Ruhrtriennale

“Paths are created by walking along them.“

Willy Decker enters the second round

After his opening season in 2009 guided by the notion “Awakening – Searching for the Word“ Willy Decker, artistic director of the Ruhrtriennale 2009 – 2011,
continues his investigation of the relationship between the primal moments of
religious and creative experience in his second programme for 2010.

Just as the previous season paid particular attention to the primary artistic and spiritual concerns of Jewish culture, the coming season will focus on Islamic culture. Under the heading “Migration – Searching for the Path“ an important aspect of the Ruhrtriennale 2010 programme will be to trace a line from the roots of ancient Islamic mysticism, myth and culture to pressing topics in the examination of a body of thinking which is on the one hand familiar to us and yet often very foreign on the other.
As one of Europe’s largest producing festivals, the Ruhrtriennale will once again in 2010 consist of a series of world premieres and its own specially created productions. Arab and European artists will both set out to look for common features and fruitful distinctions between diverse cultural backgrounds. Productions will emerge by and with the Ruhrtriennale which permit apparently old and distant cultural knowledge to be brought to life and expereinced from a contemporary perspective.
Alongside world premieres of music theatre, theatre, dance and concerts, the Ruhrtriennale also opens its programme to invite national and international productions of the highest quality relevant to our theme. This lies perfectly in the spirit of Sufi mysticism: daring world premieres next to rediscovered wisdom, retold by collectors of worlds following the paths of creative ecstasy.
The festival programme will take place from 20th August until 10th October 2010 with over 100 performances in the remarkable venues of the Ruhrgebiet’s industrial heritage.
The complete Ruhrtriennale programme will be presented to the public on 29th April 2010 in a press conference in the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum. Advance ticket sales will begin the same day through all usual outlets.
The Ruhrtriennaleis supported by the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Union’s Structural Funds. Company partners: Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Regionalverband Ruhr and pro Ruhrgebiet.

Gisela!

or: The Strange and Memorable Ways of Happiness

Music theatre by Hans Werner Henze, Christian Lehnert and Michael Kerstan

Dream and reality, the traditional and the contemporary, Naples and Oberhausen, young and old – with his new work of music theatre Hans Werner Henze has given himself the task of writing about the greatest contradictions and antagonisms and overcoming these apparently unbridgeable distances with the power of his music. “If, as it ought to be, music were the common property of all people, there would definitely be less aggression and much more equality and love in the world; because music is a means of understanding, a bringer of reconciliation.” (Hans Werner Henze)

The Gütersloh-born composer is writing this piece of music theatre “Gisela – or: the strange and memorable ways of happiness” exclusively for the Ruhrgebiet. The Ruhrtriennale 2010 will produce the world premiere in one of its spectacular industrial venues. The composition by Hans Werner Henze has been commissioned by RUHR.2010 Capital of Culture and the Semperoper Dresden. The accidental – or fateful – meeting of two young people at the beginning of their adult lives unleashes a burning love between them and awakens a dream of escaping their apparently predestined lives. This prospect arouses considerable resistance - so
that the young Gisela from Oberhausen and the Italian Gennaro have to battle their way through a jungle of mistakes, confusion, violence and fears, hopes and nightmares. Sustained by the music of Hans Werner Henze, the internal and external states of the protagonists become so closely linked that Gisela’s fate no longer remains
an abstract story but concerns, questions and moves every one of us directly. One of Hans Werner Henze’s preoccupations is the involvement and encouragement of young musicians. A number of young musicians and theatremakers active in the Ruhrgebiet will therefore participate in the creation of this world premiere in order to help discover, promote, challenge and present their artistic potential and their artistic identities.
The artistic direction lies in the hands of two distinguished figures: Steven Sloane, General Music Director of the Bochumer Symphoniker, Chief Conductor of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and one of the artistic directors of RUHR.2010 will be responsible for the musical direction. Pierre Audi, artistic director of the Nederlandse Opera Amsterdam, the Holland Festival and an internationally renowned director will stage the world premiere together with his team in September 2010 as part of the Ruhrtriennale.

A world premiere at the Ruhrtriennale
Commissioned by the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and RUHR.2010 Capital of Culture for „The Henze Project“
The composer’s commission has been supported by the Kunststiftung NRW.
World premiere: 25th September 2010, Maschinenhalle Zeche Zweckel, Gladbeck The festival programme will take place from 20th August until 10th October 2010 with over 100 performances in the remarkable venues of the Ruhrgebiet’s industrial heritage.
The complete Ruhrtriennale programme will be presented to the public on 29th April 2010 in a press conference in the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum. Advance ticket sales will begin the same day through all usual outlets.
The Ruhrtriennaleis supported by the Prime Minister of North Rhine Westphalia and the European Union’s Structural Funds. Company partners: Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Regionalverband Ruhr and pro Ruhrgebiet.