Leporello - Nr. 10 - June 2012 page 1 Leporello Leporello Leporello Leporello Contemporary Opera Newsletter Nr. 10 June 2012 World Première Performances World Première Performances World Première Performances World Première Performances In June 2012, five new operas will be performed. Slaying the Dragon is Michael Ching’s third opera, after Midsummer Night’s Dream (opera a cappella) and Buoso’s Ghost, a sequel to Gianni Schicchi. The main character in Robin de Raaff’s first opera Raaff (2004) was the tenor who first performed the title role in Mozart’s Idomeneo. 33 year old Anno Schreier already composed four operas inspired by the brothers Grimm, Christa Wolf or José Saramago. Die Taktik is Jennifer Walshe’s first opera. Toshio Hosokawa continues his lyrical journey with his fourth opera, following Vision of Lear (1998), Hanjo (2004) and Matsukaze (2010). more on p. 2 DVD Hans Werner Henze : Der Prinz von Homburg, ArtHaus Musik, 100 164. with William Cochran, Helga Dernesch, Marianne Häggander, François Le Roux. First performed in Hamburg on May 22nd, 1960. Based on the play by Heinrich von Kleist, it tells the love story between Prince Friedrich and Princess Natalie, endangered by the prince’s disobedience during a battle against the Swedes. Recorded in Munich in 1994. Conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. more on p. 2 Michael Ching : Slaying the Dragon Opera in a prologue and 2 acts Libretto : Ellen Frankel, after Kathryn Watterson’s Not By The Sword. Philadelphia, Prince Music Theater June 7, 2012 with Christopher Lorge, Jason Switzer, Teresa Eickel, Roland Burks, David Koh, Jody Kidwell. In this true story, Larry Trapp, Grand Dragon of the Nebraska Ku Klux Klan, renounced a lifetime of hatred and violence after being befriended by a Jewish cantor and his wife. Robin de Raaff : Waiting for Miss Monroe Opera in 3 acts (80’) Libretto : Janine Brogt Amsterdam, Stadsschouwburg June 9, 2012 with Laura Aikin, Alain Coulombe, Tom Randle, Dale Duesing, David DQ Lee, Hendrickje van Kerckhove. Conducted by Steven Sloane and directed by Lotte de Beer. In three fictitious scenes the opera presents a character sketch of the anxiety-ridden actress who was barely able to engage in direct communication.
Transcript
Leporello - Nr. 10 - June 2012 page 1
LeporelloLeporelloLeporelloLeporello
C o n t e m p o r a r y O p e r a N e w s l e t t e r
Nr. 10 June 2012
World Première PerformancesWorld Première PerformancesWorld Première PerformancesWorld Première Performances
In June 2012, five new operas will be performed. Slaying the Dragon is Michael Ching’s third opera, after Midsummer Night’s Dream (opera a cappella) and Buoso’s Ghost, a sequel to Gianni Schicchi. The main character in Robin de Raaff’s first opera Raaff (2004) was the tenor who first performed the title role in Mozart’s Idomeneo. 33 year old Anno Schreier already composed four operas inspired by the brothers Grimm, Christa Wolf or José Saramago. Die Taktik is Jennifer Walshe’s first opera. Toshio Hosokawa continues his lyrical journey with his fourth opera, following Vision of Lear (1998), Hanjo (2004) and Matsukaze (2010).
more on p. 2
DVD
Hans Werner Henze : Der Prinz von Homburg, ArtHaus Musik, 100 164. with William Cochran, Helga Dernesch, Marianne Häggander, François Le Roux. First performed in Hamburg on May 22nd, 1960. Based on the play by Heinrich von Kleist, it tells the love story between Prince Friedrich and Princess Natalie, endangered by the prince’s disobedience during a battle against the Swedes. Recorded in Munich in 1994. Conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch.
more on p. 2
Michael Ching : Slaying the Dragon Opera in a prologue and 2 acts Libretto : Ellen Frankel, after Kathryn Watterson’s Not By The Sword. Philadelphia, Prince Music Theater June 7, 2012
with Christopher Lorge, Jason Switzer, Teresa Eickel, Roland Burks, David Koh, Jody Kidwell. In this true story, Larry Trapp, Grand Dragon of the Nebraska Ku Klux Klan, renounced a lifetime of hatred and violence after being befriended by a Jewish cantor and his wife.
Robin de Raaff : Waiting for Miss Monroe Opera in 3 acts (80’) Libretto : Janine Brogt Amsterdam, Stadsschouwburg June 9, 2012
with Laura Aikin, Alain Coulombe, Tom Randle, Dale Duesing, David DQ Lee, Hendrickje van Kerckhove. Conducted by Steven Sloane and directed by Lotte de Beer. In three fictitious scenes the opera presents a character sketch of the anxiety-ridden actress who was barely able to engage in direct communication.
