Venus and Adonis (Henze)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Venus and Adonis |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Hans Werner Henze |
| Libretto : | Hans-Ulrich Treichel |
| Premiere: | January 11, 1997 |
| Place of premiere: | Munich ( Bavarian State Opera ) |
| Playing time: | Around 1 hour |
| Place and time of the action: | Greek mythology / theater stage |
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Singer:
Dancers, mimes and actors: |
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Venus and Adonis is an opera in one act by Hans Werner Henze .
content
Dancers and mimes act out the story of Venus and Adonis . Three opera singers ("Primadonna", "Hero actor" and "Clemente") and six madrigalists ("Shepherds") describe and comment on the plot. In a kind of parallel action, a conflict similar to the myth arises among the singers: The "Prima donna" (corresponds to Venus) falls in love with the young "Clemente" (corresponds to Adonis). The jealous "hero actor" (equivalent to Mars) stabs Clemente to death.
Performances
The world premiere production in Munich was later shown at the Nationaltheater Mannheim .
The American premiere took place in 2000 at the Santa Fe Opera ; this production was also shown in Toronto in 2001. In 2001 the work was given in concert in Tokyo.