Zurich Opera House 2 January 2020 - Coraline | GoComGo.com

Coraline

Zurich Opera House, Zurich, Switzerland
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2 PM
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Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Starts at: 14:00
Sung in: German
Titles in: German

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Overview

What child doesn’t sometimes dream of discovering a hidden door behind which a magical, completely different world is revealed? Coraline Jones has just moved into an old, mysterious house with her parents. Mother and Father Jones are very busy and hardly have any time for their daughter. A bored Coraline starts to explore her new home. First, she meets her neighbours, who are quirky, to say the least: Mr Bobo conducts a chaotic orchestra of mice, which he has perform for Coraline. Two aging divas predict the girl’s future in her tea leaves – and warn her of great danger! Coraline then discovers a mysterious door, musters all her courage, and crawls through it. At first glance, the otherworld in which she ends up seems very familiar: in fact, everything is just as it is at home, except that Coraline’s parents are suddenly terribly nice, cook delicious meals and are prepared to fulfil her every wish. There is one condition, however: to stay here for ever, Coraline would have to swap her eyes for two buttons…

The family opera by British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage is based on the eponymous story by Neil Gaiman, of which there is already a very successful film version. It tells the story of a courageous young girl whose unusual name shows that everything is not always as it seems. Coraline’s fantastical and sinister experiences are reminiscent of literary classics such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland or E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Sandman, yet tell a very modern coming-of-age story: faced with her seductive “other” parents, Coraline has to recognise that in a world in which every wish comes true she would lose not only her eyes, but also her ego. Nina Russi, who most recently staged Die Gänsemagd and Gold! for children at Zurich Opera House, will be directing, with Ann-Katrin Stöcker at the rostrum.

History
Premiere of this production: 27 March 2018, Barbican Centre, London

Coraline is an opera in 2 acts by English composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, with a libretto by Rory Mullarkey. It is based on the dark fantasy children's novella by Neil Gaiman. It is directed by Aletta Collins and conducted by Sian Edwards.

Venue Info

Zurich Opera House - Zurich
Location   Sechseläutenplatz 1

Zürich Opera House is a main opera house in Zürich and Switzerland. Located at the Sechseläutenplatz, it has been the home of the Zürich Opera since 1891, and also houses the Bernhard-Theater Zürich. It is also home to the Zürich Ballet. The Opera House also holds concerts by its Philharmonia orchestra, matinees, Lieder evenings and events for children. The Zürich Opera Ball is organised every year in March, and is usually attended by prominent names.

The first permanent theatre, the Aktientheater, was built in 1834 and it became the focus of Richard Wagner’s activities during his period of exile from Germany.

The Aktientheater burnt down in 1890. The new Stadttheater Zürich (municipal theatre) was built by the Viennese architects Fellner & Helmer, who changed their previous design for the theatre in Wiesbaden only slightly. It was opened in 1891. It was the city's main performance space for drama, opera, and musical events until 1925, when it was renamed Opernhaus Zürich and a separate theatre for plays was built: The Bernhard Theater opened in 1941, in May 1981 the Esplanada building was demolished, and the present adjoint building opened on 27/28 December 1984 after three years of transition in the Kaufhaus building nearby Schanzengraben.

By the 1970s, the opera house was badly in need of major renovations; when some considered it not worth restoring, a new theatre was proposed for the site. However, between 1982 and 1984, rebuilding took place but not without huge local opposition which was expressed in street riots. The rebuilt theatre was inaugurated with Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the world première of Rudolf Kelterborn’s Chekhov opera Der Kirschgarten.

As restored, the theatre is an ornate building with a neo-classical façade of white and grey stone adorned with busts of Weber, Wagner, and Mozart. Additionally, busts of Schiller, Shakespeare, and Goethe are to be found. The auditorium is built in the neo-rococo style and seats approximately 1200 people. During the refurbishment, the issue of sightlines was not adequately addressed. As a result, the theatre has a high number of seats with a limited view, or no view, of the stage. This is unusual in international comparison, where sightlines in historic opera houses have been typically enhanced over time.

Corporate archives and historical library collections are held at the music department of the Predigerkirche Zürich.

The Zürich Opera House is also home of the International Opera Studio (in German: Internationales Opernstudio IOS) which is a educational program for young singers and pianists. The studio was created in 1961 and has renowned artists currently teaching such as Brigitte Fassbaender, Hedwig Fassbender, Andreas Homocki, Rosemary Joshua, Adrian Kelly, Fabio Luisi, Jetske Mijnssen, Ann Murray, Eytan Pessen or Edith Wiens.

Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Starts at: 14:00
Sung in: German
Titles in: German
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