Leporello - Nr. 10 - June 2012 page 2
World Première PerformancesWorld Première PerformancesWorld Première PerformancesWorld Première Performances
In my collectionIn my collectionIn my collectionIn my collection
Below are listed parts of my collection. There will be more in the next issues.
1) DVD :
Salvatore Sciarrino : Luci mie traditrici, EuroArts, 2059038. with Nina Tarandek, Christian Miedl, Roland Schneider, Simon Bode. First performed in Schwetzingen on May 19th, 1998. Chamber opera inspired by the murders by the Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo of his wife and her lover. Recorded in Montepulciano in July 2010. Conducted by Marco Angius. Directed by Christian Pade.
Anno Schreier : Mörder Kaspar Brand Opera in 5 scenes (75 minutes) Libretto : Philipp J. Neumann, after Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado. Düsseldorf, Central - In der alten Paketpost June 14, 2012
with James Bobby, Anke Krabbe, Richard Sveda, Iryna Vakula, David Jerusalem, Ovidiu Purcel. Wen-Pin Chien conducts and Philipp J. Neumann directs. A man leads another man to his cellar offering him to taste a barrel of vintage wine. But when they arrive in the underground vault, he lets him go on alone and then walls him up alive.
Jennifer Walshe : Die Taktik Music theatre for children Stuttgart, Kammertheater June 14, 2012
with Julia Spaeth, Eva-Maria Wurlitzer, Iestyn Morris, Alexander de Paula. Stefan Schreiber conducts and Jennifer Walshe directs. A long time ago, Avatars populated endless realms and forgotten dungeons. The defeated computer-controlled monsters, treasured chests and bred Pokemons. Were Avatars the fictional heroes of their time or did they reprogram players to new identities in real time ?
Toshio Hosokawa : The Raven
Monodrama (60 minutes) Libretto : after Edgar Allan Poe’s novel Luxembourg, Grand Théâtre June 27, 2012 with mezzo Charlotte Hellekant. Conducted by David Reiland, directed by Jan Speckenbach.
Orchestra : string quartet, piano, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, flute and percussion First performed in concert version in Brussels on March 17, 2012. The Raven tells the story of a man visited by a raven after the death of his lover. To all the questions the man asks, the raven only answers, 'nevermore' and drifting through states of different emotions the narrator, still burdened with the loss of his beloved, finally lays down in the raven's shadow, his soul trapped and shall be lifted 'nevermore'.
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2) Program books : - Xavier Benguerel : Yo, Dalí, Madrid, June 8, 2011 (PDF) - Silvia Colasanti : La Metamorfosi, Firenze, May 22, 2012 (PDF) - Sidney Corbett : Ubu, Gelsenkirchen, April 14, 2012 (PDF) - Moritz Eggert : All diese Tage, Bremen, April 28, 2012 - Arnulf Herrmann : Wasser, Munich, May 16, 2012 (PDF) - Eunyoung Kim : Mama dolorosa, Munich, May 5, 2012 (PDF) - Sarah Nemtsov : L’Absence, Munich, May 3, 2012 (PDF) - Olga Neuwirth : The Outcast, Mannheim, May 25, 2012 (PDF) - Enno Poppe : IQ, Schwetzingen, April 27, 2012 (PDF) - Jüri Reinvere : Purge, Helsinki, April 20, 2012 - Marco Stroppa : Re Orso, Paris, May 19, 2012
3) Libretti : - Philippe Fénelon / Alexei Parine, The Cherry Orchard, Paris : Opéra national de Paris, 2012, 14 p. (PDF)
- Jake Heggie / Terrence McNally, Dead Man Walking, Paris : Virgin Classics, 2012, 54 p. (PDF)
- Hans Werner Henze / Grete Weil, Boulevard Solitude, Mainz : B. Schott’s Söhne, 1951, 23 p. - Hans Werner Henze / Hans-Ulrich Treichel, Das verratene Meer, Mainz : Schott, 1990, 42 p. - Hans Werner Henze / Ingeborg Bachmann, Der Prinz von Homburg, Mainz : Schott, 1960, 32 p. - Hans Werner Henze / W. H. Auden and Ch. Kallman, Elegy for Young Lovers, Mainz : Schott, 1989, 63 p. - Hans Werner Henze / Edward Bond, Die Englische Katze, Paris : Gérard Billaudot, 1984, 155 p. - Hans Werner Henze / W. H. Auden and Ch. Kallman, The Bassarids, Mainz : Schott, 1993, 57 p. - Hans Werner Henze / Ingeborg Bachmann, The Young Milord, Mainz : B. Schott’s Söhne, 1967, 47 p.
