Annette Dasch regularly performs at international festivals and with leading opera houses. From Mozart to Wagner and from Janáček to Stephan, she stands out for her compelling stage personality and her versatility in both concerts and operas. I will be standing with my back to the singers. We will be in contact via monitors, but that is never the same as being able to look someone in the eye. This is a new and exciting challenge that I am looking forward to taking on with this team.” “It will help that I feel comfortable with the twentieth-century repertoire and composers like Strauss, Wagner and Mahler. At the same time, I always approach a work as if it were new and I investigate the tools the composer gives me to tell the story. That is how I arrive at my own interpretation, in which I like to look for the deeper meaning, the underlying messages and ideas.” Annette Dasch: “It is difficult to find comparisons for Rudi Stephan’s music. He developed his own unique musical idiom and it is so sad that he didn’t live to compose more. His music is effective without being manipulative. It is also multi-layered and incredibly subtle. It is complex but never aloof; you can easily connect to it.” “Die ersten Menschen is about growing up and getting older. It’s about finding your place in the world and your goal, about exploring your sexuality and spirituality. For the parents, Adahm and Chawa, it’s about rediscovering yourself and your position in the world as you get older. It’s an ancient story but it feels very modern because of the relatable themes.” “It certainly is not easy music for us as singers. But it is incredibly powerful, so you get sucked up into the story and don’t really have time to think about the difficult part you have to sing. Chawa is also a dream role for my acting skills. This character is different to the ones I normally play: it is a very strong and physical role, which makes it incredibly demanding. But the director Calixto Bieito is very good at creating a safe space for his singer-actors to draw on their inner resources in developing their characters. All four of us discovered our roles for the first time in 2021, and now the same cast will get the opportunity to take that process a step further. This means that musically, the standard will be even higher.” Text: Jasmijn van Wijnen Photo: Klaus Weddig Complex without aloof being 39
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