Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (OBV) sets the stage for the world premiere of Brodeck, a new opera starting on 9 February. The opera company and Belgian composer Daan Janssens bring the timely story of a village processing traumatic events of the past to the stages of Antwerp and Ghent.
Based on the 2007 French novel Brodeck's Report by Philippe Claudel and later the graphic novel adaptation by Manu Larcenet from 2015, Janssens and stage director Fabrice Murgia have translated this harrowing story into music, movement and visuals for OBV's upcoming premiere. The music has been described as having cinematic grandeur and clear sounds, accompanied by dynamic scenography.
Janssens has reworked this dark allegory about war, xenophobia and memory into the libretto of his third opera to tell the multi-layered recollection of the narrator, Brodeck.
"The debate about how we remember and continue to tell the dark pages of history is timeless"
The story revolves around a man aptly named "The Other", an outsider in a tight-knit village community whose suspicions lead to the murder of his horse and, eventually, the man himself. Brodeck, the opera's protagonist, enters a local establishment to buy butter and discovers the body of The Other. Confronting his fellow villagers, he is tasked with writing a report of the events. He is asked on behalf of the mayor of the village to document everything correctly but to do so in a way that grants understanding and forgiveness to the people who committed the act.
The original novel has lost none of its urgency in its transition to the stage. "The debate about how we remember and continue to tell the dark pages of history is timeless," says Murgia of the plot. In accordance with a narrative that does not commit to a specific time period, costume designer Clara Peluffo Valentini tried to create a look for a community without distinct clues about the era or location. "The story can take place long ago or in the future, anywhere and with anyone," she states.
While the plot is timeless, having a living composer in the present as part of the rehearsals makes for a smooth creative process. "For me, it's great to have the composer there," conductor Marit Strindlund says of Janssens's presence, "It's much easier to turn around and ask: Is this what you wanted? Instead of sitting at home and speculating about what Mozart might have wanted."
This co-production with Opéra national de Lorraine and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in collaboration with LODmuziektheater will run from 9 February until 9 March.
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