Inspired by the story of a foreigner in the Netherlands
a 30-minute chamber opera by Anne Ku
Premiere: Monday 2 June 2008 at 20:00, final exam in composition, K&W building, main concert hall
Nicky (alto) ponders over her decision to move to the Netherlands, where she meets Pearl (soprano) who arrived a few years earlier. Pearl is eager to introduce her Dutch friends, especially her dear friend Hendrik Jan in Amsterdam. Like many foreigners who take awhile to adjust to the weather, the food, and the customs of this country, Nicky expresses her longing for home in the opening aria "What I Miss."
"Culture shock", says anthropologist Kalvero Oberg, "is brought on by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. These signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situation of daily life: when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people; when and how to give tips; how to give orders to servants; how to make purchases; when to accept and when to refuse invitations; when to take statements seriously and when not."
This webpage contains ongoing updates to the rehearsal schedule, scores, sound files, etc., to serve as communication tool and for planning purposes.
13 December 2007: reduced vocal/piano score of 13 Dec 2007 OLD! do not use
Tuesday 4 March at 6:30 pm K110: first meeting to read through some pieces and arrange schedules
10 March 2008: orchestral score given to pianist, harpist, soloists, choir conductor
10 to 19 March 2008: individual one hour sessions with composer to go through part scores
Wed 12 March Uploaded: MP3 Sound Files from orchestral scores, first edition
Thurs 13 March Uploaded on website
Fri 14 March Confirmed premiere of "What I Miss" in Theatre Kikker on 18 April is ON
12 - 18 March 2008: To confirm rehearsal schedules
14 - 23 March 2008: To announce and recruit choir members
Tues 18 March 2008 1500 - 1700 in K206 "What I Miss" 1st rehearsal with clarinet, alto, harp, cello
2 April 2008: Uploaded libretto 4 page PDF
4 April 2008:
7 April 2008: Oboe part scores to deliver to oboeist as she is away from 8 April and back for 15 April rehearsal
8 April 2008: New piano/voice reduced score for choir ready for choir members & uploaded on webpage
10 April 2008:
14 April 2008: Piano reduction score for soloists and conductor
15 April 2008: Orchestral and piano reduction scores and mp3 files uploaded
17 March 2008 - 22 April 2008 individual study
Friday 18 April 2008 @ 20:00 Composer's concert in Kikker Theatre
"Ave Maria" (not from opera) with Jens violinist and Constanca pianist
"What I Miss" opening aria with clarinet, French horn, harp, and cello only
"It Takes Getting Used To" instrumental version, conductor Nicky Bouwers, with flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, harp, violin 1 & 2, cello, double bass
19 April 2008: Aleksandra joins as violinist
23 April 2008: Davide Muzio joins as changement
24 April 2008: Composition concert 26 May at 20:00 - first up - 4 pieces Overture, Transition to Invitation, I Want Something Hot, Dames en Heren
29 April 2008: Final EXAM poster and webpage created
20 May 2008: Colour posters printed and put up around conservatory
26 May 2008: Composition concert in K&W hall: Overture, I Want Something Hot, Dames en Heren
28 May 2008: Dutch poster with sponsors' logos created and linked from exam webpage
Anne: I am trying to get as many performances of extracts from the opera before the final exam.
| composer | Anne Ku | overseas Chinese |
| conductor | Henk Alkema | Dutch |
| alto soloist | Nicky Bouwers | Dutch |
| soprano soloist | Pearlmira Kwesi-John | Sierra Leonean |
| choir director, alto | Zuri Ramirez | Mexican |
| flute/piccolo | Anna Zeijlemaker | Dutch |
| oboe | Natalia Morelos Gonzalez | Mexican |
| clarinet | Bas van der Sterren | Dutch |
| bassoon | Filip Vlad Bobe | Romanian |
| horn | Emile Kaper | Dutch |
| harp | Maria Pozdnyakova | Russian |
| piano | Constanca van Ojen | Dutch |
| violin 1 leader, concert master | Karin Frisk | Swedish |
| violin 1 | Erika Bordon | Italian |
| violin 1 | Carles Puig Ruscalleda | Spanish |
| violin 1 | Angel Sanchez Marote | Spanish |
| violin | Charlotte van Tongeren | Dutch |
| violin 2 leader | Jens Groenewold | Dutch |
| violin 2 | Lizette Bertelsmann | Dutch |
| violin | Aleksandra Liubomirova | Lithuanian |
| cello | Allard Hartkamp | Dutch |
| cello | Anna Schweizer | Austrian |
| double bass | Gerard van den Berg | Dutch |
| Choir: soprano | Anneke Bliek | Dutch |
| Choir: soprano | Michelle Eekelder | Maltese |
| Choir: soprano | Celia Julia Sapart | Swiss |
| Choir: mezzo soprano | Rosina Fabius | Dutch |
| Choir: mezzo soprano | Annemarie van Prooijen | Dutch |
| Choir: alto | Dion Bossers | Dutch |
| Choir: alto | Vera van Groos | Dutch |
| Choir: alto | Zuri Ramirez | Mexican |
| Choir: alto | Yao Wang | Chinese |
| Choir: baritone | Alexey Bakhtov | Russian |
| Choir: baritone | Andre Stammsen | German |
Individual meetings with composer to finetune parts
With conductor and composer on piano: Wed 16 April @ 18:00 - 20:00 H106
with choir conductor Zuri, available Tuesdays between 13:00 and 17:00
Choir members confirmed 13 May 2008
Choir Wanted Flyer (1 page pdf)
Thursday 10 April K218 booked from 18:00 and K210 from 19:00 in room K110 instead
Tues 15 April Room K218 booked from 18:00
Fri 18 April
confirmed, unless otherwise notified --- as at 16 April 2008
First ensemble rehearsals with conductor
Ensemble with soloists
Ensemble with soloists and choir
COMPOSITION CONCERT - Mon 26 May 2008 as a tryout
EXTRA PROVISIONAL REHEARSAL IF NECESSARY
Tues 27 May - (not Charlotte, Erika); Lizette to leave by 18:15 pm, earliest for Gerard to come is 15:30
GENERALE REPETITIE Fri 30 May
WARM-UP BEFORE EXAM Mon 2 June
Part scores to be added to instrumentation table by 15 April 2008
Orchestral scores in PDF and sound files in MP3 available HERE
Piano version of orchestral reduction scores for choir and soloist rehearsals to be added to downloadable files by 15 April 2008
If you are still curious, visit OTHER compositions of Anne Ku