Christoph Pohl debütiert am Royal Opera House in Covent Garden

DRESDEN/DEUTSCHLAND: Christoph Pohl, seit 2005 Bariton im Ensemble der Semperoper Dresden, gibt am Freitag, 13. November sein Debüt am Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. In der Uraufführung der Oper »Morgen und Abend« von Georg Friedrich Haas nach dem gleichnamigen Roman und mit einem Libretto des norwegischen Autors Jon Fosse interpretiert Christoph Pohl die Hauptpartie des Fischers Johannes, die eigens für ihn komponiert wurde.

Christopher Pohl, makes his opera debut at Covent Garden in the world premiere of the new HAAS/FOSSE opera Morgen und Abend. (Morning and Evening).

Bis zum 28. November wird das neue Werk in der Inszenierung von Graham Vick und unter der musikalischen Leitung von Michael Boder am Royal Opera House zu sehen sein. In weiteren Rollen wirken der Schauspieler Klaus Maria Brandauer sowie Sarah Wegener, Will Hartmann und Helena Rasker mit.

Christoph Pohl ist an der Semperoper in Dresden wieder ab Dezember als Marcello in »La bohème« zu erleben sowie unter anderem als Silvio in »Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci«, als Rodrigo in »Don Carlo« und Eugen Onegin in Tschaikowskys gleichnamiger Oper, die am 30. Juni 2016 Premiere feiert
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Georg Friedrich Haas Foto Substantia Jones, New York

Upon asked to describe his music Georg Friedrich Haas reply:

 ‘It’s hard for anybody to describe themselves… I would say, just imagine a film and you hear the soundtrack of the film but you don’t see it, you just follow the emotions of this soundtrack. Don’t expect melodies, don’t expect harmonies – just expect soundscapes’.

Haas spoke about how opera at its greatest is a constructive collaboration between several different artists to create a coherent effect across many different media. ‘A wonderful example of this is found in film. If you watch The Shining, the music of Penderecki and Ligeti is not illustrating, it’s not doubling, but all the forces come together to achieve the same effect’.

Morgen und Abend runs 13–28 November 2015.

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Jon Fosse Foto Tom A Kolstad

 Jon Fosses text used also for the opera Vinter, music by Gintaras Sodeika in Vilnius, premiered in 2007.

by Henning Høholt

In 2003 the Lithuanian regisseur Oskaras Koršunovas produced “Vinter” by Jon Fosse in Oslo National Theatret, and after three years created a chamber opera by Gintaras Sodeika “Vinter” (OKT-Vilnius City Theatre).  “Vinter” was transformed to the Saint Catherine Church in Vilnius in 2007.

The drama of Fosse assumed the form of a chamber opera.  Korsunovas way of staging it was to let two opera singers Sandra Janušaitė and Vytautas Juozapaitis, sing in front of the orchestra on stage, and at the same time letting two acteurs show the textual idea using all possibilityes in the church room, for exempel, by letting snow (white silc material) come out of the pulpit,  The Lithuanian interpretation was encouraged by the social situation of the contemporary Lithuania, as well as by the actors and the audience. Interesting in this way was that the theatre piece Winter, was earlier being presented at the Drama Theatre in Vilnius by a guesting from The Norwegian National Theatre in Oslo.

It is interesting that composers of international format, as Sodeika and Haas is finding the dramatic works by Jon Fosse useful and inspiring also for operas, and in this case with contemporary basic.

Please enjoy our review from 2007 (in Lithuanian language) at: http://www.okt.lt/recenzijos/gintaro-sodeikos-vinter/       with translation to english:

The famous Norwegian writer John Fosse wrote his first opera, created from one of his theatrical play “Winter” music – by Gintaras Sodeika.

Review by Henning Høholt (2007)

From GINTARO SODEIKOS/JON FOSSEs opera “VINTER” . Rytis Saladcius at St. Catherine Church in Vilnius in 2007. Foto M.Macevicius, Drama Theatre, Vilnius.

VILNIUS/LITHUANIA: Sometime Jon Fosse has said that “Winter” – “I am writing as a song”. The Lithuanian composer Gintaras Sodeika has been inspired of the theater play “Winter” and through that inspiration and the Jon Fosse text, he has created an opera, which gives hope that it will get acquainted with many of the world’s opera houses.

That version, which was shown in Lithuania, St. Catherine’s Church in Vilnius, is a chamber opera in a small orchestra – five strings, brass group, as well as bass clarinet, harp and marimba. I marimba sounded like instrumental group, as this opera as it provides sustained sound, which is very suitable church space acoustics
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Gintaras Sodeika composition, set around a good impressionist shape with beautiful partial recitatives, which bloom bel canto, that exploits the excellent acoustics and the return of the long recitative parties.

The Chamber opera consists of two main parts, which combines elegant orchestral interlude, but as I heard them consists of five different episodes. They are a solid style and closely related to one another, in order to convey specific moods Jon Fosse text. The text is translated into the Lithuanian language Bridget Urmanaite. …
Like many contemporary composers Gintaras Sodeika is obviously inspired by the old impressionist mood, but it composes his own glory in the form, which, for me personally, sounded great. Observing the spectacle of have the same feeling as when listening to Stravinsky, Britten or Debbusy, the good composers who wrote a good, inspiring music, and provides a real pleasure.

Performance director Oscar Koršunovas spectacle is created by the typical style – both demanding and talented actors and the audience, who were required to deftly rotate their heads in all directions in order to keep up with the ongoing action
. …

Gintaras Sodeika and Oskaras Korsunovas in 2007, after the premiere of VINTER, text by Jon Fosse,, foto Henning Høholt

The performance is the location of operations selected St. Catherine’s Church – an old-style basilica, which was closed for many years. Inside the church to carry out renovation work has turned it into the cultural space where concerts and performances. The main church interior parts, such as., Altars, ruined, but remained in the old bishops, priests, clerical and sculptures of angels. All the sculptures are white and they are becoming important construction elements. Two actor-mimes, top class performers Vesta Grabštaitė and Rytis Saladžius, is also white, so they look like two animated statue.

Lighting designer Eugene Sabaliauskas working incredibly thorough
. When they would call music vocal effects, he cast in all the interior details. Lights dominated the play and musical interludes that not to sound vocal. This action area is provided especially exciting atmosphere.