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‘A wonderful performance for young and old’, NRC wrote in 2021 after the premiere of A song for the moon. And the magazine Theaterkrant concluded that the performance ‘deserves to be kept in the repertoire‘. After two years, the heartwarming youth opera about the power of music returns.
The story The mole wants to do something for the moon. It is always alone in the sky and never even gets visitors. He decides to write a song for the moon. But that is more difficult than expected. It should rhyme, thinks the mole, and walk. Or actually not walking, but dancing. A song rhymes and dances. When he is done, the mole takes it to the grasshopper, who is the conductor of an orchestra. They rehearse until it is perfect and at night they give a beautiful concert. But why does the moon look so sad afterwards?
Wonderful world of Toon Tellegen A song for the moon is based on the children’s book of the same name by Toon Tellegen. Tellegen is internationally renowned for his many short animal stories. His work is loved by young and old because of the amusing, bizarre situations and philosophical depth. Several of his stories have been set to music, such as De genezing van de krekel in the Holland Festival production The Cricket Recovers (2011).
Mathilde Wantenaar The young composer Mathilde Wantenaar (1993) has earned her spurs in Dutch musical life. With A song for the moon she ventured for the first time on a larger opera, especially for a young audience. For Wantenaar, the story immediately struck a chord: ‘The story immediately appealed to my musical imagination. Important themes are discussed, such as loneliness, identity, disappointment and friendship. It is also a piece about the power of music and the possibility to connect with each other.
A young artistic team At the initiative of various opera houses, the European Network of Opera Academies (ENOA) develops master classes and workshops for young musicians, singers and theater makers. The idea for A song for the moon came from such a workshop.
Een lied voor de maan lasts about one hour, with no intermission, and is performed in Dutch.
Een lied voor de maan is a co-production with De Nationale Opera, de Munt/La Monnaie, Festival Aix-en-Provence, Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía and with the support of ENOA and Creative Europe Program of the European Union.
