1939. African-American contralto Marian Anderson delivers her legendary performance before a huge crowd at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. This is where David Strom and Delia Daley meet. He is an immigrant German-Jewish physicist. She is a young, Philadelphia-born African-American woman with a sublime voice. Their shared passion for music soon develops into a love affair and, ultimately, a warm family. Their three children have different destinies: Jonah will become a talented tenor, Joey a pianist, and Ruth an activist fighting against segregation. Their shared story, however, is that of a mixed family both united and divided by music in the turbulence of post-war America.
Crowned ‘Best World Premiere’ at the International Opera Awards after its premiere in 2021, The Time of Our Singing returns to La Monnaie. In collaboration with librettist Peter van Kraaij, conductor Kwamé Ryan and director Ted Huffman, Kris Defoort conjures an imaginary space where History with a capital H and history with a small h intertwine, where people come together to weave a story, and where jazz and classical music enrich one another. Rarely has a contemporary opera been so profoundly rooted in the now while raising so many universal themes.
Are you under 30? Then attend this opera on the Young Opera Night (25.10.2024) and we treat you to a personal welcome, a free drink, a free programme book and an after-event.
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Start ticket sale 29.8.2024
Dynamic ticket prices
Starting from € 12 to € 170
-30 years old: € 10 / 25 / 50
Sung in English
Surtitles in Dutch and French
3:00 (1 intermission)
Introductory talks 45' before the start of the performance
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An opera by Kris Defoort
Libretto by Peter van Kraaij
Based on the novel by Richard Powers
Premiere La Monnaie 14.9.2021
ConductorKWAMÉ RYAN
DirectorTED HUFFMAN
Set designJOHANNES SCHÜTZ CostumesASTRID KLEIN LightingBERND PURKRABEK VideoPIERRE MARTIN ChoreographyALAN BARNES DramaturgyPETER VAN KRAAIJ & ANTONIO CUENCA RUIZSoundVINCENT DE BAST
Delia DaleyCLARON MCFADDEN William DaleyMARK S. DOSS David StromSIMON BAILEY JonahLEVY SEKGAPANE JoeyPETER BRATHWAITE RuthABIGAIL ABRAHAM Lisette SoerLILLY JØRSTAD
La Monnaie Chamber orchestra
Jazz quartet (Robin Verheyen, Lander Gyselinck, Nicolas Thys, Hendrik Lasure)
Equinox children's chorus led by Zeno Popescu
Production DE MUNT / LA MONNAIECo-production LOD MUZIEKTHEATER
THEATER ST.GALLEN
In coproduction with Shelter Prod and Prospero MM Productions, with the support of taxshelter.be and ING
With the support of the tax shelter of the Belgian federal government