A summer piece for music by Detlev Glanert freely adapted from "Oceane von Parceval" by Theodor Fontane Libretto by Hans-Ulrich Treichel
In 1881, Theodor Fontane noted in his diary "Working on (the new novella)." As fragmentary as this entry reads, his story about Oceane von Parceval, the Baltic Sea mermaid, remained unfinished. A beach hotel in Heringsdorf was a source of inspiration for the writer and the starting point for the plot.
Here, on a late summer evening, the hotel guests bask in the glow of the last rays of the 19th century. The unexpected breaks into the orderly world of convention and pleasurable decadence: an unknown, apparently rich young woman, Oceane. Her money could save the hotel from decay and Martin, a summer visitor in love, from loneliness. But society quickly realizes that Oceane is different, cool, seemingly emotionless. And the initial fascination for the stranger soon turns to hatred.
To mark the 200th anniversary of Theodor Fontane's birth, composer Detlev Glanert and librettist Hans-Ulrich Treichel brought the fragmentary novella back to life with their opera in 2019. Glanert's music expresses what Oceane is unable to say. Here, the sea itself becomes an event with its powerful spectrum of natural colors.
With:
Musical direction: Florian Csizmadia
Production: Jan-Richard Kehl
Stage & costumes: Andreas Wilkens
Dramaturgy: Katja Pfeifer
Choirs: Jörg Pitschmann
Choreographic collaboration: Stefano Fossat
Assistant director & evening stage manager: Saskia Becker
Stage manager: Lisa Henningsohn
Oceane von Parceval: Antje Bornemeier
Martin von Dircksen: Sotiris Charalampous
Dr. Albert Felgentreu: Maciej Kozłowski
Kristina: Yuko Kakuta
Pastor Baltzer: Thomas Rettensteiner
Madame Louise: Kadi Jürgens
House servant Georg: Alexandru Constantinescu
Opera Chorus of the Vorpommern Theatre, Extra Chorus of the Vorpommern Theatre, Vorpommern Philharmonic Orchestra
