Dutch National Opera Presents DIE ERSTEN MENSCHEN

This June, Dutch National Opera will present a new production of Die ersten Menschen by Rudi Stephan. The German composer (1887-1915) was only 28 years old when he died at the front in the First World War. He had just completed Die ersten Menschen at the time. The opera was given its posthumous world premiere in 1924 and has only been staged sporadically over the past century (the last time was in 1988). It can now be seen in the Netherlands for the first time. With his staging of Die ersten Menschen, Spanish theatre and opera director Calixto Bieito makes his debut at Dutch National Opera. François-Xavier Roth will conduct the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Dutch National Opera will perform Die ersten Menschen as part of the Holland Festival. This production will replace La damnation de Faust, a project that proved too large-scale under the current government restrictions.

Die ersten Menschen is set in a vast primeval landscape, where the first family on earth cannot avoid confrontation. The first two people on earth were in love. The third human killed the fourth. Based on a play of his own, the German author Otto Borngräber gave the libretto the subtitle 'Erotisches Mysterium'. In his intensely symbolic interpretation of the Bible story, he was clearly inspired by Freud's psychoanalysis, which was at its height in this time. Borngräber shows how the primitive family - Adahm and Chawa and their sons Kajin and Chabel - are torn apart by the tension between sexual urges and greed for life on the one hand, and a life devoted to the spiritual on the other.

The role of Adahm is performed by American bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen, Chawa by German soprano Annette Dasch, Kajin by British baritone Leigh Melrose, and Chabel by American tenor John Osborn. The stage design is by Rebecca Ringst, the costumes by Ingo Krügler and the lighting design is by Michael Bauer.

The Dutch premiere of Die ersten Menschen will take place on 3 June. If the measures in place at that time allow for a live audience, there will be further performances. In any case, the opening night will be streamed live via: operaballet.nl/dieerstenmenschen

FURTHER PROGRAMMING SPRING 2021
* Opera Forward Festival (18-21 March) - please visit nl for the full programme

* Film debut of Christof Loy - Instead of Lehár's Die lustige Witwe, a film set in Amsterdam will be recorded with a musical repertoire of operettas, musicals and French chansons. The musicians include those who were engaged for the Lehár: baritone Henk Poort, mezzo-soprano Theresa Kronthaler, baritone Thomas Oliemans and soprano Annette Dasch. The recordings will take place at the end of March to beginning of April. Release autumn 2021.

* Goud! - This children's opera by Leonard Evers for ages 4 and over will be streamed on 16 April during the Kindermuziekweek (Children's Music Week) that runs from 9-18 April. If restrictions at that time allow the live performances of Goud! will take place in NO&B in May.

* Farewell concert by Ching-Lien Wu - On 22 April, DNO will bid farewell to chorus master Ching-Lien Wu in connection with her departure for Paris. In a joint stream with the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wu will conduct DNO's chorus in Johannes Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem.

* Concert Donizetti's Tudor Trilogy - The performances of Anna Bolena scheduled for May have been postponed until next season due to the pandemic. Instead, there will be a concert on 6 May, put together by director Jetske Mijnssen and conductor Enrique Mazzola featuring highlights from Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda and Roberto Devereux. Soprano Marina Rebeka, mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, tenor Ismael Jordi, bass Roberto Tagliavini will perform with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Enrique Mazzola. We hope with a live audience, but in any case it will be streamed.

* Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore - a tour has been planned in co-production with Opera Zuid and De Nederlandse Reisopera, with a cast that mainly consists of members of the Dutch National Opera Studio. Julietta Aleksanyan, José Romero, Martin Mkhize, Sam Carl and Bibi Ortjens will sing, directed by Marcos Darbyshire. The philharmonie zuidnederland will be conducted by Enrico Delamboye. Premiere on 23 May in Eindhoven.

* Upload - The film - The film version of Michel van der Aa's opera (commissioned by DNO's Opera Forward Festival) can be seen from the end of May.

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