Johann Christian Bach - Amadis des Gaules

Premiere: 17 October 2009
More performances:
3 January 2012
15 January 2012
Conductor: Joseph Trafton
Directed by: Nicolas Brieger
Stage design: Roland Aeschlimann
Costume design: Andrea Schmidt-Futterer
Costume design assistant: Anne Dehof
Lighting Designer and Dramaturgy: Klaus-Peter Kehr / Regine Elzenheimer
Choir: Tilman Michael

Cast
Amadis: Maximilian Schmitt
Oriane: Cornelia Ptassek
Arcabonne: Marie-Belle Sandis
Arcalaus: Thomas Berau
Urgande: Anne-Theresa Møller / Katrin Wagner
1. Coryphée: Antje Bitterlich
2. Coryphée: Anne-Theresa Møller / Katrin Wagner
L’Ombre d\'Ardan Canil
La Discorde: Pei-Ying Lee / Sibylle Booz
La Haine: Jun-Ho Lee / Junchul Ye

The diabolical Arcalaus has dedicated his life to hate: Driven by revenge, he leads a fight against love and the "weakness" of feelings. His sister, Arcabonne, gets dramatically involved in this demonic war against Amor and ultimately perishes because she is in love with his brother’s murderer, Amadis.

Johann Christian Bach's opera is based on a text by Alphonse Marie Denis de Vismes, relying on a libretto by Philippe Quinault for Lully's opera Amadis. The material is taken from the chivalric romance, which was immensely popular in the court of France. The focus of the opera is not on that of the bravery of the hero, but rather underlines the conflict between Anti-Enlightenment occult forces and utopian ideas of love and freedom. However, love and freedom can only be implemented by a good god.

In 1778/1779 when Johann Christian Bach wrote the composition for the Paris Opera, he was already in his last years of a cosmopolitan life. The youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach had moved to London after his breakthrough as an opera composer in Italy. One of Johann Christian's clients was the electoral court of Mannheim (Temistocle in 1772 and Lucio Silla in 1774). As Mozart admired Bach, one cannot only notice a remarkable influence of Bach’s style in works of Mozart, but also a smooth correlation between Amadis des Gaules and Die Zauberflöte. Thanks to Bach's last and only French composition, we are proud to present the seldom performed and re-discovered works by the Mannheim School at our theatre.

The National Theatre of Mannheim
The National Theatre of Mannheim constantly strives to offer a vivid and inspiring opera experience through presenting innovative and contemporary interpretations of musical theatre.
As humans change, in turn our questions change. The opera is an essential medium through which we are able to question and find great significance.
We are pleased to open this season with Les Contes d’Hoffmann, directed by Christoph Nel who will also put Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen on stage. Due to Offenbach’s death which occurred prior to the completion of his work, much is open to interpretation.
Il barbiere di siviglia, directed by Monique Wagemakers, will be another encounter with the composer Rossini after La scala di seta: Real comedy is generated through the character’s trivial problems.
The director of the theatre, Regula Gerber, will direct Eugen Onegin, which was first performed by young students in St. Petersberg. It is here in Mannheim that we can expect extraordinary young singers on stage.
Another highlight of this season will be general director, Dan Ettinger’s, direction of Wagner’s Lohengrin, which presents the revitalization of the Wagner-repertoire in Mannheim.
In the previous season a sequence of world premieres was initiated with Montezuma – Fallender Adler, by Bernhard Lang. Notable composers such as Salvatore Sciarrino with his Superflumina will also be part of the sequence.
Last, but not least, is the intriguing performance of a new Zauberflöte directed by Joachim Schlömer.
Our theatre is proud to offer a wide range of both new interpretations and classical performances to our guests in the new season.
We invite you to experience this supreme variety within our theatre. Indulge your curiosity!

http://www.nationaltheater-mannheim.de

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