FEDORA
GENERALI
Prize for Opera 2018
Shortlist

297

12 / 06

HARRIET

Belgium
Muziektheater Transparant

Harriet

Presentation

“I freed a thousand slaves.

I could have freed a thousand more

if only they knew they were slaves.”

The soprano Claron McFadden will sing the title role on Hilda Paredes' music-theatre portrait of the Afro-American freedom fighter Harriet Tubman (c. 1822-1913).

As a young woman, Harriet was able to escape her life as a slave via the secret routes of the renowned ‘Underground Railroad’. Putting her own life in danger, she returned many times to free hundreds of others. She fought in the American Civil War and contributed to the abolition of slavery. But this by no means signalled the end of the struggle for freedom.

In the libretto (based on poems by Mayra Santos-Febres & dialogues by Lex Bohlmeijer). Harriet (sung by McFadden) tells her life story to her young protégé Alice (Naomi Beeldens). She talks about the violent injury to her head suffered when she was young. About the religious visions that resulted from it and which showed her the way out. About spirituals with secret, coded instructions for her escape. About her many rescue missions; she never lost a single passenger on the Underground Railroad. About the moment she first crossed the frontier between slavery and freedom. About her decision to return immediately to save her family.

Artistic Team

The music is scored for violin, guitar, percussion and electronics created at CIRM (France) and performed by HERMESensemble. What is special about the composition of the artistic team: 1. Different nationalities (Britisch /Mexican, Dutch, French, American, Belgian, Canadian, Sri Lankan, Puerto Rican). 2. Different levels of experiences – a very nice mix of established artists (Hilda Paredes / Mayra Santo-Febres / Lex Bohlmeijer / Jean Lacornerie / Claron McFadden) and emerging artists (Miwa Matreyek / Mieke Vandensande / Manoj Kamps/ Noami Beeldens). 3. Different disciplines + orchestra.

Hilda Paredes

Hilda Paredes

Composer

Lex Bolhmeijer

Lex Bohlmeijer

Librettist

Mayra Santos-Febres

Mayra Santos-Febre

Librettist

Jean Lacorniere

Jean Lacornerie

Artistic director & Conductor

Claron McFadden

Claron McFadden

Singer

Naomi Beeldens

Naomi Beeldens

Singer

Miwa Matreyek

Miwa Matreyek

Set designer

Mieke Vandensande

Mieke Vandensande

Costume designer

Manoj Kamps

Manoj Kamps

Conductor

Co-producing Partners

Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Festival Cervantino Logo

Festival International Cervantino 2018 Mexico

Mexico

Muziekgebouw Logo

Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ Amsterdam

Netherlands

Operadagen Rotterdam

Netherlands

Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Logo

Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival United Kingdom

United Kingdom

LOGO Hermès

HERMESensemble

Belgium

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