Lectures

Interesting reflections

Which ideas, desires and ideals resonate in the performances of Dutch National Opera & Ballet? How do the great operas and ballets connect with current (life) questions? And how far do their roots in cultural history extend?

In short

In collaboration with the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam and SPUI25, Dutch National Opera & Ballet organizes a series of stimulating lectures that are free of charge and can be visited separately from the performances. Renowned speakers place the productions of Dutch National Opera and Dutch National Ballet in a broader cultural-historical context and connect them with current themes and issues. After each lecture there is room to continue talking with each other and the speaker. The lectures take place in the Odeonzaal of Dutch National Opera & Ballet.

Please note that the lectures in this series are in Dutch.

Free of charge

The lectures are free of charge and are independent activities that can be attended separately from the related performance. In addition, Dutch National Opera & Ballet organizes regular introductions that start 45 minutes before each performance and that prepare you for the visit of the specific production.

The lectures are made possible in part by the Friends of Dutch National Opera and the Friends of Dutch National Ballet.

Upcoming

Schilderij 'De meerminnen' van Ivan Kramskoi

Toverkunst

Wat drijft serieuze kunstenaars ertoe om sprookjes op het toneel te zetten? En waarom is de toverkracht van die volksverhalen ook in onze tijd nog niet uitgewerkt? Een lezing van cultuurhistoricus Joep Leerssen over de achtergronden en aantrekkingskracht van sprookjes in de opera en het ballet.

Maandag 24 oktober

Italiaanse liefde en oriëntaals despotisme

Puccini’s onvoltooide opera Turandot speelt zich af in een mythisch China. Maar hoe Chinees is deze opera werkelijk? En uit welke bronnen putten Puccini en zijn librettisten? Cultuurhistoricus Joep Leerssen verkent de Perzische en Centraal-Aziatische wortels én de Europese vertakkingen van het Turandot-verhaal.

Maandag 5 december