitate him, but failed unequivocally.

Victoria Bond : Mrs. President Opera in 2 acts Libretto : Hilary Bell Anchorage, Discovery Theater October 5, 2012 Duration : full evening

with Valerie Bernhardt, Scott Ramsay, Katrina Thurman, Kirk Dougherty, Robert Osborne.

Conducted by Victoria Bond and directed by Lemuel Wade.

Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927) opened a brokerage firm on Wall Street in 1870, and was the first woman to start a weekly newspaper. In 1872, she was the first woman to run for the American presidency as an activist for women’s rights and labor reforms. more on p. 2

DVD Bo Holten : The Visit of the Royal Physician, DaCapo, 2.110408 With Johan Reuter, Gert Henning-Jensen, Elisabeth Jansson, Sten Byriel.

First performed in Copenhagen on March 28, 2009. The tragic love story between the royal physician to the insane King Christian 7 and the young Queen Caroline Mathilde.

Recorded in Copenhagen in May 2009. Conducetd by Bo Holten. Staged by Peter Oskarson. more on p. 4

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World Première Performances Felix Leuschner : Sprung in die Leere Opera Libretto : Reto Finger, in German Gelsenkirchen, Musiktheater im Revier (foyer) October 6, 2012

with Elisa Kaufman, Tina Stegemann, Hongjae Lim and Vasilios Manis.

Sound design and live electronics by the composer.

This work has been specifically composed for the lobby of the opera house as homage to the painter Yves Klein, who decorated the walls of the lobby with a gigantic painting.

Sagardía : Josefine Experimental music theatre piece in 2 parts Libretto : Björn SC Deigner, after Franz Kafka Mönchengladbach, Theater October 13, 2012

with Gabriela Kuhn, Susanne Seefing, Andrew Nolen, Michael Siemon.

Conducted by Lennart Dohms, directed by Christian Grammel.

Since digital money flows create and destroy jobs, the cyber world seems to have put a shadow on our world.

Based on Investigations of a Dog and Josephine the Singer, this new opera focuses on the question of where and how to find each other in the digital age.

Roland Baumgartner : Maria Theresia Opera in 3 acts Libretto : Rainer Lewandowski, in German Bratislava, Slovak National Thaetre October 11, 2012 Duration : full evening

with Katarína Juhásová, Tomáš Juhás, Ján Galla, Jitka Sapara-Fischerová, Terézia Kružliaková, Eva Šeniglová.

Paul Mauffray conducts ; Ladislav Adamik directs.

This neo-romantic opera mixes ‘serious’ and ‘light’ styles to evoke the life of the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, from her early childhood to her love relationship with the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and her coronation in Bratislava.

Gareth Williams : The Elephant Angel Opera Libretto : Bernard MacLaverty Giffnock, Eastwood Park Theatre October 19, 2012 Duration : 50 minutes

with Paul Keohone, Marie Claire Breen, Lewis Sherlock, Connor Smith, Christopher Honey.

Conducted by Gareth Williams, directed by Lissa Lorenzo.

Based on a true story, it tells the tale of a lady zookeeper who takes a baby elephant home with her each night during the Belfast Blitz, looking after it and keeping it safe with the help of the children who live near by. more on p. 3

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Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini : Der Sandmann Opera in 9 scenes Libretto : Thomas Jonigk, after E.T.A. Hoffmann Basel, Theater October 20, 2012

Thomas Beimel : Vom guten Ton Music theatre piece Libretto : Cornelie Müller Wuppertal, little theatre October 21, 2012

with Ryan McKinny, Agneta Eichenholz, Marko Spehar, Thomas Piffka, Hans Schöpflin.

Conducted by Tomáš Hanus, directed by Christof Loy.

with Dorothea Brandt, Michaela Mehring, Jud Perry, John Janssen.

Conducted by Detlef Tewes, directed by Cornelie Müller.

A new opera on the famous short story by Hoffmann, already set to music by Adolphe Adam (1852), Offenbach (1881, act 1 of the Tales of Hoffmann), Edmond Audran (1896), and more recently Thomas Cabaniss (2002).

