Ode to Theodor Herzl to premiere at Israeli Opera
Original work is one of eight productions being staged at the Tel Aviv opera house in 2022/2023
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
An original Israeli opera based on the life story of Theodor Herzl, along with six classical operas and a staged production of the Mozart Requiem, will make up the 2022/2023 season of the Israeli Opera.
“Theodor,” premiering in May 2023, composed by Yonatan Cnaan and librettist Ido Ricklin, is set in 1881 Vienna, when young Herzl was a student, and in 1895, when an older Herzl covers the trial of wrongfully accused Jewish captain Alfred Dreyfus.
The world premiere of “Theodor” will be conducted by Nimrod David Pfeffer, who recently debuted at the New York Metropolitan Opera.
The opera season will open in November 2022 with a new production of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” conducted by Dan Ettinger and directed and designed by Stefano Poda.
Ettinger will also conduct Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” in December 2023, with Polish director Mariusz Trelinski’s critically acclaimed production.
January 2023 brings a double bill of two short operas – Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Rachmaninoff’s “Aleko,” a double murder bill directed by Joan Anton Rechi and conducted by Alessandro de Marchi.
“Rinaldo,” the first opera Handel composed upon his arrival in England, will be presented in February 2023 for the first time by the Israeli Opera, with music by the Barrocade Orchestra. The plot takes place during the 11th century siege set by the Crusaders on the Muslim army.
Kasper Holten’s award-winning production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” will be performed in March and April 2023, conducted by Germany’s Karl-Heinz Steffans in his Israeli Opera debut.
And Italian director Daniele Abbado brings his critically acclaimed production of Verdi’s “Il trovatore” from the Vienna Staatsoper conducted by Giuliano Carella.
The season will conclude in July 2023 with a special staged production of Mozart’s “Requiem,” combining light and movement in the immortal masterpiece.
Leading Israeli Opera soloists will share the stage during the season with international opera vocalists, including the tenors Bernard Richter and Charles Workman, baritone Elchin Azizov, mezzo soprano Veronica Simeoni, sopranos Aurelia Florian and Anastasia Bartoli and counter tenor Nicholas Tamanga. They will be joined by some of the younger opera stars of the world, including tenor Long Long and baritone German Enrique Alcantara.
The Israeli Opera’s upcoming dance season offers seven new productions, beginning with “The Pygmalion Effect” danced to the music of Johann Strauss Jr. in September 2022.
October brings “Swan Lakes,” four dance works by four leading choreographers, Cayetano Soto, Marie Chouinard, Marco Goecke and Hofesh Schechter, combining the classic and the contemporary from Tchaikovsky to Bjork.
Chinese choreographer Yang Liping returns with “The Rite of Spring” to the music of Stravinsky together with traditional Tibetan music in December 2022.
In March 2023, the Hannover Ballet and choreographer Marco Goecke will present “The Lover,” based on the novel by Marguerite Duras and danced to the music of Debussy, Ravel, Chopin and other composers.
Choreographer Hofesh Schechter returns with his English company in April 2023 to present “Double Murder,” featuring two of his works set to his own musical compositions.
Corps des ballet Dortmund Ballet, with members from 18 countries, brings its version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in May 2023, with original music by Mikael Karlsoon.
The dance season concludes in July 2023 with Ballet Nacional de Espana and its celebration of Spanish dance and live music set to the works of choreographers Ruben Olmo, Antonio Najarro and Mario Mayo.
