Behind the very English name “George”, a highly familiar German figure is concealed: having been appointed at the right time in the services of the Hanover court, George Frideric Handel went on to dominate the London opera scene. The libretto compiled by the renowned filmmaker Axel Ranisch focuses on an episode from the year 1719. Handel receives a commission for a stage work from his Hanoverian namesake who now reigns over the British Empire as “George I”. The audition to find singers for this work soon descends to the level of a casting show and the situation threatens to get out of hand.
Elena Kats-Chernin studied with Helmut Lachenmann in Hanover. Now one of the leading Australian composers, she and her music are in constant demand around the world. She succeeds in combining pulsating rhythms with post-modern Melos. She has composed works for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sydney, Vlaamse Opera
in Antwerp, Australian Ballet, the Sydney Opera House, Komische Oper in Berlin und for the Berlin Philharmonic.
Heiko Pinkowski (George), Jochen Kowalski (King George), Levente György (George’s father), Uwe Tobias Hieronimi (Smith), Denis Lakey (Sino), Eleanor Lyons (Finella), Christina Baader (Caruzzi), Jasmin Hörner (Fraticella)/ Youth Choir and “Königliche Hofkapelle” of the Theater für Niedersachsen
PRODUCTION, TEXT Axel Ranisch
IDEA, CONCEPT, PRODUCTION Danya Segal
MUSICAL DIRECTION Werner Seitzer
COSTUMES Alfred Mayerhofer
STAGE DESIGN Steffen Lebjedzinski
LIGHTING DESIGN Alexander Koppelmann
DURATION ca. 80 minutes / no interval
THUR 25.9. 20:00 ORANGERIE (PREMIERE) PRICE GROUP D
FRI 26.9. – SUN 28.9. 20:00 ORANGERIE PRICE GROUP D
A production by Danya Segal with the Theater für Niedersachsen