Date / Place I
10 September 2021 Don Bosco, BaselDate / Place II
12 September 2021 Don Bosco, BaselSeries
music theatreTitle
POPPAEAProgram
Michael Hersch (*1971) “POPPAEA” opera in one act on a libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann (2020/2021, WP) – 110’Musicians
- Jürg Henneberger
- conductor
- Markus Bothe
- stage direction
- Heinrich Toews, Ioannis Piertzovanis
- stage
- Eva Butzkies
- costumes
- Marius Kob
- figurine construction
- Ah Young Hong
- soprano
- Steve Davislim
- tenor
- Silke Gäng
- mezzo soprano
- 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)