The highlights of the year
Premiere of “Lili Elbe”: Finally, the first major, full-length opera about a trans person was composed and premiered. In Switzerland, at the Theater St. Gallen! The two-hour opera “Lili Elbe” is not only an enrichment of the repertoire, but also a music-historical event. It was also a bold program choice for the reopening of the newly renovated Paillard building.
In order to tell the life and love story of the Danish landscape painter Lili Elbe and her wife Gerda as authentically as possible, the librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman relied on historical sources, and as a dramaturge, the hero-baritone Lucia Lucas brought in the trans perspective using her own experiences. The composer Tobias Picker (Stollman’s husband), who is very successful in the USA, wrote catchy, colorfully orchestrated music for it. It offers both snappy foxtrot echoes and verismo drama. Lucas shone in the title role with her characterful and expansive voice and her expressiveness. (Moritz Weber)
Legend:
composer-in-residence of Lucerne Festival 2023: Enno Poppe.
Ricordi / Harald Hoffmann
Orchestral colossus “Fett” by Enno Poppe: There was a lot of music by composer-in-residence Enno Poppe to be heard at the Lucerne Festival this summer. He loves the strange sound worlds of microtonality, i.e. intervals that are smaller than semitones and can cast mysterious shadows and clouds over the music. Poppe also loves short, strong and eloquent titles: his pieces are called “Rad”, “Wood”, “Animal” or “Salz” – these open up spaces for association.
As in the work that the Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki conducted at the beginning of September: “Fat” it says, which sounds like slipping (and yes: the microtonal chords actually pull the ground from under our feet). Sure, it could also mean that everything is pretty fat and thickly orchestrated? That too. There are up to 40-note chords in music. Mälkki premiered the piece as head of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra five years ago and has now conducted it in Lucerne with the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra so vividly and precisely that this jungle of sounds really sucks you in. Great class.
The surprise of the year
Legend:
Cellist Lana Kostic’s album is one of the classical music surprises of 2023.
Christian Mattis
Neoclassical by Lana Kostic: Her talent was discovered in the elevator when, at the age of 10, she sang a song to herself. A cellist heard her and advised her to devote herself to music. She did that. Today Lana Kostic is on stage as the fictional character Lakiko, singing, playing the cello and making music, between neoclassical and pop.
The big surprise: As a neoclassical despiser, I listened to the album – and was blown away. Because not all neoclassicals are the same. There’s boring and exciting there too! (Annelies Berger)
The flop of the year
“Horse eats hat” by Herbert Grönemeyer and Herbert Fritsch: The expectations for Herbert Grönemeyer’s first opera were huge! The disappointment was just as huge. Because what he brought to the stage of the Basel Theater together with director Herbert Fritsch in “Pferd eats Hut” is three hours of childish slapstick comedy and embarrassing puns.
An egocentric image of men is celebrated with shallow humor, from which even Grönemeyer’s catchy melodies cannot distract. It’s a shame – because despite everything, the ensemble plays excellently! (Jenny Berg)