Die Schöpfung
In April 2023, I directed Die Schöpfung, an oratorio composed by Franz Joseph Haydn, at Theater Basel. This oratorio delves into the foundational myths of Western culture, narrating the biblical tale of creation. The musical journey unfolds from the chaos of the seven days of creation to the idyllic setting of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. To bring this creation story to life, I collaborated with a group of local adolescents, aged between 14 and 19. I conceived Die Schöpfung as a symbolic coming-of-age narrative, where a collective of young individuals sheds the innocence of childhood, navigating the intricate terrain of full maturity. Die Schöpfung was not only a portrait of Generation Z, but also a portrait of a city. Through the lens of these young participants, Die Schöpfung became an exploration and evaluation of the real, actual world, juxtaposed against Haydn’s voluntaristic perspective on the creation of that very world. In my quest to infuse the world, particularly the city of Basel, into the theatrical experience, I introduced (live) cinema, transforming my staging into a hybrid amalgamation of film, theatre, and music.
The performance of "Die Schöpfung" unfolded in two distinct parts. The initial segment, lasting approximately 25 minutes, took place in the foyer of Theater Basel. The audience observed from the steps and balconies as the adolescents delivered a condensed, more naive interpretation of Haydn’s piece. The second part unfolded on the grand stage, showcasing the full theatrical rendition of Die Schöpfung seamlessly intertwined with a film depicting the lives of the adolescents outside in the city of Basel.
My approach of Die Schöpfung encapsulated a clash between two contrasting worlds: the realm of escapist, innocent theatre in the first part versus the authentic urban life portrayed in the second part. It was a juxtaposition of grand theatrical gestures versus the subtle actions of daily life, the naive optimism of progress against the orchestrated reality, and the dichotomy of childhood versus adulthood.
2023, Die Schöpfung - Foyer part, performance © Judith Schlosser
2023, Die Schöpfung - City part, performance/video © Judith Schlosser
Credits
Conductor: Jörg Halubek
Scenography and direction: Thomas Verstraeten
Costume design: Sietske Van Aerde
Video design: Lynn Van Oijstaeijen, Robin Elias Nidecker
Light design: Thomas Kleinstück
Sounddesign: Senjan Jansen
Assistent Sounddesign: Bert Aerts
Chorusmaster: Michael Clark
Arrangements Schöpfung in Foyer: Daniel Brenner
Conductor in Foyer: Christoph Huldi / Samuel Strub
Dramaturgy: Niels Nuijten
Director’s assistent: Tilman aus dem Siepen, Alba Rownes Selma
Soloists: Álfheiður Erla Guðmundsdóttir/Inna Fedorii, Ronan Caillet, Alex Rosen/Yannick Debus
Adolescents: Noémi Müller, Natalia Kujawa, Maurice Weisskopf, Michelle Chvaicer, Jule Bucher, Leonie Bögli, Salem Laffer, Azad Ibrahim Gökbas, Jan Soder, Emilia Vasiljevic, Laurin Born, Lewin Kru, Maxine Walder
Extra: Oliver Amweg
With: Gymnasium Muttenz, Gymnasium Oberwil, Chor des Theater Basel, Extrachor des Theater Basel, La Cetra Barockorchester Basel
School Orchestra: Julie Auckenthaler, Luana Bosco, Julius Winter, Dominic Blättler, Aurinia Petretta, Lilia Exner, Maurice Weisskopf, Anne-Sophie Bullinger, Irem Atici, Manon Koch, Elina Umbricht
Angel’s Chorus: Timea Ballmer, Noemi Bastian, Annina Cantoni, Lynn Christener, Michelle Chvaicer, Carole Enderle, Jana Hostettler, Jana Hug, Sophie John, Moritz Lüdi, Cedric Maurer, Julia Ohm, Samuel Richards,Noah Rosenbaum, Ian Samayoa-Usher, Claudine Schelker, Benaja Sigg, Jan Soder, Tabea Sterchi, Ruben Stritt, Franz William Thiessen, Tuula Wittstich, Frederik Wyssmann
Final Chorus: Eva Amiryan, Shivam Banerjee, Florence Botta, Naïma Brodnik, Sophia Burgstaller, Céline Aileen Bürli, Andri Buser, Maxcius Canicius, Lorena Durante, Joanna Ewa Dymurska, Jasmine Frei, Alice Gallou, Valentin Gianetto, Numa Jakob Gut, Sebastien Jeanneret-Gris, Phillip Jung, Anouk Héritier, Salomé Héritier, Mias Hofmänner, Leonie Hug, Nils Inauen, Andrin Kasper, Tamisha Klinger, Laura Katharina Leiser, Amélie Leonhardt, Suhas Lingaraju, Paula Löffel, Blake Mangani, Seraina Mangold, Aline Maurer, Meret Maria Meier, Mio Neuhaus, Bettina Nitschke, Hanna Nussbaumer, Leana Otte, Rafael Ortega, Noah Pennella, Nerea Petretta, Gisele Plavsic, Jaël Ruch, Luca Schmidt, Domenic Schwander, Lara Screti, Lisa Noemi Steinbrunner, Nadia Sofia Steinbrunner, Leonie Steiner, Elin Sara Sturzenegger, Aaruni Sureshkumar, Tosca Tanner, Selma Cheyenne Terbeck, Sara Tschan, Liam Veith, Anne-Sophie Waldner, Julian Wenger, Joanna Waimea Wenk, Ryan Woehrle, Sara Zumsteg