I just heard that my favourite author David Mitchell is writing the libretto for a memorial opera to be premiered in Enschede on May 13th 2010.
On that day it will be 10 years ago (already!) that a fireworks storage facility exploded in the middle of a residential area. The disaster has (of course) been burnt into our collective memory, known as the vuurwerkramp. You can ask anybody where (s)he was when it happened and they’ll tell you. The JFKennedy effect.
The opera, called Wake, is composed by Klaas de Vries and will be performed by — this is getting even better! — the Nationale Reisopera, led by conductor Reinbert de Leeuw! I’ve been to two fabulous performances of this company: The Turn of the Screw (a story by Henry James) and The Mikado (by Gilbert & Sullivan).
It’s terrible to feel so positively thrilled about something that’s supposed to remember a tragic event. But I can’t help myself! If there’s only one thing I can get or even do next year — THIS IS IT.
Maybe it’s a small consolation that something as special and exciting like this is being done in memory of what happened. Although I should add that the story line is quite universal: the lives of 18 ordinary people in an apartment building (in an unidentified city), change dramatically after a disastrous event.
Sounds like a David Mitchell book alright ;) Especially when you know it will be presented in a mix of opera, mystery play, moving images and literary fiction. Yay! Can I go now, please? A year is a long time to wait, even if it’s for something this good. Did you know that Mitchell’s new novel is said to be published by Random House in spring 2010 as well?? Erm, I guess I should correct my earlier assertion that I have only wish for one thing next year… :\ Anyway, I’ll just have to be very patient for now :(
Oh wait, did anyone ask where I was at the moment of the explosion..? Visiting relatives in Toronto, Canada. And it was my brother-in-law who told me (in the kitchen area). There you have it: a past, present and future post in one ;)
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dinsdag 19 mei 2009 bij 17:04
elma
When you book your ticket for the Utrecht performance, get one for me too please!
(For those of you not in our reading group, Chanou is the Boekgrrl who introduced me to David Mitchell’s books and for that I am eternally grateful. His Cloud Atlas is one of my all time ReadOrI’llShoot recommendations.)
dinsdag 19 mei 2009 bij 17:21
gnoegnoe
I will! But… I’m going to get the BEST tickets available! Is that okay with you? Or would you rather have a back seat? LOL
I’ve put reminders everywhere for the day I can order those tickets ;)
vrijdag 22 mei 2009 bij 16:06
elma
Yes yes, get me the bEst ticket money can buy grrl! If I’m not practically On the stage I’m not going!! Are you sure it’s coming to Utrecht? I remember my disappointment when vonnep told me that the Schouwburg stage was too small for a whole lake full of dancing swans… (she soon cheered me up again by arranging tickets for the Amsterdam version though!) Good thing I’ve got you boekgrrls to arrange my cultural excursions or I’d never go anywhere ;-)
dinsdag 19 mei 2009 bij 17:47
Kitty
De Bijlmerramp zit beter in mijn geheugen. Ik heb namelijk geen flauw idee wanneer de vuurwerkramp was en wat ik toen deed; het was zomer en ik was thuis; da’s het enige… De Bijlmerramp was op 4 oktober 1992; dierendag en 1992 was een belangrijk jaar, omdat ik trouwde. Gek hoe het geheugen werkt…
dinsdag 19 mei 2009 bij 18:29
gnoegnoe
Misschien zou “most people” dan beter zijn uitgedrukt ;)
Tja, de Bijlmerramp… poeh, die is nóg langer geleden! Dat jaar zou ik dus niet meer hebben geweten, maar het was voor mij ook precies tussen 2 heftige jaren in. Hoewel er in ’92 ook iets heel leuks gebeurde: ik ontdekte Mr Gnoe :)
Inderdaad, hoe het geheugen werkt…
woensdag 20 mei 2009 bij 09:15
yvonnep
Ha, ik geloof dattie bij mij in mijn abonnement zit (altijd abo met super nieuwe dingen, ook twee vrouwenopera’s dit keer). En mij gaat het hoe dan ook om de muziek…:-)
woensdag 20 mei 2009 bij 10:00
Jonna
we moeten gewoon een uitje arrangeren. zoals jij het beschrijft klinkt dit als een enorm interessante opera. En ik ben natuurlijk fan van De Leeuw, ben via hem op Oestvolskaya gekomen. Als ik ooit een russische blauwe aanschaf, gaat ze Galina heten ;-)