TheatreHD Opera Club in GUM Cinema. The Convert. Special screening with Natalia Surnina
Оперный клуб TheatreHD в Кинозале ГУМ. Обращённая. Спецпоказ с Наталией Сурниной
On November 5 at 7:00 PM, guests of the TheatreHD Opera Club at the GUM Cinema Hall are in for perhaps our most unusual gathering yet — because we're screening a truly rare, unique, and large-scale production! It's "The Convert" by Belgian composer Wim Henderickx: an emotional statement about the power of love, fanaticism, the search for identity, and the clash of cultures. The world premiere of the opera, directed by Hans Op de Beeck, took place on May 10, 2022, on the stage of the Flemish Opera in Antwerp. The event was a genuine triumph: "The Convert" was hailed as the most successful contemporary opera premiere in the theatre's history over the past 20 years. And now this production is available to Moscow audiences on the big screen at the GUM Cinema Hall!
Before the screening, we'll discuss this production — which took Belgian opera to a whole new level — with Natalia Surnina, one of our most beloved lecturers: musicologist, music critic, and press secretary of the Moscow Philharmonic.
- 18:45 – guests arrive, a complimentary offerinfg from Simple
The libretto, written by Christian Lada, is based on the novel of the same name by Belgian author Stefan Hertmans. The action unfolds at the end of the 11th century, during the First Crusade, and tells the story of a noble Norman girl, Vigdis Adelaïs, who falls in love with a Jewish youth and converts to Judaism. Wim Henderickx, known for his love of non-European music, masterfully blends elements of early Western music, modernism, and film scores with Jewish and Arabic musical traditions — the score features the duduk, oud, and qanun alongside a classical orchestra — while deliberately avoiding direct quotations.
The opera's vocal cast received exceptionally high praise from critics. The lead role was performed by Belgian soprano Lore Binon, joined on stage by Vincenzo Neri, Amel Brahim-Djelloul, Françoise Atlan, Daniel Arnaldos, Louvwuyo Mbundu, and Guido Jentjens.
TheatreHD Opera Club at the GUM cinema hall
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