Celebrating Martinů

Opera cycle for the 50th anniversary of death

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Bohuslav Martinů the opera houses and theatres of the cities of Zurich, Lucerne, Geneva, Biel/Solothurn, Berne, as well as MARTINŮ FESTTAGE in Basel have teamed up to celebrate the composer. Five operas and two ballets were selected for this occasion from his multifaceted stageworks comprising 15 operas and several ballets.

After a press conference on November 7, 2008 at the Zurich Opera house. From left to right: Dominique Mentha (Director Lucerne Theater), Beat Wyrsch (Director Theater Biel/Solothurn), Tobias Richter (designated director Grand Théâtre de Genève), Alexander Perreira (Director Zurich Opera), Robert Kolinsky (Artistic Director MARTINŮ FESTTAGE) and Marc Adam (Director Stadttheater Berne).

performances 2011/2012:

Stadttheater Bern

flight of gravity

Choreography by Cathy Marston (first performance)

Premiere 29 April 2011

Further performances.

Bern:Ballett. Choreography: Cathy Marston. Scene: Jann Messerli. Costume: Catherine Voeffray.
Music: CAMERATA BERN – Alexander Janiczek (violin, conductor) – Robert Kolinsky (piano).

Grand Théâtre de Genève

JULIETTE


Lyric opera in three acts. After same-titled play by Georges Neveux

Premiere 24 February 2012

OPERas 2008/2009:

Opernhaus Zürich

THE GREEK PASSION 


Opera in four acts. Based on the novel "Christ Recrucified" by Nikos Kazantzakis

The premiere took place on 9 November 2008
 .

Conductor: Eivind Gullberg Jensen.
 Directed by: Nicolas Brieger. 
Scene: Hans-Dieter Schaal. Costumes: Jorge Jara
. Actors: Emily Magee (the widow Katerina), Martina Janková (Lenio), Roberto Saccà (Manolios), Alfred Muff (Priester Grigoris), Pavel Daniluk.

Theater Biel/Solothurn

ALEXANDRE BIS 


Opera buffa in one act. Libretto Andre Wurmser

The premieres took place on 23 October 2009 in Biel and on 31 October 2009 in Solothurn.

Conductor: Harald Siegel
. Director: Zoltan Balasz. 
Starring: Rosa Elvira Sierra, Violetta Radomirska, Valerie Tsarev, Michele Govi, Konstantin Nazlamov
 etc. Sinfonie Orchester Biel.

(In co-oooperation with Opera Competition and Festival with Mezzo Television Szeged/Ungarn)

Martinů Festtage Basel

the marriage – a rather unbelievable story

Television opera, comic opera in two acts. After the comedy by Nikolai Gogol

MARTINŮ FESTTAGE showed this parodistic tv opera as European premiere in cinema.

3 November 2009.

Luzerner Theater

ARIANE

Lyric opera in one act. After the play «Le Voyage de Thésée» by Georges Neveux

Premiere on 10 December 2009. Musical direction: Rick Stengårds
. Director: Christine Cyris
. Costumes: Silvana Arnold. Dramaturgy: Christian Kipper
. Starring: Madelaine Wibom (Ariadne), Tobais Hächler (Theseus), Boris Petronje (Minotaurus)

.