Lotje van Pesch
What brought you to My Muse & Me?
“Just as Fidelio was about to change to My Muse & Me, I joined. I then witnessed the release of My Muse & Me. I learned about My Muse & Me through an old-school Facebook event. That happened more than five years ago.”
When was your first visit to Dutch National Opera & Ballet?
“I went to Dutch National Opera & Ballet for the first time in 2009. We went with the Drama class, learning about dramaturgy and theatre history. We saw Salome by Richard Strauss, directed by Peter Konwitschny. We had preparation lessons at school for the performance and theme. A lot happened during the performance, and I became an instant fan. Following that, I attended other performances through student alerts and Flirt XL evenings.”
What is your favourite performance at Dutch National Opera & Ballet, and why?
“That’s a tough one. One performance that has definitely stayed with me is Prokofiev’s L’amour des trois oranges. I loved the combination of Prokofiev’s music and the costumes used in that production. In addition, Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites moved me deeply. The music is lovely, and the production has a touching ending. The audience fell utterly silent at the end of the performance. By the way, Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims was also lovely. So much happened there, including magnificent choral pieces!”
What makes Dutch National Opera & Ballet special, in your opinion?
“I like the fact that at Dutch National Opera & Ballet the two houses are really united. Furthermore, there is always a fair balance of new and traditional productions. For example, they frequently perform Swan Lake but also alternate it with new performances. As a result, it never becomes dull.”
Classic opera reimagined, or an innovative, new production?
“New productions are always interesting since you never know what you’re going to get. However, a classic opera reimagined can still be incredibly unique. You may have watched an opera many times, but the new production emphasises new themes, allowing you to get to know it in a new way. Furthermore, times change, as do perceptions of certain points of view regarding content. It would be interesting to address this in a new production. Thus, a new production can keep you thinking while also revealing recognised themes in centuries-old works.”