BLANK OUT
Michel van der Aa (1970)
Chamber opera for soprano, baritone, chorus and 3D movie
Commissioned by Dutch National Opera (Amsterdam), Festival de Lucerne, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
With the support of Nederlands Kamerkoor, Ammodo, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst
The sky may very well have turned blue
Or painted itself red
I walk behind my pain
And it carries your name
With Blank Out, the Dutch composer, Michel van der Aa pushes back the frontiers of opera. Starting from the works of the South-African poetess Ingrid Jonker he invents an artistic language where music, theatre, 3D cinema and digital technology are mixed together. During the course of a dialogue which reunites a mother and her son over time, the distinction between reality and virtuality, between past and present progressively lose their sense. Certain memories come back to the surface revealing a long suppressed truth. Presented for the first time in France, Blank Out is an immersive experience which redefines the notion of "total art" in the XXI century.
- The New York Times
Not every composer is so versatile technologically, of course, and it remains to be seen how effective a model “Blank Out” will be for the future of opera. Mr. van der Aa, at least, can undoubtedly be counted on to continue to point up the possibilities. - The Guardian
The Woman, who is almost constantly on stage, makes or breaks this opera, and Miah Persson gave a riveting, superbly sung performance. Blind panic, rationalisation, tenderness, disassociation – she cast and recast the molten metal of her voice into the ever-changing feelings of the mother. - National Sawdust
[Michel van der Aa’s] music – a mélange of stark melodies and bruised harmonies; spare polyphony among Persson (and Perssons), Williams, and the recorded Netherlands Chamber Choir; and atmospheric electronica – complements his beautifully elliptical text, conveying mood potently. - Bachtrack
Williams sings with his usual intelligence and compelling sincerity on the film, while the live performance is an astonishing tour de force for Persson, meticulous in its detail, and perfectly controlled. Though enigmatic and at times mystifying, the whole piece becomes a wonderfully fluent and effective piece of music theatre.
Prices: 35€, 25€, 10€
Young person's tariff: 9€
Family Opera tariffs
Performance available with ticket packages 100% opera or 100% creation
1 hour and 10 minutes without interval
Sung in English with French subtitles
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