''Slow Man'' is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

Nicholas Lens Nicholas Lens Noorenbergh (born 1957) is a Belgian composer of contemporary music, particularly known for his operas. His work is published by Schott Music and Mute Song and distributed by Universal Music Group and Sony BMG. In 2020 Nicholas Lens ...

to an English-language

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

J. M. Coetzee John Maxwell Coetzee Order of Australia, AC Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL Order of Mapungubwe, OMG (born 9 February 1940) is a South African and Australian novelist, essayist, linguist, and translator. The recipient of the 2003 ...

, based on his 2005 novel of the same name. The opera was commissioned by the Malta Festival,

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

and produced by the Opera Poznań. It is the first time author and

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

winner Coetzee has collaborated on a stage adaptation of his work. Although the operatic version differs from the original story, ''Slow Man'' is a contemporary opera that arouses deep emotions among each of the original main characters: Paul Rayment,

Elizabeth Costello '' Elizabeth Costello'' is a 2003 novel by South African-born Nobel Laureate J. M. Coetzee. In this novel, Elizabeth Costello, a celebrated aging Australian writer, travels around the world and gives lectures on topics including the lives of ...

and Marijana. The opera is centered on a meeting arranged by

(the writer) between Paul Rayment, a man of late middle-age with an amputated leg and the blind Marijana. The meeting has not only a strong sexual connotation but themes as love, isolation, old age, and fear of demise are prevalent. J. Roszak in Biweekly described ''Slow Man ''as a ‘high risk opera’ but also as 'an important operatic work'.

First performances

The opera was given its world premiere on 5 July 2012 at Opera Poznań Grand Theatre, Poznań. The Grand Theatre Orchestra and Chorus was conducted by Bassem Akiki. The staging by Maja Kleczewska has been described as 'a subtle treatment of words and sounds with suggestive film footage by Wojciech Pus'. The set design was by Katarzyna Borkowska and the opera poster illustration was the painting The Advantage by

Michael Borremans Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

Roles

Instrumentation

The singers perform with an orchestra consisting of 2

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

s (one doubling on

piccolo The piccolo ( ; ) is a smaller version of the western concert flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" or piccolo flute, the modern piccolo has the same type of fingerings as the ...

and one doubling on

alto flute The alto flute is an instrument in the Western concert flute family, pitched below the standard C flute and the uncommon flûte d'amour. It is the third most common member of its family after the standard C flute and the piccolo. It is chara ...

), one

english horn The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn (mainly North America), is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially ...

, 3

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

s (one bass clarinet), three

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...

s (one bass bassoon), two

horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (anatomy) * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * Horns (novel), ''Horns'' (novel), a dar ...

, two

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

s (one

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet, but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B♭, though ...

), three

trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

s (one bass trombone), four percussions (including

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

and

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

. The work also requires a three-part female

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

Dramaturgy

*I. Pain is nothing: Senza misura- Tempo comodo con una tensione latente e molto misterioso - Adagio con un sentimento inquieto - Pesante ma non troppo - Rassegnazione ma con una tensione latente - Tempo comodo con un sentimento inquieto - Attaco di sorpresa! Caos totale - Adagio con un sentimento inquieto - Piu Pesante e Furioso *II. My name is Elisabeth Costello: Con ritmo tranquillo - Cantabile drammatico - Danza assurda - Con grazia regale molto solenne *III. I felt sad: Largo con desiderio di morte - Con una grande tensione latente - *IV. I will be with you a while yet: Quasi Grave ma con una grande tensione latente *V. Do you remember the woman?: Con ritmo leggiero - Deciso, furioso, quasi alla marcia - Con ritmo tranquillo quasi come un reggae jamaicano *VI. Marianna is quite a woman: Danza energica assurda furiosa - Molto selvaggio et clownesco - Lento doloroso *VII. A blind woman: Largo con un sentimento inquieto *VIII. I will be a model guest: Andante macabro - Adagio grave - Allargando ma con una grande tensione latente - Adagio grave *IX. Danza protrusiva macabra: Intenso con una grande tensione latente - Agitato e con tono aggressivo *X. Marianna, I know that is your name: Meno mosso ma con una tensione latente *XI. The danza of the halt and the blind: Meno mosso *XII. She said that you were lonely: Andante con una tensione latente - Rispettoso ma con un sentimento inquieto -Andante con una tensione latente *XIII. Coïtus with a stranger: Adagio grave - Lento doloroso *XIV. What did she tell her?: Quasi alla marcia e lugubre *XV. There was something: Largo con un sentimento inquieto *XVI. Should I abandon you?: Largo con desiderio di morte (solemne e misterioso) *XVII. Such a small fish: Andante maestoso - Grave ma con un sentimento inquieto - Caoticamente *XIX. Someone to close our eyes for us: Con tristezza poetica - Liberamente - Molto violente e spaventoso - Liberamente(a bene placido)Source for this paragraph: Publication 2012 Edition Program book Malta Festival Poznan2012 -D. Semenowicz

References

{{Reflist Operas by Nicholas Lens Music dramas English-language operas 2012 operas One-act operas Operas based on novels Operas Postmodern music Contemporary classical compositions Adaptations of works by J. M. Coetzee