Saying yes to everything and making the impossible possible

Category Archive:News

• Saying yes to everything and making the impossible possible

  22 April 202512:46 Leave a Comment

  For set and lighting designer Bretta Gerecke and costume designer Marrit van der Burgt, creating theatre is like being on a treasure hunt – you never know where you’ll end up or what you’ll discover along the way. And there are many paths to reach that treasure. One essential condition: saying yes, in order to keep every option open. A conversation about Le Villi & Silenzio and the role their designs play in this opera.

  Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
  Marrit: ‘As soon as I read a libretto or script, images and colours appear in my mind. Then I dive into books, photographs, films, and reflect on the many journeys I’ve been on. For Le Villi, I thought of old Japanese villages, where men and women dress almost identically in natural fabrics like linen and cotton. That Japanese style of draping fabric around the body works really well in this concept. The dancers and singers actually shape the costumes: they create the silhouettes through movement – I just provide the material.’
  Bretta: ‘Because Le Villi is mainly set in the woods, my starting point was nature. I looked at trees, installation art, sculpture, and land art. Dreya’s background and wishes in choreography and aerial performance also guided us. Those stretchy, transparent materials – essential for movement on the ground and in the air – formed the foundation. That eventually led to this transforming forest.’

  Bretta, how do you translate the themes of Silenzio and Le Villi into a visual world?
  Bretta: ‘The stage is essentially a closed circuit of fabric, with trees at the centre. There are also fabrics that fly in and out of the stage, reshaping the set again and again. In Silenzio, we use those borders to represent Anna’s emotional world – sometimes she hides, sometimes she reveals herself. With just a few elements, we can distinguish between Silenzio and Le Villi, while also emphasizing their narrative connection.’

  Marrit, what is the core concept behind your costume designs?
  Marrit: ‘The Villi are dead and buried, but they live on through the trees; so their clothing is timeless yet decayed. The degree of decay reflects how long they’ve been among the Villi. At the same time, we want to show which family members (living or dead) are connected – we do that through different color accents in their clothes. There’s also a clear contrast between the Villi’s natural world and the dark, chaotic city where Roberto must claim his inheritance. For the city costumes – in contrast to the flowing fabrics of the natural world – I created strong silhouettes that complement the images Bretta creates in those scenes.’
  Bretta: ‘The city is definitely the opposite of nature, with almost geometric shapes. With the lowered panels and our use of light and color, we create a completely different world.’

  How does the collaboration with everyone involved unfold?
  Bretta: ‘Theatre-making is a living process, and each production is unique. Change one element – one singer or one dancer – and everything shifts. We’re one organism, creating something that can only exist in this moment. It’s a bit like being on a treasure hunt: you can take many routes, and you never know who brings what, what you’ll carry forward, or where you’ll end up.’
  Marrit: ‘I love that there’s space for improvisation. Just recently, we suddenly came up with the idea that someone needs to go up in the air – upside down – even though that could be tricky. But then Dreya said, ‘if something’s difficult, that’s exactly what makes it interesting to watch.’ I love that attitude: that’s how the most beautiful things come to life!’
  Bretta: ‘That’s what we call Yes and… No no, or yes, but.’
  Marrit: ‘No isn’t an option. If you want to make theatre, you can’t say no.’
  Bretta: ‘Exactly. You have to explore all possibilities. You have to go on that journey to discover where you’ll end up. There’s only one thing you know for certain: the curtain will go up. And no designer ever feels like it’s truly finished.’
  Marrit, laughing: ‘And yet it is finished on opening night. Simply because it has to be.’

  Interview: Kyra Bertram

• Anna unveiled

  12:23 Leave a Comment

  With Silenzio, composer Karmit Fadael offers the audience a glimpse into the inner world of Anna – the main character from Le Villi. Soprano Sílvia Sequeira gives her a voice. How does a new work like this come into being, how do you convey it to the audience, and to what extent is that a collaboration between composer and singer? After a long day of rehearsals, the two women sit down on the terrace and talk.