Four people babble about everyday subjects (sport, television, financial crises, new releases of books, films and recordings). A new opera where the music of language meets the language of music.

Jörg Widmann : Babylon Opera in 7 scenes Libretto : Peter Sloterdijk, in German München, Nationaltheater October 27, 2012 Duration : 160 minutes

with Claron McFadden, Anna Prohaska, Rainer Trost, Willard White, Gabriele Schnaut, Kai Wessel.

Kent Nagano conducts and Carlus Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus) directs 10 singers including countertenor and child soprano.

Large orchestra : 16 woodwinds, 13 brass, 4 perc., 2 harps, celesta, organ, accordion, 52 strings)

Taner Akyol : Ali Baba and the 40 thieves Children opera in 2 acts Libretto : Çetin İpekkaya und Marietta Rohrerİpekkaya, in German and Turkish Berlin, Komische Oper October 28, 2012

with Jens Larsen, Nina von Möllendorff, Tansel Akzeybek, Daniel Drewes, Stefan Sevenich.

Kristiina Poska conducts and Matthias Davids directs A new version of the famous tale from the Arabian Nights where East meets West. Zurna and kaval are mixed with oboe and flute, Turkish language with German, oriental melodies with operatic singing.

Composer and librettist see the construction of the tower of Babel as an expression of mortal hubris, deflecting the central focus from punishment through a divine authority, focusing instead on the primordial experience of chaos and suffering in an unhinged world and the resulting realization of the necessity for order. more on p. 4

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Matthew Burtner : Auksalaq Telematic opera Libretto : Matthew Burtner, in English Washington, Fairbanks, Indianapolis, Montréal and Bergen.

October 29, 2012

with ensembles Bit20 (Norway), Nief Norf Ensemble (USA), McGill Percussion Ensemble (Canada), EcoSono Ensemble (USA), and Telematic Collective (USA).

Auksalaq, the Inupiat word for “melting snow/ice”, is a telematic work that explores global climate change from a northern geographic and cultural perspective.

Using networked technology, videography, music, voice, visual arts and interviews, Auksalaq integrates artistic expression, scientific information and social/political commentary to create an interactive, multi-dimensional experience.

Rodolphe Schacher : Fräulein Bixel und Herr Glück Children opera in 1 act Libretto : Susanne Vettinger, in German Luzern, Theater October 30, 2012

with Flurin Caduff, Carolyn Dobbin, Utku Kuzuluk, Dana Marbach.

Andreas Felber conducts and Christian Kipper directs.

In a theater, Miss Bixel (left shoe) and Mr. Glück (right shoe) are in love. As the other shoes grieve over the sudden loss of their partner, the inflated theater manager leaves on a search for the missing ones.

In my collection Below are listed parts of my collection. There will be more in the next issues.

1) DVD : Philip Glass : Satyagraha, ArtHaus Musik, 100 136. with Leo Goeke, Ralf Harster, Helmut Danninger, Inga Nielsen, Daniel Bonilla.

The opera is semi-narrative in form and deals with Mahatma Gandhi's early years in South Africa and his development of non-violent protest into a political tool.

Recorded in Stuttgart in 1983. Conducted by Hugo Käch.

2) Program books : - Philippe Boesmans : Reigen, Brussels, November 25, 1994 - Philippe Fénelon : JJR (Citoyen de Genève), Genève, September 11, 2012 - Stefano Gervasoni : Limbus-Limbo, Strasbourg, September 22, 2012 - Michael Jarrell : Cassandre, Paris, February 4, 1994 - Judith Weir : Blond Eckbert, London, April 20, 1994

3) Libretti : - Marcel Landowski : Le Fou, Paris : Éditions Choudens, 1956, 42 p.

- Marcel Landowski : Les Adieux, Paris : Éditions Choudens, 1960, 17 p.

- Krzysztof Penderecki : Die Teufel von Loudun, Mainz : B. Schott’s Söhne, 1969, 63 p.

- Krzysztof Penderecki : The Devils of Loudun, Mainz : B. Schott’s Söhne, 1969, 56 p.

