Opera Zuid

Le Villi is an unforgettable dance opera full of passion, love, and mystique. Giacomo Puccini based his first opera on the ancient Central European myths of the Vilja: young women who died of a broken heart.

Earlier, this myth was used for the creation of the world-famous ballet Giselle. Especially for the production of Opera Zuid, the Dutch composer Karmit Fadael is composing a prelude on the theme of the dark forest as a metaphor for getting lost in life.

The Story
Anna and Roberto celebrate their engagement, but then he has to pick up an inheritance in the city. 'Non ti scordar di me! - Don't forget me!', Anna calls after her beloved out of fear that he won't return. Roberto assures her that he will come back, after which they will marry. Winter arrives, and the wait for her beloved becomes too much for Anna. She succumbs to a broken heart. On his journey back, unaware that Anna has died, Roberto is tempted. Once home, the spirit of Anna appears to him. She has become a Villi. Roberto prays in vain for forgiveness, but Anna is determined to avenge him.

Le Villi takes you to a world where love and loss meet in an enchanting interplay of music, drama, and dance. For the direction of Le Villi, Opera Zuid chooses none other than the experienced choreographer, actress, aerialist, and producer Dreya Weber (known from P!nk).

• Sung in Italian with Dutch and English surtitles
• Join the free introduction in English on May 16 at 6:15 pm please sign up here
  and on May 18 at 1:45 pm please sign up here

About Silenzio
Opera Zuid commissioned the Dutch composer Karmit Fadael to create a piece that resonates with the themes of Giacomo Puccini's Le Villi. Silenzio is Fadael's contemporary response to this. In Le Villi, and in Dreya Weber's staging of it, the forest plays a central role. This became the starting point for the composer: the forest as a metaphor for everyone's quest in life.

Inspired by the word silenzio – silence – Fadael explores in her composition the contemplation of thoughts, the inner search, and the musical expression of someone seeking themselves. Fadael's reflection on Anna, the main character in Le Villi, is striking. She too turns to the forest to find answers to her life's questions, and she too finds peace and silence in the embrace of the trees.