4) Full scores : - Babette Koblenz, Hexenskat oder der Streik der Hexen, n.l. : n.p., 1980, 181 p. - György Ligeti, Le Grand Macabre, Mainz : Schott, 2003, 302 p. - Krzysztof Penderecki, The Devils of Loudun, Mainz : Schott, n. d., 205 p. - Matthias Pintscher, Thomas Chatterton, Kassel : Bärenreiter Verlag, 1998, 336 p.
5) Vocal score : - Babette Koblenz, Hexenskat oder der Streik der Hexen, Hamburg : Kodasi, 1983, 85 p.
6) CD : Gilbert Amy : Le Premier Cercle, MFA, 216040.42 with Alain Vernhes, Lionel Peintre, Karine Deshayes, Sophie Marin-Degor First performed in Lyon on October 13, 1999, this opera is based on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s autobiographical novel The First Circle. Recorded in Lyon in October 1999. Conducted by Michel Plasson. Michael Berkeley : Jane Eyre, Chandos, CHAN 9983 with Natasha Marsh, Fflur Wyn, Beverley Mills, Emily Bauer-Jones, Andrew Slater. First performed in Cheltenham on June 30, 2000. Chamber opera with libretto by David Malouf, based on Charlotte Brontë’s novel. Recording based on the first production. Conducted by Michael Rafferty. Elliott Carter : What Next?, ECM New Series, ECM 1817. with Valdine Anderson, Sarah Leonard, Hilary Summers, William Joyner. First performed in Berlin on September 19, 1999. Six characters involved in a car accident, though physically unhurt, react to their involvement in it. Recorded live in Amsterdam, on September 9, 2000. Conducted by Peter Eötvös.
Carlisle Floyd : Cold Sassy Tree, Albany, Troy 758/759 with Patricia Racette, Dean Peterson, John McVeigh, Margaret Lloyd, Beth Clayton. First performed in Houston on April 14, 2000. The libretto is a portrait of life in the north Georgia village where once the sassafras trees turned cold. Recorded in Houston in April 2000. Conducted by Patrick Summers.
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John Harbison : The Great Gatsby, The Metropolitan Opera, 1135-70133 with Jerry Hadley, Dawn Upshaw, Susan Graham, Dwayne Croft, Mark Baker Inspired by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, it tells of the rise and fall of Jay Gatsby. Recorded live in New York on January 1, 2000, less than two weeks after the world première. James Levine conducts.
Jake Heggie : Dead Man Walking, Erato, 86238-2 with Susan Graham, John Packard, Frederica von Stade, Theresa Hamm-Smith First performed in San Francisco on October 7, 2000. Based on Sister Helen Prejean’s experience as spiritual adviser to a convicted murderer on death row. Recorded during the first performances. Conducted by Patrick Summers. Jake Heggie : Dead Man Walking, Virgin Classics, 50999 6024632 5 with Joyce DiDonato, Philip Cutlip, Frederica von Stade, Measha Brueggergosman First performed in San Francisco on October 7, 2000. Based on Sister Helen Prejean’s experience as spiritual adviser to a convicted murderer on death row. Recorded in Houston in January and February 2011. Conducted by Patrick Summers.
Mikko Heiniö : The Knight and the Dragon, Bis, CD-1246 with Curt Appelgren, Helena Juntunen, Charlotte Hellekant, Rúni Brattaberg First performed in Turku on November 9, 2000. The libretto of this church opera is based on the legend of St. George. Studio recording made in Turku in November 2000. Conducted by Ulf Söderblom. Hans Werner Henze : Pollicino, Wergo, WER 6664-2 with Philipp Holstein, Iaila Fischer, Therese Affolter, Thomas Schendel First performed in Montepulciano on August 2, 1980. Based on Collodi, Grimm and Perrault, this children opera is a new version of the Tom Thumb fairy tale. Recorded in Berlin in December 2000. Conducted by Jost Liebrecht. Poul Ruders : The Handmaid’s Tale, dacapo, 8.224165-66 with Marianne Rørholm, Hanne Fischer, Poul Elming, Ulla Kudsk Jensen First performed in Copenhagen on March 6, 2000. Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, the story of a maid forced to bear children for high-ranking officials. Recorded live in Copenhagen in March 2000. Conducted by Michael Schønwandt. Salvatore Sciarrino : Luci mie traditrici, Kairos, 0012222KAI with Annette Stricker, Otto Katzameier, Kai Wessel, Simon Jaunin First performed in Schwetzingen on May 19, 1998. Based on the life and death of Carlo Gesualdo, it deals with the conflicts which exist within people who love. Recorded in Vienna in November 2000. Conducted by Beat Furrer.
Eino Tamberg : Cyrano de Bergerac, cpo, 999 832-2 with Sauli Tiilikainen, Mia Huhta, Mati Körts, Jassi Zahharov, Riina Airenne. First performed in Tallinn on July 2, 1976. Based on Edmond Rostand’s play, it is the love story between Cyrano and Roxane. Recorded in Tallinn in 1999-2000. Conducted by Paul Mägi.
