Organization

Singer

Spoken

Peter Weber

Moses

Tenor

Daniel Brenna

Aron

Soprano

Esther Lee

Junges Mädchen

Contralto

Cornelia Kallisch

Eine Kranke

Baritone

Cheyne Davidson

Anderer Mann

Bass

Valeriy Murga

Priester

2. nackte Jungfrau

Anja Schlosser

3. nackte Jungfrau

Katharina Peetz

4. Nackte Jungfrau

Mezzo-soprano

Irène Friedli

2. Solostimme

Wiebke Lehmkuhl

3. Solostimme

Reinhard Mayr

6. Solostimme

Conductor

Christoph von Dohnányi

Stage director

Achim Freyer

Set designer

Costume designer

Lighting designer

Martin Gebhardt

Peter Sonn

Junger Mann

Nackter Jüngling

Davide Fersini

Ephraimit

Camille Butcher

1. Solostimme

Michael Laurenz

4. Solostimme

1. nackte Jungfrau

5. Solostimme

Opernhaus Zürich

German

Moses und Aron -  (Moses and Aaron)

Zurich

Switzerland

Opernhaus

Moses and Aaron

English

Approved

Supported by the René and Susanne Braginsky Foundation and the Friends of the Zurich Opera Conductor - Christoph von Dohnányi Production - Achim Freyer Stage design - Achim Freyer Costumes - Achim Freyer Lighting design - Martin Gebhardt Choir mastering - Joszef Chabron, Thomas Lang Orchestra - Orchestra of the Zurich Opera Choir - Slovak Philharmonic Choir Bratislava Ballet - extras association at the Zurich Opera House With Peter Weber (Moses), Daniel Brenna (Aron); Esther Lee (young girl), Cornelia Kallisch (sick woman); Peter Sonn (young man), Peter Sonn (naked youth), Cheyne Davidson (another man), Davide Fersini (Epraimite), Valeriy Murga (priest); Camille Butcher (1st naked virgin), Esther Lee (2nd naked virgin), Anja Schlosser (3rd naked virgin), Katharina Peetz (4th naked virgin), Camille Butcher (1st solo part), Irène Friedli (2nd solo part ), Wiebke Lehmkuhl (3rd solo part); Michael Laurenz (4th solo part), Davide Fersini (5th solo part), Reinhard Mayr (6th solo part), Michael Laurenz (a youth), Utz Bodamer (Moses player), Hans-Peter Ulli (Aron player 1), Markus Hofmann (Aron player 2) Schönberg himself had doubts that his opera "Moses und Aron" could be performed; But 25 years after the completion of the second act (the third act remained unfinished) the time had come: in 1957 the staged premiere took place as part of the June Festival at the Zurich Opera House and paved the way for Schönberg's visionary confessional work that challenged all of an opera house the stages of the world. Today the opera is considered to be one of the most important musical theater works of the 20th century. The focus of the story is the question of how the thought can be made comprehensible in words without resorting to images. In the biblical context it is about the monotheistic idea of ​​God. Moses is instructed by God's voice, speaking to him from the burning bush, to free the people of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and to lead them to believe in the "only, eternal, invisible and unimaginable" God. However, since he lacks the gift of the word, he has to rely on his brother Aron, of whose enlightenment the voice from the thorn bush speaks. The latter takes refuge in miraculous apparitions and finally, while Moses receives the tablets of the Law on Mount Sinai, allows the service to the old idols again. An orgy of drunkenness, unleashed eroticism and anger of annihilation erupts in the dance around the golden calf. When Moses returns, he holds his brother accountable; he desperately smashes the tablets of the law. With Achim Freyer, who is responsible for direction, stage design and costumes, it has been possible for the first time to engage one of the most important contemporary theater makers at the Zurich Opera House, who has often dealt with contemporary music theater (including Philipp Glass, John Cage, Helmut Lachenmann) . His theater work is characterized by strictness of thought, poetic visual inventions and great suggestive power. Christoph von Dohnányi guarantees an impressive musical interpretation. The conductor, who has campaigned for the musical avant-garde throughout his life, knows the highly complex, twelve-tone score of Schönberg like no other: as early as the 1970s, he conducted pioneering performances of this work in Frankfurt and Vienna and in 1995 in Paris.

MOSES AND ARON - SCHÖNBERG

Moses and Aaron by Schoenberg, Arnold, From (2011/2011), Directed by Achim Freyer,, Conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, Opernhaus, Zurich, Switzerland

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Program, About & Synopsis

Videos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues