Composer of the month
FROM VONDEL 1685 TO THE DUTCH FRENCH ERA 1812 • 2 AUGUST 2020
On Sunday 2 AUGUST 2020 401DutchOperas and the Nederlands Muziek Instituut will give a unique concert with the long lost operas of the Amsterdam Opera School 1685-1710 (Hendrik Anders, David Petersen, Servaes de Koninck and Elias Brönnemuller), the first Haarlem opera in Paris (Johan Mulligens Acajou from 1773), the first Frisian opera (Jean des Communes’ opera Het dorp in het gebergte from 1812) and a try-out of two pieces from the unknown opera Vestas Feuer from the Zutphen born composer… Beethoven! With tenor Denzil Delaere, soprano Jolien De Gendt, baritone Hans Voschezang, mezzo Sarah Konig, soprano Gina de Jong and tenor Hugo Kampschreur. Camerata Delft is the chamber ensemble, Pieter Dhoore pianist.
2 AUGUST 2020, The King's Ballroom, Kazernestraat 38, Den Haag (NL).
Opera of the month
GOVERT BIDLOO/VONDEL: FAËTON (1685) • 2 AUGUST 2020
Vondel was the most famous Dutch playwright of the 17th Century. Yet by 1663 Amsterdam City Theatre director Jan Vos thought his work outdated and he refused to mount Vondel's Faëton. it was finally performed there posthumously in 1685, when new director Govert Bidloo gave it disguised as an... opera! To pull this off he had personally added an hour of text and anonymously composed music to the play, turning it into a Lully-like opera. The five authentic dances and arias preserved in the Nederlands Muziek instituut have been made perfromance ready by Andy Clark for our 2 AUGUST 2020 concert 'From Vondel 1685 to the Dutch French Era 1812'. Camerata Delft is our chamber ensemble. Vocalists are Denzil Delaere (Spring), Gina de Jong (Summer), Sarah Konig (Autumn) and Hans Voschezang (Winter).
2 AUGUST 2020, The King's Ballroom, Kazernestraat 38, 2514 CT Den Haag.
STYLE
This website will in time attempt to answer the question if there is 'a Dutch style'. As surprising as it may sound to those coming from countries with a living opera tradition, this is an open question in The Netherlands. The reason: from those operas composed before 1945, there is hardly a single note available in terms of recordings. Scores are partly lost or survive only fragementary, others have to be deciphered from obscure handwritings.
ANTHOLOGY
401DutchOperas is now initiating a book that will include all ca. 250 major Dutch operas composed with extensive plot summarys and musical descriptions. Their composers will be introduced, the genesis and performance history of their works shall be examined, along with a stylistic analyses and an introduction to the highlights of those scores.
An introductory chapter will provide a summary of the history of Dutch opera from its beginnings until its present state of affairs. This should include a survey of the rise and fall of The Netherlands' many opera companies since the 1680s.
Volunteers/ stagiaires
401DutchDivas.com is looking for volunteers / stagiaires that would like to contribute to the expansion of this website by means of adding new biographies and/ or editing biographies / discographies etcetera. You can apply through
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.
AIM
Our aim is to restore the history of Dutch Operas. Since none of these operas are currently known, we use as much audio visual material as possible, to bring Dutch Operas back to life. The success of our aim is determined by the accessibility of these operas.
401DutchOperas should surprise, and make one curious after these works, their composers and their artistic environment. Only in that way can we hope to achieve our ultimate goal: the revival of Dutch operatic tradition!
