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Kim Krijnen
CREATION
opera for young audience
A Song for the Moon
Mathilde Wantenaar, Béatrice Lachaussée
21 March 2021
Feeling lonely, Mole decides to write a song that will cheer up the moon.
Grasshopper rehearses his orchestra until they know the song by heart.
Then, one night, they put on a beautiful concert. So why does the moon look so sad afterwards…?
A Song for the Moon [Een lied voor de maan] is based on the eponymous children’s book by Toon Tellegen, who has won worldwide acclaim for his short stories featuring animals. Beloved by all ages, his work gives a philosophical spin to amusing and bizarre situations. Several of his stories have been set to music, including the Holland Festival production The Cricket Recovers (2011).
The narrative of A Song for the Moon instantly struck a chord with composer Mathilde Wantenaar: ‘The story appealed to my musical imagination. […] It tackles important themes such as loneliness, identity, disappointment and friendship, but it is also a story about the power of music and its ability to bring people together.’
A Song for the Moon has its origins in an enoa workshop for artists interested in developing new operas for young audiences. This two-session workshop was organised by La Monnaie / De Munt and LOD muziektheater under the guidance of dramaturg Willem Bruls.
The opera will premiere at the Dutch National Opera on March 2020.
Distribution
Composer Mathilde Wantenaar
Libretto Mathilde Wantenaar & Willem Bruls after the eponymous book by Toon Tellegen
Stage Director Béatrice Lachaussée
Set & costume design Nele Ellegiers
Light design Cor van den Brink
Video design Coen Bouman
Dramaturgy Willem Bruls
De Mole Nina van Essen
The Grasshopper/Earth Worm Berend Eijkhout
The Frog Jan Willem Schaafsma
The Field Mouse/Moon Ginette Puylaert
The Dormouse/Cricket Francine Vis
Music Ensemble National Youth Orchestra
Violin Louis Barme
Viola Bart Folkers
Cello Renée Timmer
Flute/Field Mouse Mirna Ackers
Guitar Piotr Lipowicz
Clarinet Simon Karremans
Musical coach Leonard Evers
Repetitor Brian Fieldhouse
Assistant stage director Ella Marchment (2020) & Pénélope Driant (2021-2022)
Co-production
Production of Dutch National Opera
In coproduction with La Monnaie (Brussels), Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía (Madrid), Opera Zuid (Maastricht)
With the support of enoa and Creative Europe Programme of the European Union
Distribution
Composer Mathilde Wantenaar
Libretto Mathilde Wantenaar & Willem Bruls after the eponymous book by Toon Tellegen
Stage Director Béatrice Lachaussée
Set & costume design Nele Ellegiers
Light design Cor van den Brink
Video design Coen Bouman
Dramaturgy Willem Bruls
De Mole Nina van Essen
The Grasshopper/Earth Worm Berend Eijkhout
The Frog Jan Willem Schaafsma
The Field Mouse/Moon Ginette Puylaert
The Dormouse/Cricket Francine Vis
Music Ensemble National Youth Orchestra
Violin Louis Barme
Viola Bart Folkers
Cello Renée Timmer
Flute/Field Mouse Mirna Ackers
Guitar Piotr Lipowicz
Clarinet Simon Karremans
Musical coach Leonard Evers
Repetitor Brian Fieldhouse
Assistant stage director Ella Marchment (2020) & Pénélope Driant (2021-2022)