  Karmit, what inspired you most when composing Silenzio?
  Karmit: ‘The story of Le Villi was my starting point. I was curious how I could give the character of Anna more depth. In Le Villi, things just happen to her, I wanted to show the audience what I imagine is going on inside her head. I started with the text, together with Rick van Veldhuizen. Then I began improvising on the piano, the violin, and with my voice. That’s how I gradually developed the sounds that represent Anna’s inner world. They’re often thoughts turned into melodies: magical, dreamy, anxious – very emotional, in any case.’

  How would you describe your style in Silenzio?
  Karmit: ‘My style is – unlike Puccini’s Romantic one – more baroque-contemporary. In this work, I was especially guided by the idea of a character who has lost herself, so her emotional state isn’t calm, but fragmented and intense.’

  What is that like for you to sing, Sílvia?
  Sílvia: ‘Karmit’s music, with all its different colours and emotions, I sing with a narrower voice. My sound has to come from a single line, whereas with Puccini, I just open my mouth and body and let the sound resonate everywhere. In Silenzio, I use a vocal technique that’s more typical of the Baroque period, and in Le Villi, my lush Romantic voice takes over. I sing Silenzio more with the head, to convey Anna’s thoughts. I have less freedom in that, and I need to be more precise. Whereas Puccini’s music is pure emotion, straight from the heart: if I feel it, I can stretch lines or notes more freely.’
  
   

  Karmit, did you already have Sílvia in mind while writing Silenzio?
  Karmit: ‘Absolutely. I listened to countless recordings of Sílvia and spoke with her.’
  Sílvia: ‘It was wonderful that Karmit asked about my vocal range, what’s most comfortable for my voice, what my strengths are. It really feels like a collaboration.’
  Karmit: ‘I think it’s really important to explore together what works best.’
  Sílvia: ‘It was fantastic that Karmit immediately adjusted something when I said it wasn’t working so well for my voice. I’m really happy with this score. And it’s such a joy to be able to ask a living composer directly how they want something to sound. That makes it much easier to build and unravel Anna’s character.’
  Karmit: ‘As a composer, all you do is put notes on paper. Then it almost feels like the piece is being recomposed through the performer’s interpretation. I really love working together with the singer or instrumentalist(s), and writing it in a way that feels good for them. It’s always beautiful to see what they do with the work.’

  Does singing Silenzio influence how you interpret Le Villi?
  Sílvia: ‘Definitely. Because we perform Silenzio first, I have to approach Le Villi a bit differently than I would if we were just doing Le Villi on its own. I want to make sure the two pieces connect well and feel like a cohesive whole.’

  You’ve sung many of Puccini’s operas – what’s it like to perform his very first opera? Sílvia: ‘Puccini is one of my favourite composers! And Le Villi is beautiful. You just notice in small ways that he was still a bit inexperienced, especially in writing for singers. He experiments and learns, just like anyone at the beginning. And because of that, I finally get to see him as a human being, not just a genius. That doesn’t take away from the beauty of this piece – I absolutely love singing Puccini. And Silenzio too!’
  
   

  Interview: Kyra Bertram

• Hope, forgiveness and rebirth

  11:05 Leave a Comment

  From the very first moment that musical director Karel Deseure and director, choreographer and aerialist Dreya Weber meet, they find themselves in an intense conversation about Silenzio, Le Villi, and theatre as a whole. They are completely aligned when it comes to the heart of this opera: hope, the possibility of forgiveness, and rebirth, all captured in the theatrical, magical image of a living forest full of Villi.

  What is it like to conduct the brand-new work Silenzio of Karmit Fadael?
  Karel: ‘It’s incredibly exciting and a huge responsibility. I’m the first conductor to interpret it, the first to discover the music. I just hope I can make it sound the way Karmit imagined it in her mind.’

