Composer of the month
BEETHOVEN BY CEES NIEUWENHUIZEN
On Friday June 10, 2022 401 Dutch Operas and Apollo Ensemble present the world premiere of the torso of Beethoven's first opera Vestas Feuer, as reconstructed by Cees Nieuwenhuizen. Location: Beethoven Festival Zutphen. The question what Beethoven does in the 401 Dutch Operas compendium is answered in that book, which will be published at the end of 2022/beginning of 2023 in the DATO series of publisher Lecturis. More important than the rumour that Beethoven was actually born in Zutphen, is perhaps the fact that Dutch composer Cees Nieuwenhuizen reconstructed Vestas Feuer for 401DutchOperas, including completely unknown sketches for scenes 2 to 8. The world premiere will take place in Theater De Hanzehof in Zutphen, Friday evening June 10, 2022 at 8.45 pm. With Barbara Schilstra (Volivia), Renate Arends (Sericia), Sartagones (Marcel Reijans), Timothy Veryser (Malo), Nanco de Vries (Porus) & Apollo Ensemble. After the intermission, the Apollo Ensemble accompanies plays Beethoven's Egmont, staged (!), with soprano Renate Arends.
10 JUNE 2020, Buitensocieteit De Hanzehof, Zutphen.
Opera of the month
BEETHOVEN/NIEUWENHUIZEN: VESTAS FEUER • 10 JUNI 2022
On Friday June 10, 2022 401 Dutch Operas and Apollo Ensemble present the world premiere of the torso of Beethoven's first opera, Vestas Feuer, as reconstructed by Cees Nieuwenhuizen. Venue is the Beethoven Festival Zutphen. Vestas Feuer was composed in 1803 on a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder, librettist of Die Zauberflöte! It is an exciting adventure story full of miraculous escapes and with outstanding music. Including two world premieres of completely unknown Beethoven opera arias that Nieuwenhuizen reconstructed from the sketches for scenes 2 to 8. The world premiere will take place in Theater De Hanzehof in Zutphen, Friday evening June 10, 2022 at 8.45 pm. With Barbara Schilstra (Volivia), Renate Arends (Sericia), Sartagones (Marcel Reijans), Timothy Veryser (Malo), Nanco de Vries (Porus) & Apollo Ensemble. After the intermission, the Apollo Ensemble plays Beethoven's Egmont, staged (!), with soprano Renate Arends.
10 JUNE 2020, Buitensocieteit De Hanzehof, Zutphen.
Floris van Bergeijk: Electric flute
SPANGA'S ELECTRIC FLUTE
In a coproduction with the Oranjewoud Festival the experimental Opera Spanga ensemble now brings Electric Flute by Floris van Bergeijk/W.A. Mozart. In this electrifying "remix" popsingers, electric guitars, operasingers and orchestra players attack each other in search of love, revenge and power. 401DutchOperas is of course the first to bring this electrifying remix in pictures and sound by means of slide shows and a video trailer!
Misha Mengelberg: Cows
The Ukrainian-Dutch composer Micha Mengelberg (of ao Reconstructie 1969) was working on the opera Koeien (Cows) when Alzheimer prevented him from finishing it. The opera was completed by Guus Janssen, Cherry Duyns, Han Bennink and others. They made it an opera from and about Mengelberg! Premiere 9/10 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam.
Karel Miry: Bouchard d'Avesnes
MIRY: BOUCHARD D'AVESNES (1864)
On March 2, 2014, Karel Miry's legendary Flemish grand opéra Bouchard d'Avesnes wasperformed in Koninklijk Muziekconsevatorium Gent, Belgium. Lyrica Gent braught an impressive ensemble with Placido Domingo adept tenor Daniel Astorga Fonseca, Jolien de Gendt, Paul Claus and many others. Now, in April 2015, we hope to soon be able to finally offer excerpts of this stunning opera as video/audio downloads. Bouchard d'Avesnes will also feature in our first ever 401DutchOperas concert of April 26, 2015, in Hoog-Keppel.
RICHARD HAGEMAN
Richard Hageman
Composer of the Month is Richard Hageman, who had an amazing American career as a composer of songs and film music. he also wrote an opera, Caponsacchi. Hageman was arguably the most successful Dutch composer since Sweelinck, and yet... completely forgotten in The Netherlands. Find out why in his full English language biography.
Caponsacchi
Richard Hageman's opera Caponsacchi met with great success when premiered in Weimar, 1934. A broadcast of a German performance was broadcast in the USA, where the opera was finally premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1937. It was and is the only opera by a Dutch composer ever to be performed there.
Reinbert de Leeuw
Reinbert de Leeuw
On Sunday, September 8, Reinbert de Leeuw turned 75. We celebrate his birthday with a massive retrospect including his operas Reconstructie, Axel, and the world premieres he conducted at DNO.
Martijn Padding: Laika (2014)
From 3 to 8 juni 2014 Martijn Paddings opera Laika was premiered at the Holland Festival Amsterdam. Laika deals with a television host who breaks down over viewer statstics and wants to join the floating first man and dog in space, Juri Gagarin and Laika. ARTICLE IN ENGLISH!
Karel Miry
KAREL MIRY
Flemish composer Karel Miry (1823-1889) played a crucial role in the rise of Flemish music. Except the Flemish hymn, he also composed a number of grand opéras operas, among them such legendary titles as Charles Quint en Bouchard d'Avesnes. Charles Quint was performed by Lyrica Gent in 2013. By 2014 they presented Bouchard d'Avesnes , which presented Miry at the peak of his art. Both operas will have a part in the first even 401DutchOperas live concert of April 26, 2015, in Hoog_keppel. In addition we will peform an excerpt of The poet and his Ideal. Miry's biography:
WAGENAAR: DE SCHIPBREUK
On February 8 and 9, 2014, Johan Wagenaar's De Schipbreuk was performed in Amsterdam, with Francis van Broekhuizen, Mark Omvlee, and Sinan Vural. We filmed the performance and published the entire performance on the pages devoted to this delightful little opera.
Reinbert de Leeuw: Reconstructie
Opera of the Month is the notorious masterpiece Reconstructie from 1969. This amazing work redefined classical music in The Netherlands with a big bang. Reinbert de Leeuw was co-composer.
