Date / Place I
10 September 2021 Don Bosco, BaselDate / Place II
12 September 2021 Don Bosco, BaselSeries
music theatreTitle
“POPPAEA”Program
Michael Hersch (*1971) “POPPAEA” an opera in one act based on a libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann (2019, WP, commission by Wien Modern and ZeitRäume Basel) – 101’Musicians
- Jürg Henneberger
- conductor
- Markus Bothe
- stage direction
- Christian Rombach
- music assistance
- Kelly Lovelady
- music assistance
- Ada Günther
- Regieassistenz
- Heinrich Toews, Ioannis Piertzovanis
- stage
- Eva Butzkies
- costumes
- Marius Kob
- figurine construction
- Ah Young Hong: Poppaea
- soprano
- Steve Davislim: Nero
- tenor
- Silke Gäng: Octavia
- mezzo-soprano
- Svea Schildknecht: Handmaiden 1
- soprano
- Vera Hiltbrunner: Handmaiden 2
- soprano
- Francisca Näf: Handmaiden 3
- mezzo-soprano
- Ensemble SoloVoices:
- choir
- Svea Schildknecht
- soprano
- Vera Hiltbrunner
- soprano
- Anja Bittner
- soprano
- Tabea Bürki
- soprano
- Diana Chavarro
- soprano
- Stephanie Hoffmann
- soprano
- Francisca Näf
- mezzo-soprano
- Petra Ehrismann
- mezzo-soprano
- Marta Mieze
- mezzo-soprano
- Ensemble Phoenix Basel:
- oboe
- Christoph Bösch
- flute
- Antje Thierbach
- oboe
- Toshiko Sakakibara
- clarinet
- Benjamin Pallagi
- bass clarinet
- Raphael Camenisch
- alto saxophone
- Amit Dubester
- alto saxophone
- Povilas Bingelis
- bassoon
- Lucas Rößner
- contraforte
- Aurélien Tschopp
- horn
- Simon Blatter
- trumpet
- Antonio Jiménez-Marín
- trombone
- Daniel Stalder
- percussion
- Denis Linnik (10. 9.)
- piano
- Asia Ahmetjanova (12. 9.)
- piano
- Friedemann Treiber
- violin
- Daniel Hauptmann
- violin
- Dominik Klauser
- viola
- Benedikt Böhlen
- cello
- Aleksander Gabryś
- double bass
Program description
With breathtaking emotional power, Michael Hersch and Stephanie Fleischmann retell the story of Emperor Nero and his wife Poppaea: the most powerful woman in the world 2000 years ago, a ruthless fight for one’s own goals, the burning of Rome and the end of a world. This opera premiere directed by Markus Bothe ventures on a red-hot journey to the dark side of Monteverdi’s “L’incoronazione di Poppea”. The Basel-based company “Piertzovanis Töws Architekten” turns the stage design into a statement for consciously dealing with the consequences of one’s own actions.
“POPPAEA is an opera about a woman whose desire is limitless; a woman who must endure many things and make her way through a world in which women are systematically silenced. The violence that prevails in this world is extreme. It begs the question: How far have we come? How little have we progressed?”
Michael Hersch / Stephanie Fleischmann