  What is the connection between Silenzio and Le Villi, Puccini’s first opera? Dreya: ‘Le Villi begins in the middle of the story, at Roberto and Anna’s engagement celebration. We already see that Anna’s mother is missing. So much has happened before we even begin. Silenzio gives us the chance to explore and understand Anna’s inner world.’
  Karel: ‘In Puccini’s work, there’s very little focus on Anna’s thoughts and questions. That we now begin Silenzio from that perspective is something I find truly fascinating. In Le Villi, the focus is more on Roberto – the one who caused the suffering – and his pain. Anna’s grief is hardly seen. Only at the end she sings of how deeply she suffered in silence, so much so that she died of sorrow. Musically, that’s portrayed so beautifully: Roberto and Anna sing in unison in a low register, where the voice sounds more fragile than in the higher. That vulnerability expresses such deep pain; both in the ‘betrayer’ and in the one who was betrayed. Gorgeous.’

  What does your direction look like, Dreya?
  Dreya: ‘In my direction, the Villi are spirits of people who died of a broken heart, their souls reborn as the trees of the forest. That cycle of life and death is a key theme in this piece. The forest of the Villi is both witness to the unfolding story and an active participant. It’s the wildness of the forest that makes it hard for Roberto in the end to breathe, he feels suffocated. But is it the Villi causing this, or is it his own guilt taking his breath away?’

  How do you incorporate aerial work into the opera?
  Dreya: ‘A theatre teacher once told me: ‘Sometimes characters must sing, because there’s no other way to express what they’re feeling.’’
  Karel (interrupts enthusiastically): ‘That’s exactly how I feel about opera! It’s like simply speaking the words isn’t enough, it has to be sung.’
  Dreya: ‘Exactly. And that’s how I feel about being in the air. Sometimes the drama transcends the earth. Some moments are too vast for the ground, then there’s only the sky.’

  What are your thoughts on Puccini’s music?
  Karel: ‘Puccini is a genius. People call Le Villi a youth work, but everything that characterizes his later music is already here! He had the incredible gift of writing deeply moving melodies, and no one captures human emotion like Puccini. In the aria sung by Guglielmo, Anna’s father, he writes straziante – that means that it must be played heartbreakingly. I’ve never seen that word in a score by any other composer. And it truly sounds that way: the cellos – representing Guglielmo’s inner turmoil – play over a sustained low note that stays fixed, like he is stuck in his grief.’
  Dreya: ‘The magnitude of emotion Puccini conveys… I get chills every time I hear his music. He knows exactly what humanity should sound like.’

  Karel: ‘I believe that’s the most important purpose of theatre: to give space to human emotion, to feel empathy for characters, even if you don’t agree with their actions, to still understand where they’re coming from.’
  Dreya: ‘That’s why it’s so important to me that this work offers hope. We all make mistakes – just like Roberto – but the chance to reinvent yourself, to be forgiven… it really does exist.’

  Interview: Kyra Bertram

• Opera of the year award for Bluebeard’s Castle

  17 January 202513:20 Comments Off on Opera of the year award for Bluebeard’s Castle

  Bo van der Meulen from Place de l’Opera presented the Opera of the Year 2024 award to Opera Zuid for Bluebeard’s Castle. Intendant Waut Koeken and Philzuid director Mette Laugs received the prize. 
  
  We celebrated this wonderful victory while enjoying champagne and cake. Many thanks! – ‘Köszönöm’ (Bluebeard from Bluebeard’s Castle)

• A multicoloured orchestra depicts an intimate relationship drama

  24 October 202412:35 Leave a Comment

  They’ve only just met, but as Bluebeard and Judith, they are diving straight into rehearsals for Bluebeard’s Castle. That’s why top soloists Deirdre Angenent and Thomas Oliemans take some time after rehearsing to have a chat and get to know each other on a more personal level. What do they think of Bartók’s music, how do they prepare, and who is that mysterious third character?

  Thomas: “Deirdre, you’ve sung Judith many times before and know her inside out by now. What still makes the role so interesting to perform?”

  Deirdre: “The music! It goes straight to your soul. And what’s fascinating is that since I first sang this role about eleven years ago, I keep gaining new insights. Everything I experience in life makes ‘my’ Judith slightly different in each phase. That keeps it really dynamic. The same goes for the technical side of singing. I can keep exploring new nuances because my voice is capable of them now. In that sense, it remains a constant discovery.”

