Artistic Direction
2022

BIENNALE MUSICA 2022-OUT OF STAGE-Scuola Grande di San Rocco-ANNELIES VAN PARYS

Scuola Grande di San Rocco
MADRIGALE RAPPRESENTATIVO
ANNELIES VAN PARYS (1975)
NOTWEHR, 2022 (50’) ***
for two singers, vocal and instrumental
ensemble based upon Barca di Venetia
per Padova - Dilettevoli Madrigali à cinque
Voci by Adriano Banchieri, 1605-1623
Libretto by Gaea Schoeters
after Adriano Banchieri
Johanna Zimmer, soprano
Els Mondelaers, mezzo-soprano
VENETIAETERNA vocal ensemble
Silvia Porcellini, soprano
Elisabetta Cuman, mezzo-soprano
Miranda Ying Quan, contralto
Giacomo Schiavo, tenor
Francisco Augusto Bois, bass
Francesco Erle, conductor
HERMESensemble
Karin de Fleyt, flute
Stijn Saveniers, cello
Bram Fournier, trombone
Gaetan La Mela, percussion
Sjaron Minailo, mise en scène
Music Published / Licensed by: © Deuss
Music, The Hague www.deussmusic.com
Commission La Biennale di Venezia
Co-production La Biennale di Venezia,
Studio Minailo, HERMESensemble,
Muziektheater Transparan
With support of the Flemish Government

Dedicated to Maria Kalesnikava and all other brave women who lost their freedom fighting for a better world.
What is freedom? And what are you willing to sacrifice it for?



During an illegal protest action, a young activist is arrested. She is locked up for the night together with an older barmaid, who’s been accused of killing her husband. The two women unwillingly share the small prison cell: their forced togetherness starts out on a tense note, but as time passes they open up to each other. First reluctantly and uneasily, then more intimately, they share their fears and hopes.
Composer Annelies Van Parys’ music enters into dialogue with the Banchieri madrigals, as librettist Gaea Schoeters weaves the old texts into the new libretto and the vocal ensemble paints a picture of the events that led up to incarceration of both women. The two soloists share their thoughts and feelings not only with each other, but also with the audience, as they comment on their own situation — thus turning Notwehr into a performance that is both playful and touching, light and dark.



Note
Performance with surtitles: the public can download an app with the translation in English, German and Italian. At the entrance a QR code will be on display (also in the App Store: Lyri Live)
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