Rahul Gandolahage

Opera Forward focuses on the myths of Orpheus & Eurydice

There’s a lot of Orpheus and Eurydice at this year’s Opera Forward Festival, but of course it’s a little different. Manfred Trojahn wrote and composed for the Dutch National Opera Eurydice – Lovers, blind; the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but then seen through Euridyce’s eyes. Former DNO artistic director Pierre Audi returns to Amsterdam to direct.

In Orpheus | love | Eurydice by Robin Coops, everyone suddenly has to resist the temptation to look back. Virtual Reality (VR) glasses should allow for this. In this collaboration of three Dutch opera companies DNO, Nederlandse Reisopera and Opera Zuid, lovers do not lose each other in death, but in digital communication.

With room opera Denis & Katya With the true story of two teenagers, composer Philip Venables and librarian Ted Huffman explore how stories emerged in a time of conspiracy theory and online voyeurism.

Rahul Gandolahage

‘Maestro’ battle with real conductors in Rotterdam

Actually, it’s just a kind maestro, a TV program where celebrities demonstrate their performing skills, but for advanced players. Last year’s preliminaries this new conductor competition at De Doelen in Rotterdam there were already six finalists from a bus of twenty-four participants. From May 26 to June 3, these six young conductors led several completely different orchestras (unique to this competition): Sinfonia Rotterdam, 18th Century Orchestra, Ensemble Doelen and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Joey Roukens will write a new piece for the latter.

There were no Dutch people among the finalists. A Belgian, Martijn Dendievel. The three finalists were from England, one from Colombia and one from Chile. All of them are between 31 and 25. To properly assess each type of repertoire, no less than 25 judges, including Ton Koopman, Ed Spanjaard and Lahav Shani. All rounds can be heard as a concert. Also join the afternoon practice (cheap).

Rahul Gandolahage

Live the song (and especially Schubert’s ‘Winterreise’)

Schubert is popular this winter. podcast maker Gijs Groenteman dedicates with baritone Thomas Oliemans a 25-part podcast (starting February 1) about Schubert’s song cycle, as a warm-up for his March 22 concert (Concertgebouw), where is Oliemans (unique!) guiding himself behind the wings. Bass Robert Holl (75 this year) also sings winter, at the LIVE THE SONG festival on March 19 in TivoliVredenburg, wto the song all day – by singing along-Erlköning as a highlight alongside conversations with, among others, the alto Jard van Nes and Spinvis. More songs? Tenor Ian Bostridge, author of the acclaimed book about Winterreise, will sing on June 22 Schubert’s recital with 22 songs, as an anthology of all his works.

Mischa game

Matthäus & Johannes 2022: passion in many versions

After two largely canceled seasons of passion, it is hoped for all singers and musicians and the public that this season will once again offer a complete season of passion, with dozens of shows (mainly) of Bach’s passion; that Matthew and Johannes-Passion. It can. Concertgebouw Orchestra voted this year for Johannes with conductor Trevor Pinnock. The next day singing and leading tenor Mark Padmore, himself a tried and tested passion singer, Enlightenment Orchestra and Choir also in Johannes. Prefer supreme intimate arousal? Then there is Matthew olv Sigiswald Kuyken, with only 8 singers. Artistic director/first violinist Shunske Sato also plays a wonderful double role in the series of performances of Bach’s St Matthew by Ned (100 years). Bach Society this year, with Sato as unfortunately from the first table. Full overview of all versions will be published later this year on zingmagazine.nl.

Mischa game