NODO 2020
New Opera Days Ostrava / Dny nové opery Ostrava
28. – 30. August 2020
NODO Festival postponed until the end of August. Contemporary opera in Ostrava again!
Despite the circumstances, the organizers of NODO festival – National Moravian-Silesian Theatre and Ostrava Center for New Music – managed to carry on with preparations for the 5th biennial of this unique contemporary opera festival. The program will present five operas in three days. NODO / New Opera Days Ostrava will take place from August 28 – 30, 2020!
The first NODO festival was launched 8 years ago with the performance of Europera by John Cage and since then, more than 20 productions were presented in Ostrava in Czech or world premieres. NODO still thrives on this exclusive uniqueness today. But also on the strong will, energy, ideas, professional effort of all people involved and their as well as the audience’s desire. Desire for contemporary opera, opera, which unveils the strong themes of our hardships as well as joys by means of original music language. Little did we know about what was coming and what would change the whole world for a few months. We feel that even – or especially – in times like these, it is essential to let music (and art in general) speak and not allow it to disappear from our lives.
The first NODO festival was launched 8 years ago with the performance of Europera by John Cage and since then, more than 20 productions were presented in Ostrava in Czech or world premieres. NODO still thrives on this exclusive uniqueness today. But also on the strong will, energy, ideas, professional effort of all people involved and their as well as the audience’s desire. Desire for contemporary opera, opera, which unveils the strong themes of our hardships as well as joys by means of original music language. Little did we know about what was coming and what would change the whole world for a few months. We feel that even – or especially – in times like these, it is essential to let music (and art in general) speak and not allow it to disappear from our lives.
Since the very beginning of the pandemic, we are in touch with the co-organizer of the NODO festival, National Moravian-Silesian Theatre. Together we decided to postpone the festival in order to make sure that it will be possible to organize such event. Some of the performances had to be cancelled with hope that in the next two years, we will be able again to invite artists from Japan and USA to come to the Czech Republic. However, we managed to add one opera that wasn't at the program before: a Czech premiere of Man in the Space Suit by a Slovak composer Miro Tóth. We sincerely hope that borders with our "neighbours" will be open in August.
The new festival program will present five unique productions: Marek Keprt's opera and a music-theatre piece by Michal Rataj & Katharina Schmitt will receive their world premieres. For the first time in the Czech Republic, a vocal opera by Ana Sokolović and a monodrama by Richard Ayres will take place, not to mention a multi-genre opera by Miro Tóth.
►PROGRAMME
Friday 28. August 2020
18.30, Antonín Dvořák Theatre Marek Keprt (1974)
HIBIKI, HIBIKI, vzhmoť! Gustative-olfactory chamber (non)opera, 2019–20 Music and Libretto: Marek Keprt Conductor: Petr Kotík Director: Petr Odo Macháček Cast: Damian Ensemble Ostravská banda World premiere, 45’ In Czech with Czech and English subtitles |
Friday 28. August 2020
20.30, Antonín Dvořák Theatre Ana Sokolović (1968)
Wedding One-act opera for 6 female voices, 2011 Music: Ana Sokolović Libretto: Ana Sokolović (based on Serbian folk poetry) Conductor: Jurij Galatenko Director: Jiří Nekvasil Stage Design: David Bazika Costumes: Marta Roszkopfová Cast: Markéta Schaffartzik, soprano (Milica) Patrícila Smol’aková, soprano (Danica) Eva Marie Kořená, soprano (Lena) Ivana Ambrúsová, soprano / mezzosoprano (Zora) Lucie Hubená, mezzosoprano (Nada) Tetiana Hryha, mezzosoprano (Ljubica) Czech premiere, 55’ In Serbian with Czech and English subtitles |
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Saturday 29. August 2020
18.30, Brick House (Hlubina Coal Mine)
Michal Rataj (1975) & Katharina Schmitt (1979)
Aphasia Studies Music theatre, 2019–20 Music: Michal Rataj Librettist and director: Katharina Schmitt Dramaturgy: Viktorie Knotková Stage Design: Pavel Svoboda Light Design: Zuzana Režná Costumes: Patricia Talacko Sound: Matěj Šenkyřík Cast: Katalin Károlyi, mezzosoprano Ivana Uhlířová, actress Andrej Gál, violoncello Tiburtina Ensemble
World premiere, 45’ |
Saturday 29. August 2020
20.30, Compress Hall (Hlubina Coal Mine)
Miro Tóth (1981)
Man in the Space Suit Multi-genre opera, 2019 Music: Miro Tóth Libretto: Miro Tóth Director: Jan Komárek Stage & Costume Design: Lenka Kuchareková Light design: Jan Komárek Sound & Electronics: Miro Tóth Video: Miro Tóth, Viera Čakányová Cast: Andrea Miltner, Woman on the Moon Pasi Mäkelä, Man in the Space Suit Czech premiere, 60’ In Slovak language |
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Sunday 30. August 2020
18.30, Jiří Myron Theatre
Richard Ayres (1965)
No. 50 (The Garden) Composition for bass voice, ensemble and soundtrack, 2017–2018 Music: Richard Ayres Libretto: Richard Ayres (incorporating words by Dante, Leopardi, Shakespeare, Poe, Rossetti and others) Conductor: Bruno Ferrandis Director: Jiří Nekvasil Stage Design: David Bazika
Cast: Joshua Bloom, bass Ostravská banda Czech premiere, 60’ In English with Czech subtitles |
Program subject to change.
The NODO festival is organized by Ostrava Center for New Music and National Moravian-Silesian Theatre. Presale launches on June 15.
www.newmusicostrava.cz |