De Apenrots

For centuries, the opera repertoire has been dominated by male perspectives. In many famous works, the story is experienced through the eyes of a man, female characters are shaped by male ideals, and men speak on behalf of women.

In De Apenrots (lit. Monkey Rock, a Dutch expression referring to male-dominated hierarchies), five male singers from Dutch National Opera Studio scrutinise the opera repertoire under the direction of Rennik-Jan Neggers. In Studio Boekman, they perform scenes from The Rape of Lucretia (Britten) and Così fan tutte (Mozart), reflecting on the roles they sing – on their judgements, on how they confuse desire with love, and power with justice.

By performing these scenes without female counterparts, the singers hold up a mirror to themselves: what does this repertoire say about masculinity – then and now? And how do they relate to the notions of masculinity that resonate through these works?