The pastures
| Opera dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The pastures |
| Shape: | Opera |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Johannes Maria Staud |
| Libretto : | Durs Grünbein |
| Literary source: |
Algernon Blackwood : The Willows |
| Premiere: | December 8, 2018 |
| Place of premiere: | Vienna State Opera |
| Playing time: | approx. 2 ¼ hours |
| Place and time of the action: | On a large river in Central Europe today |
| people | |
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The Willows is an opera in six frames, four passages, a prologue, a prelude, an interlude and an epilogue by Johannes Maria Staud after a libretto by Durs Grünbein based on Algernon Blackwood's story The Willows (dt. The pastures ). The opera deals with the topics of the refugee crisis and right-wing populism and was premiered on December 8, 2018 at the Vienna State Opera.
content
Grünbein's text uses quotes from contemporary political discourse. The terms “home” love and xenophobia, which are openly articulated, are of central importance. Therefore, subtle psychological drawings of people in an action are largely dispensed with. The composer himself compared the work to a journey “into the heart of darkness”. The river specified as the place of action is "if you will, undoubtedly" the Danube. In his short description he wrote:
“The event fluctuates between a travel story of two divided lovers and a surreally distorted observation of the threatening developments today. Key words: the angry citizen, the vigilante group, the increasing isolation from the outside and the brutalization of the social center - and this despite our heavily burdened history. We achieve this with pandemic hallucinations of one of the protagonists as well as with the transformation motif human-carp. "
orchestra
The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:
- Woodwind : three flutes (alto flute and piccolo recorder), three oboe (also English horn and Musette ), three clarinets (also Bassetthorn and bass clarinet ), two Fagotte (also Kontrafagott )
- Brass : four horns , three trumpets , three trombones , tuba
- Timpani , drums (four players)
- harp
- Piano , celesta
- Strings : fourteen violins 1, twelve violins 2, ten violas , eight cellos , six double basses
- Stage music : clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion, harmonium , violin, viola, double bass, live electronics
Work history
The work was commissioned by the Vienna State Opera and was premiered there on December 8, 2018 under the conductor Ingo Metzmacher in a production by Andrea Moses . The stage was by Jan Pappelbaum , the costumes by Kathrin Plath, the lighting design by Bernd Purkrabek , the videos by Arian Andiel and the implementation of the live electronics by the SWR experimental studio . The actors were Rachel Frenkel (Lea), Tomasz Konieczny (Peter), Thomas Ebenstein (Edgar), Andrea Carroll (Kitty), Udo Samel (Krachmeyer), Herbert Lippert (Lea's father), Monika Bohinec (Lea's mother), Alexandru Moisiuc ( Peter's father), Zoryana Kushpler (Peter's mother), Sylvie Rohrer (television reporter) and Wolfgang Bankl (demagogue / head forester). The performance was broadcast live on Radio Austria 1 .
Web links
- “Die Weiden”: cheers for the premiere at the State Opera. Review of the world premiere at Austrian Broadcasting , December 9, 2018.
- Bernhard Neuhoff: Journey into the Austrian darkness. Review of the world premiere at BR-Klassik , December 9, 2018
- This Christmas carp tastes poisoned. Review of the world premiere on Deutschlandfunk , December 9, 2018
- Georg Rudiger: About carp and people. Review of the premiere. In: Die Deutsche Bühne , December 9, 2018
- Joachim Lange: When the dams break. Review of the premiere. In: Concerti , December 11, 2018
- Georg Etscheit, Matthias Röder: World premiere of “Die Weiden” at the Vienna State Opera. In: Musik heute, December 8, 2018.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b information on the work at the music publisher Breitkopf & Härtel , accessed on December 17, 2018.
- ^ The pastures in the program of the Vienna State Opera , accessed on December 17, 2018.
- ↑ Live from the Vienna State Opera: Johannes Maria Staud: “Die Weiden”. Program information from December 8, 2018 of the radio station Austria 1 , accessed on December 17, 2018.