The cooperation between the CAMPUS programme of the Musiktheater an der Wien and the Klangforum Wien PPCM Academy continues. Three violoncello students from the PPCM programme at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, along with Klangforum Wien resident member Leo Morello, will perform the Austrian premiere of Philip Venables' music theater “Denis & Katya” – an amplified opera in two acts.
About the opera: A "Romeo and Juliet" story in the age of social media, based on true events: Two Russian teenagers, Denis and Katya, hide in a cabin from their parents, sharing their elopement with the world through social media, where they and their viewers feed off each other. Digital perception and reality blur, and when the police track them down, the situation escalates. What appeared to be a game in the virtual space turns into a bitter reality, and in the end, the two teenagers lose their lives.
British composer Philip Venables and librettist Ted Huffman have adapted this story into a highly concentrated music theater piece (premiered in 2019, Philadelphia). A mezzo-soprano and a baritone take on the roles of witnesses to the teenage tragedy. The main characters, Denis and Katya, only appear through their accounts, overlaid with postings, messages, electroacoustic sounds, and an ensemble consisting of four cellos.
Premiere on Wed 27.09.2023, further dates:
Fri 29.09.2023, 19.00
Sun 01.10.2023, 19.00
Tue 03.10.2023, 19.00
Fri 06.10.2023, 19.00
Sun 08.10.2023, 19.00
Tue 10.10.2023, 19.00
Thu 12.10.2023, 19.00
In German language
Introduction to the work 30 minutes before the start of each performance