“The Blind“: Lera Auerbach's Choral Opera Premiere in Berlin
Lera Auerbach's new choral opera "The Blind" will receive its world premiere on 13 October 2011 at the Berlin Konzerthaus as a production of the Berlin Chamber Opera. This work focuses completely on the human voice (scoring: 12 a capella singers). The Vocal Consort Berlin will be singing and acting under the musical direction of Philip Mayers with Cornelia Heger directing.
The evening will open with Sven-David Sandström's adaptation of the choral work "Hear My Prayer, o Lord," by Henry Purcell followed by a text collage from " Das Leben der Bienen" and "Das Leben der Termiten" of Maurice Maeterlinck.
Concerning the content of "The Blind:"
At a lonely clearing in a wood, a group of blind people await the return of a priest who led them there in order to enable them to enjoy the last rays of the sun before the beginning of winter. Only the sound of the nearby sea can be heard. The longer they wait, the more restless the blind people become; in their desperation they realise that they are helpless and cannot move from their place. Their fear escalates to naked terror when they discover the corpse of the priest. The blind people form a circle round the dead man and begin to pray for forgiveness and salvation. Steps become perceptible during the prayer. The presence of something mysterious makes the blind people panic; they pray ever more fervently. In his mother’s arms, the small child, the only person in the group who can see, breaks out sobbing. What does the child see? Is it rescue, the rescue so ardently hoped for, or is it death?
Lera Auerbach on his chorus opera:
“I love Maeterlinck. When I read ‘The Blind’ I thought to myself - this story is a perfect opera. Or anti-opera. And it needs to be done a-cappella. Since some of the characters are continuously praying or chanting - this provides a perfect structure for a chamber-music approach to balancing of the voices where some of the voices provide a constant harmonic base, while the others play more prominent voices.”
13 October 2011
Berlin
Konzerthaus, Werner-Otto-Saal, 8 PM
World premiere: Lera Auerbach
“The Blind“. A cappella opera for 12 singers
Kammeroper Berlin
Vocalconsort Berlin
Musical direction: Philip Mayers
Stage direction: Cornelia Heger
Stage design: Frank Michael Zeidler
Costumes: Manuela Mildt
Choreography: Angelina Jankova
Follow-up performances: 19 and 20 October 2011