  Deirdre: “It’s your role debut, Thomas. How have you prepared?”

  Thomas: “Very slowly and carefully! The Hungarian language alone is incredibly difficult, as I can’t relate a single word to any other language I know. Then there’s the character of Bluebeard, who is particularly complex. And, of course, there’s Bartók’s sound world, his musical language, which is completely unique. There’s no other piece quite like this.”
  Deirdre: “Yes, so many different tonal colours in the orchestration.”
  Thomas: “Exactly! There’s a ninety-five-piece orchestra behind us, but it doesn’t sound like one big mass; it’s full of layers, a vast array of colours.”
  Deirdre: “Maybe we could even see the orchestra as the third character in this story.”
  Thomas: “The musicians express the richness of the tension between the two of us… That’s what I love about this work; Bartók composed Bluebeard’s Castle in such a way that the tension is sustained throughout the whole hour. Once the musical engine starts, you’re swept along with it.”
  Deirdre: “This piece is so well crafted that you can’t help but be drawn into the emotional world of Judith and Bluebeard.”
  Thomas: “I often lose my sense of time and space. It’s a very hermetic, inescapable world.” Deirdre: [laughing] “Just like Bluebeard’s castle.”

  Thomas: “What are you most looking forward to during the rehearsals and performances of Bluebeard’s Castle?”

  Deirdre: “I always find the rehearsal process the most interesting part. Creating this production together and discovering the roles. And then, of course, it’s thrilling to bring it to an audience – what do they think of what we’ve made, and how does it affect them? And you?”
  Thomas: “I’m really curious to see how the audience engages with the intimacy of this story. I think that’s almost inevitable because of the genius of the piece and the fact that it speaks to you on multiple levels. The way you experience it depends on your stage in life and how you view things. It can be seen as the ultimate breakup story, but it’s also about loneliness and tenderness.”
  Deirdre: “There’s something relatable in it for everyone.”
  Thomas: “Absolutely. Bluebeard’s Castle is essentially a fairytale, so we can pretend it’s not about us. But everyone probably recognises how impossible (some) relationships can be. Of course, there are exaggerations – weapons and blood – but it’s really about two ordinary people.”
  Deirdre: “Yes, the whole idea of ‘why won’t you open up to me?’ is something I recognise – and I think many people do too. But the question is: how much do you want to know about each other…?”

  Interview: Kyra Bertram

• Profound humanity and theatrical drama go hand in hand in Bluebeard’s Castle

  12:18 Leave a Comment

  Director Kenza Koutchoukali and scenographer, costume, and lighting designer Yannick Verweij have been working together on Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle for months. Yet, they’re far from running out of things to say about the opera. They sit down to interview each other, discussing their inspirations, ambitions, and the humanity within the work.

  Yannick: “What’s the main challenge for you in directing Bluebeard’s Castle again?”

  Kenza: “I find it a challenge to depict the intimacy and humanity of the relationship between Bluebeard and Judith. I want the audience in the theatre to feel like they’re part of the situation, maybe even sitting too close to it.”
  Yannick: “That’s why we’ve placed the set – the homely living room – so far forward on the stage.” Kenza: “Exactly. At the same time, as a spectator, you can see the whole situation, unlike Judith and Bluebeard, who are right in the middle of it. We literally magnify certain aspects of the action so that we can use theatrical drama to show what’s happening between Bluebeard and Judith and how it feels.” Yannick: “We have a spiderweb-like structure that lets enlarged objects drop into the set, zooming in on what’s unfolding between Bluebeard and Judith. They become entangled in their patterns, in their relationship.”

  Kenza: “I think the set looks beautiful. How have you brought the characters to life through your scenography?”

