Tales & Mutability (sneak preview)

An opera in the making

It is a music theatre work for three performers — a singer (The Seer), an actor (The Pirate Princess), and a dancer (The Trickster) — and six musicians. Each character has their own artistic language: voice, text, or movement.

In this part, the audience is introduced to the three characters and the world in which they live. Initially, they exist independently of one another, each within their own discipline. The Seer sings the future, The Pirate Princess collects stories, and The Trickster moves between worlds. A central conflict arises when The Pirate Princess steals The Seer's voice, setting the story in motion.

The performance combines live music, singing, movement, and cassette tapes, which play an important role both musically and visually. In the intermezzo, the transformation of the characters begins, and the boundaries between their disciplines blur.

The evening begins with approximately 25–30 minutes of music/performance, followed by a Q&A to delve deeper into the project and the ideas behind it.

Repertoire by Wilma Pistorius: Prologue (tape and six instruments) Visions (mezzo-soprano, piano, bass clarinet) Flirtations (alto flute, viola, mandolin, actor) Contradictions (double bass, percussion, dancer) Intermezzo (tape)

Antje Lohse – vocals Xolani Mdluli – dance Lucia Zemene – actor Heleen Hulst – viola and mandolin Eline van Esch – alto flute Niels Meliefste – percussion Dario Calderone – double bass Gerard Bouwhuis – piano Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer – bass clarinet