''Slow Man'' is an opera by

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 ...

to an English-language

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") 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 the t ...

by J. M. Coetzee, based on his 2005 novel of the same name. The opera was commissioned by the Malta Festival, Poznań and produced by the Opera Poznań. It is the first time author and Nobel Prize 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 Grand Theatre, Poznań (Polish: ''Teatr Wielki im. Stanisława Moniuszki w Poznaniu'') is a neoclassical opera house located in Poznań, Poland. It is named after famous Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko. History Designed by German architec ...

. 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.

Roles

Instrumentation

The singers perform with an orchestra consisting of 2

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

s (one doubling on

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

and one doubling on

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

), one

english horn The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn in 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 an alto ...

, 3

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

s (one bass clarinet), three

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed 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 virtuo ...

s (one bass bassoon), two horns, two trumpets (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 some ...

), three trombones (one bass trombone), four percussions (including timpani),

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of 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 orche ...

, piano 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) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

.''

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