V6

Saturday, 25 February 2012

4.00 pm, Opera in the Anhaltische Theater Dessau

„The Protagonist / I Pagliacci“
Opera in one act by Kurt Weill / Text by Georg Kaiser
Opera in two acts and a prologue by Ruggero Leoncavallo

Music direction: Antony Hermus
Stage direction: André Bücker
Scenery: Oliver Proske
Dramaturgy: Sophie Walz
Choir rehearsal: Helmut Sonne

Soloists „Der Protagonist“: Angus Wood (The Protagonist), Iordanka Derilova (Sister), Wiard Witholt (The Young Lord), David Ameln (Custodian of the Duke)
Soloists „I Pagliacci“: Sergey Drobyshevskiy (Canio), Iordanka Derilova (Nedda), Ulf Paulsen (Tonio), Wiard Witholt (Silvio)

Choir of the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau
Anhaltische Philharmonic Orchestra Dessau


Admittedly, some audience members at the 2011 Festival first had to get to grips with Kurt Weill's music at the impressive operatic evening entitled „The Protagonist/I Pagliacci“ in order to discover the delights contained within this early work. „The Protagonist“, set in Shakespeare's England, is a play within a play, which reveals the ambiguity of life and poses the question: what in our lives is reality and what is mere pretence? Addiction and jealousy feed on one another, stoked by the desire for success and naked desperation – and we see the unhappy result when the fundamental rules of life are turned on their head with unseemly haste. Written in 1920 by leading playwright Georg Kaiser, „The Protagonist“ is a lively parable of an age undergoing radical transformation. It is astonishing to learn that Kurt Weill was only 25 years old when he composed this work, which already displays great maturity and independence, as well as a unique musical voice. Since 1921, when Arnold Schönberg proclaimed the holy grail of music to be the 12-tone series, many young had composers had followed his diktat. Weill chose to go his own way, and in so doing created a real masterpiece!
To attempt to praise the „Bajazzo“ to festival audiences is rather a waste of breath. „Laugh Bajazzo, laugh“ was a huge popular hit, whether sung in the Italian original or in German translation on countless compilation albums of the 1960s. This truly great operatic evening can now be enjoyed once again thanks to the collaboration between the Anhaltische Theater and the Kurt Weill Festival.

Sung in German and Italian, with German supertitles.

In cooperation with the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau



Ticket Prices in €

	Cat.1	conc.	Cat.2	conc.	Cat.3	conc.	Cat.4	conc.
V6	28,00	21,00	22,00	16,50	17,50	13,50	13,50	11,00