Dutch National Opera

Die ersten Menschen

Rudi Stephan (1887-1915)

Check availability

Dates

3-23 June

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Auditorium

Running time

1:40 hours, no break

Tickets

From €37,-

An erotic mystery

The first two humans on earth were in love. The third man killed the fourth. Die ersten Menschen tells the story of the first family in the biblical history of mankind: Adahm and Chawa and their sons Kajin and Chabel. In Die ersten Menschen, the well-known Bible story of Kajin's murder of his brother is interpreted from a completely different angle.

The story

Die ersten Menschen is set in a vast primeval landscape, where the first family on earth cannot avoid mutual confrontation. Chawa feels estranged from Adahm and longs for their younger years. Sons Kajin and Chabel have very different views on life. Kajin feels close to nature and is filled with sexual desires, while Chabel lives by his religious beliefs and fulfils the role of the perfect son. Kajin finds in his mother the archetypal woman he has been searching for and is jealous of his mother's love for Chabel. The envy drives him to kill his own brother. Left alone, Adahm and Chawa understand what awaits mankind.

EROTISCHES MYSTERIUM

The German author Otto Borngräber (1874-1916) gave his libretto, based on a play of his own, the subtitle 'Erotisches Mysterium'. In his symbolic interpretation of the Bible story, he was clearly inspired by the psychoanalysis that celebrated its heyday in his time – Freud is heard in the background. Borngräber shows how the primitive family is torn apart by the tension between the sexual urge and the greedy life on the one hand, and a life dedicated to the spiritual on the other. Two brothers who, in the narrow circle of the family, stand for two completely different views of life. The erotic and incestuous nature of the story caused a great deal of controversy during the performance of the play and led to intervention by the censorship.

Performance information

New production

Musical direction  François-Xavier Roth
Direction  Calixto Bieito
Set design Rebecca Ringst
Costumes Ingo Krügler
Lighting  Michael Bauer
Video Sarah Derendinger

Adahm Kyle Ketelsen
Kajin Leigh Melrose
Chawa Annette Dasch
Chabel John Osborn

Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Sung in German, with Dutch and English surtitles

Free PDF programme booklet

Click on the link below and receive the free online programme booklet. In this PDF programme booklet you can read about the opera, the composer and the history of the work. Through interviews with director Calixto Bieito and conductor François-Xavier Roth you get a glimpse of the artistic process. The PDF programme booklet is available in Dutch and English.

Receive the free programme

Printed programme booklet

From Tuesday 1 June a printed programme booklet will also be available. In this booklet you will find information about the work and the production, as well as the German libretto with Dutch translation. You can order this printed programme booklet for only €8,- via the link below.

Order the printed programme booklet

©Ruth Walz

Livestream

Have you not been able to get a ticket for Die ersten Menschen, but do you still want to see the performance? Then you can watch the opera from Friday June 25 at 8 PM (CET) for free via the European culture TV channel ARTE or via the link below. Die ersten Menschen will remain available for six months after this.

Watch the stream from 25 June

Free lecture

Online programme in collaboration with SPUI25

Joep Leerssen reveals the cultural-historical context of this unknown but fascinating, steamy opera. On Thursday 27 May from 5:15 - 6.30 PM (CET), you can watch the livestream of this lecture for free. After the live broadcast, the lecture will remain available online.

Please note: the online programme is in Dutch.

Rudi Stephan

Composer

Calixto Bieito

Director

François-Xavier Roth

Muzikale leiding

Kyle Ketelsen

Adahm (Bas-bariton)

Leigh Melrose

Kajin (Bariton)

Annette Dasch

Chawa (Sopraan)

John Osborn

Chabel (Tenor)

Sarah Derendinger

Video design

Rebecca Ringst

Set design

Ingo Krügler

Costumes

Michael Bauer

Lighting design

Die ersten Menschen - Podcast

In this two-part (Dutch) podcast you get to know the unknown but impressive opera Die ersten Menschen by Rudi Stephan. In part one, dramatist Luc Joosten sketches the cultural and historical context in which the opera was created, and director Calixto Bieito and conductor François-Xavier Roth also have their say. In part two, a musical journey through the score is made with repetitor Jan-Paul Grijpink at the piano.

Deel 1: 'Die ersten Menschen': een inleiding in een bijzondere opera

By: Jasmijn van Wijnen

Deel 2: 'Die ersten Menschen': een reis door de partituur

By: Jasmijn van Wijnen

Interview with François-Xavier Roth

Do you want to read more about Die ersten Menschen and itsmakers? Then read this interview (in Dutch) with François-Xavier Roth in Trouw!

Read the interview

Order tickets

Besides live in the theatre, you can also watch Die ersten Menschen from Friday June 25 at 8 PM (CET) for free via the European culture TV channel ARTE or via this link. The opera will remain available for six months after this.

Loading tickets...

4 June

Die ersten Menschen has all the ingredients to make you experience to the core of your being what opera is

6 June

It is music of the highest order, from extremely oppressive to magnificently radiant ... It was an unparalleled five-star evening.

4 June

Kyle Ketelsen (Adahm), Annette Dasch (Chawa), John Osborn (Chabel) and Leigh Melrose sing and play their murderously heavy roles splendidly and with terrifying intensity.

The Concertgebouw orkest

The Concertgebouworkest was founded in 1888. On the occasion of its 100th anniversary in 1988, the orchestra officially received the appellation ‘Royal’. Based in Amsterdam, the Concertgebouworkest is one of the very best orchestras in the world. Time and time again, critics have lauded its unique sound.