A SONG FOR THE MOON
family opera by Mathilde Wantenaar
One evening, moved by the moon’s solitude, the mole writes her a song. The grasshopper and his orchestra perform it beneath the great oak, but the moon remains silent. Discouraged, the animals leave—except for the grasshopper, who turns to the cricket for advice. He suggests shifting the melody into a major key. The orchestra plays again, the moon lights up with joy, and the mole, reassured, dares to leave her burrow to offer her friendship to the earthworm.
Un soir, émue par la solitude de la lune, la taupe lui écrit une chanson. La sauterelle et son orchestre l’interprètent sous le grand chêne, mais la lune demeure impassible. Découragés, les animaux rentrent — sauf la sauterelle, qui consulte le criquet. Il propose de transformer la mélodie en mode majeur. L’orchestre rejoue, la lune s’illumine, et la taupe, rassurée, ose enfin sortir de son terrier pour offrir son amitié au ver de terre.




Produced by the Dutch National Opera, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie and Opera Zuid
World Premiere on 21st of march 2021
CASTING — A Song for the Moon (Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam)
Mole
Vera Fiselier
Field-Mouse / Moon / Forest
Ginette Puylaert
Dormouse / Cricket / Forest
Eline Welle/ Francine Vis
Frog / Forest (ensemble)
Jan-Willem Schaafsma
Grasshopper / Earthworm / Forest
Berend Eijkhout
Spitzmouse/ Flute
Mirna Ackers
Artistic Team
Libretto & Composer
Mathilde Wantenaar
Libretto & Dramaturgy
Willem Bruls
Stage Direction
Béatrice Lachaussée
Set & Costume Design
Nele Ellegiers
Lighting Design
Cor van den Brink
Video Design
Coen Bouman
Music Coach
Leonard Evers
Orchestra
Nationaal Jeugdorkest (National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands)