August 25 2011

PRESS RELEASE

Enschede, Tuesday 22 August 2011

Siegfried, too, virtually sold out a month before première

The National Reisopera opens the 2011-12 season with Siegfried, the third part of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen

Première: Sunday 25 September 2011, 14:00, Stadsschouwburg Enschede

Siegfried, the third part of the Ring-tetralogy, marks the start of the National Reisopera’s new 2011-12 season. Intendant Guus Mostart said: “We are now halfway through this big project and we are especially delighted that the first two parts, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, in Antony McDonald’s staging, were widely embraced by public and press”.

The story of the young Siegfried occupies the place of an intermezzo within the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. Between the passionate romance of Die Walküre and the jet-black drama of Götterdämmerung, Siegfried is a story about dragons, talking birds and a sleeping beauty who must be awakened with a kiss. This work by Richard Wagner also contains an attractive dose of happy – and sometimes even comic – moments.

Mati Turi makes debut as eponymous hero

The Estonian tenor Mati Turi makes his debut as the eponymous hero, Siegfried, next to Judit Németh and Harry Peeters, who return as Brünnhilde and The Wanderer. Mati Turi graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as a choral director and sang with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir from 1992 to 2004. Since 2005 he has been working as a freelance singer, and opera has been playing an increasing role in his career. He sung Cassio in Othello with the Estonian National Opera, as well as Gernando in L’isola disabitata and Florestan in Fidelio, both with Nargen Opera. In 2010 Mati Turi made his debut at the Finnish National opera as Paul in Die tote Stadt.

The musical direction will once more be in the hands of the Dutch conductor Ed Spanjaard, this time with the Orchestra of the East in the pit. The Britisher Antony McDonald will be responsible for stage direction, scenery and costumes, as he was for Das Rheingold and Die Walküre.

Götterdämmerung, the fourth and last part of Wagner’s Ring-tetralogy, is also programmed in for the 2011-12 season. All performances will be in the Stadsschouwburg in Enschede.

Experience Das Rheingold and Die Walküre again!

In conjunction with Concordia Enschede, the National Reisopera is offering those attending Siegfried the chance to experience Das Rheingold and Die Walküre again. Certo Productions have made a splendid film recording of the first two parts of the Ring; free admission to showings can be obtained on presentation of an entry ticket for Siegfried. There has been a great deal of interest in these showings and the places are nearly all gone.

‘GrensWerk’ Arts Festival 24 September to 2 October 2011 incl.

Siegfried is part of the ‘GrensWerk’ Arts Festival. GrensWerk is the arts festival in East Netherlands and takes place this year from 24 September to 2 October. It is a cultural tour of discovery through Enschede, this year entitled: ‘The earth is big, the world is small’. Amongst other things, the programme is about how we look at the outside world, how technology makes relationships possible and how we get along with our neighbours. ‘GrensWerk’ illustrates the various aspects of its title in concerts, performances, exhibitions and projects – such as a remarkable festival site in the town centre.