- Krzysztof Penderecki / Jerzy Jarocki : Ubu Rex, Mainz : Schott, 1991, 61 p.

- Aribert Reimann / Uwe Schendel : Die Gespenstersonate, Mainz : B. Schott’s Söhne, 1984, 29 p.

- Aribert Reimann / Claus H. Henneberg : Melusine, Mainz : Ars Viva, 1971, 39 p.

- Aulis Sallinen / Paavo Haavikko : The King Goes Forth to France, London : Novello, 1984, 42 p.

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4) Full scores : - Michael Tippett : King Priam, Mainz : Schott, 2005, 282 p.

- Michael Tippett : The Midsummer Marriage, London : Eulenburg, 2009, 711 p.

5) Vocal score : - Nancy Van de Vate : Hamlet, Kreuzlingen : Musicaneo, n.d., 245 p. (PDF) 6) CD : Luciano Berio : Un Re in ascolto, Col legno, WWE 2CD 20005 with Theo Adam, Heinz Zednik, Helmuth Lohner, Patricia Wise, Karan Armstrong.

First performed in Salzburg on August 7, 1984. Partly based on Shakespeare’s Tempest, the ‘azione musicale’ deals with the nature of opera itself.

Recording of the world première. Conducted by Lorin Maazel.

Luca Francesconi : Ballata, Stradivarius, STR 57012 With Marco Beasley, Anders Larsson, Ildiko Komlosi, Eberhard Francesco Lorenz First performed in Brussels on October 29, 2002. Based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the opera describes a journey into the too humane truth of our unconscious.

Recorded in Brussels in 2002. Conducted by Kazushi Ono. Helmut Lachenmann : Das Mädchen mit den Schywefelhölzern, ECM New Series 1858/59 with Eiko Morikawa, Nicole Tibbels, Helmut Lachenmann.

First performed in Hamburg on January 26, 1997. The libretto is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s short story about a dying child’s dreams and hope.

Recorded in Freiburg in July 2002. Conducted by Sylvain Cambreling.

Tod Machover : Resurrection, Albany, Troy 495/96 with Scott Hendricks, Dale Travis, James F. Love, Matthew A. Kreger, Clifford Derix rd First performed in Houston on April 23 , 1999. Based on Tolstoy’s last novel, it is a story of spiritual renewal amid the corrupt institutions of a decadent society.

Recorded in Houston in 1999. Conducted by Patrick Summers.

William Mayer : A Death in the Family, Albany, Troy 395 with Bert K. Johnson, Jennifer Goode, Ian Samplin, Ted Schmitz, Julie Cross.

First performed by Minnesota opera in 1983. It is about a Southern middle class family struck by sudden tragedy and unexpected reverberations.

Recorded in New York in December 1999. Conducted by David Gilbert.

Robert Ward : Roman Fever, Albany, Troy 505 With Dorothy Grimley, Erin Elizabeth Smith, Maxime Alvarez de Toledo, Eudora Brown First performed in Durham (NC) in 1993. Based on Edith Wharton’s short story. The main themes are power struggle, betrayal and deception in Rome.

Recorded in New York in December 2001. Conducted by David Gilbert.

In progress Shakespearean Opera Performance Guide This book will include all operas listed in previous studies as well as new operas composed in the last 20 years. It will give all information needed to perform it : characters with tessituras (and complete cast for the world première performance), complete orchestral setting, sets as described in libretto, duration, recordings, publishers. It is to be published before the Shakespeare anniversaries in 2014 (450th of his birth) and 2016 (400th of his death).

COWARC holds a collection of more than 6,100 documents published by opera companies since 1989 with information about more than 132,000 performances. A great amount of information has also been gathered on Shakespearean operas from all times and all countries.

Leporello is published by COWARC - Contemporary Opera Worldwide Archive and Research Center 29, rue de la Clef, F-75005 Paris Directeur de la publication : Mathias LEHN - Rédacteur en chef : Mathias LEHN contact : Leporello21@orange.fr © COWARC, 2012

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