  Yannick: “In our first discussions, we talked about the paintings of Edward Hopper. His work feels both abstract and incredibly concrete. You’re right up close to it, and yet it feels still and desolate in a way. I really wanted to capture that atmosphere visually in the set. I’ve consciously and unconsciously drawn inspiration from these paintings. I only realised much later that the colour palette I chose is also similar to Hopper’s. Bluebeard is dressed in elegant, cool tones – like navy – which blend well with the green of his castle, where he feels at home. Meanwhile, Judith, with her warm autumnal colours, will never fit into his world because she always stands out against the green backdrop.”

  Yannick: “What aspect of Bluebeard’s Castle do you find the most complex to portray?”

  Kenza: “I always find the grey areas in characters the most interesting, but they’re also open to interpretation. Of course, I bring my own ideas about Bluebeard and Judith to the table. But how do Thomas and Deirdre see it? They’re the ones who will be bringing the roles to life. I have strong views on Bluebeard’s inability to connect, which manifests as dominance, and as a woman, I naturally lean towards siding with Judith. But on the other hand, Judith also has her own shortcomings. She’s determined to break him open to make the relationship work. Is it right for her to do that, or is it selfish? For me, they’re both equally complex.”
  Yannick: “The interplay between the two characters is so fascinating and complex at the same time. Certain traits in both Bluebeard and Judith drive the power dynamics between them. They struggle, clash, and try to find each other; that human interplay makes the opera so thrilling.”

  Kenza: “The relationship between Bluebeard and Judith is indeed incredibly human. How do you view their relationship from your own experiences?”

  Yannick: “What touches me personally is that constant effort to find each other. I can relate to wanting to discover at what point you can connect with someone, wanting to figure out who you are with the other person, wanting to understand each other. And I understand the pain when that doesn’t work out. And you?”
  Kenza: “I recognise the patterns you can fall into together. It can feel comfortable, but you can also get stuck in a pattern that comes at the expense of both yourself and the other person. It’s precisely that humanity in intimate relationships that I hope will pull the audience in, partly through recognition and partly through the theatrical drama.”

  Interview: Kyra Bertram

• Unique music in a thrilling orchestration

  11:32 Leave a Comment

  Dark and mysterious, powerful and intriguing. This is how musical director Duncan Ward describes Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók. The work was high on the internationally renowned conductor’s wish list. He therefore speaks very enthusiastically about Bartók and what makes his music so unique, impressive and human at the same time.

  It was a long-held desire to conduct Bluebeard’s Castle. Why?

  ‘Ever since I was a teenager, I have loved Bartók’s music. Bluebeard’s Castle is one of the most exciting, intense, thrilling operas I have ever come across, and that in one hour. Bartók composes passionate, driving rhythms and impressionist harmonies that immediately evoke an image. Listen to the first three notes of the opera and you know: something is off here; it’s dark, unsettling, mysterious. How powerful is that, to evoke a whole world of feeling with just three notes?’

  How would you characterise Bartók’s music?

  ‘His music is firmly rooted in his studies of Hungarian folk music; the dance rhythms, dissonance-inflected melodies, and the text of the language itself affecting the flow of the music through the flexible, natural ‘speech-rhythms’. That’s probably why it sounds so human and honest. There is nothing artificial or academic about Bartók’s work, it is very direct. I think everyone – young and old, from all walks of life – will be caught by the emotional power of this music.’

  What is your biggest challenge in performing this opera?

  ‘Bluebeard’s Castle is incredibly cleverly composed. If we perform it well, it’s a fantastically emotional journey in which the listener gets sucked in. The really big challenge – especially with the orchestra on stage – is to keep the sound balanced. The colour palette is extraordinary; Bartók creates multi-layered sound worlds when opening each door, from soft to very loud. Moreover, he wrote out very specifically how fast something should be played. I therefore have to be very precise in the tempo changes, which – like the psychological relationship between Bluebeard and Judith – constantly shift subtly.’

  Are there any particular musical parts that you hope the audience listens to extra attentively?

  ‘Oh, so many! For example, the blood motif; a minor second [a semitone between two notes, the smallest interval in Western music]. We hear this dissonant sound every time Judith sees blood seeping. In addition, the whole work is uniquely – and also a little oddly – orchestrated. Like the torture chamber behind door one with shrill woodwinds and xylophone figures and violins playing fast tremolo ‘sul ponticello’ – near the bridge. That really is a kind of torture sound. Door three, which hides the treasure chamber, opens with a soft, beautiful D major chord by sustained trumpets and flutes and a swirling celesta. Not exactly instruments you would expect, but they are like glittering jewels. And then door five, behind which is Bluebeard’s kingdom. There the whole orchestra plays full (tutti!), extra trumpets and trombones even appearing especially for that moment. All equally impressive.’

  You mentioned earlier that the music is very human. Do you recognise things in this opera from your own relationships?

  ‘Definitely. I think we all have things we are not easily open about. And I also recognise that sometimes some relationships – not even necessarily love relationships – just don’t work because the energies, ideas or ambitions don’t match. That can be painful, of course, but in a way such an experience is also enriching and gives you insights into yourself (in relation to others). You grow as a person from it. The music constantly comments on this and flows with those moods. And sometimes, when Bluebeard and Judith no longer know how to talk to each other, the music does it for them.’

  Extraordinary how music can sometimes say more than words, isn’t it?

  ‘That’s why we make music! Because words can’t express everything. And that’s why I love it so much. Music can affect your feelings at a deeper layer. Certainly Bartók’s music can.’

  Interview: Kyra Bertram

• World Opera Day

  17 October 202416:14 Comments Off on World Opera Day

  Opera Zuid celebrates World Opera Day on October 25. Come and enjoy a performance by Buurt Opera Malpertuis at 3:00 PM in Studio Malpertuis, together with The Diamond Baritones – known for their performance in Holland’s Got Talent, with which they earned the ‘Golden Buzzer’!

  October 25th is also the Day of the Vlaai, Bakery Peter Lemmens treats us this day to a delicious piece of vlaai accompanied by beautiful singing by soprano Bibi Ortjens.

  Friday October 25th, 3:00 pm
  Studio Malpertuis, Malpertuisplein 60 Maastricht
  Free admission

• Blauwbaards Burcht x Scenes from a Marriage in Natlab

  8 October 202415:13 Leave a Comment

  Natlab Eindhoven

  On Sunday 3 November, Natlab – in collaboration with Opera Zuid – will screen Ingmar Bergman’s full six-part series Scenes from a Marriage. This iconic mini-series provided the perfect inspiration for Kenza Koutchoukali’s directorial concept in creating Blauwbaards Burcht (Bluebeard’s Castle). She sets the Hungarian libretto full of symbolism as a modern relationship drama in the style of Bergman.

  Prior to the screening of the series, there will be a short introduction about the upcoming Opera South production of Blauwbaards Burcht and how director Kenza Koutchoukali found the inspiration for her opera version in Bergman’s series.   Location: Natlab, Eindhoven Timetable 3 November 2024: 13:00 Start introduction 13:10 Start part I, II & III 15:40 Break + soup 16:30 Start part IV, V & VI 19:00 End

  > All info and tickets via natlab.nl

• Blauwbaards Burcht x Scenes from a Marriage in Lumière

  1 October 202412:53 Leave a Comment

  Lumière Maastricht

  On Sunday 20 October, Lumière will present Ingmar Bergman’s full six-part series Scenes from a Marriage in collaboration with Opera Zuid. This iconic mini-series provided the perfect inspiration for Kenza Koutchoukali’s directorial concept in creating Bluebeard’s Castle (Blauwbaards Burcht). She sets the Hungarian libretto full of symbolism as a modern relationship drama in the style of Bergman.

  Before the screening of the series, dramaturge Joep Hupperetz (Opera Zuid) will give a short introduction about the upcoming production of Bluebeard’s Castle and how director Kenza Koutchoukali found the inspiration for her opera version in Bergman’s series.

  Location: Lumière Film House, Maastricht Timetable: 13:00 Start introduction 13:10 Start part I, II & III 15:40 Break + soup 16:30 Start part IV, V & VI 19:00 End

  > All info and tickets: Lumière.nl