Kommander Kobayashi

Kommander Kobayashi

2005 – 2007

Opera Saga
a concept by Sebastian Bark and Sven Holm
saga texts written by Tobias Dusche

For Kommander Kobayashi NOVOFLOT has developed a new format: the opera saga.

Kommander Kobayashi is the pivotal figure. Together with his crew he navigates the spaceship La Fenice through time and space, in search of a mission (or trying to escape from it). It is an odyssey through the vast universe, that continuously surges against the mind, that wants to be understood, withstood or at least survived.The saga remains unfinished to this day. It unfolded as a series of several short chamber operas conceived by different composers. For each episode, a new station of the Odyssey was developed. The main characters remained the same - the setting, genre, themes and guest stars were determined anew each time. Two or three of these approximately 30-minute episodes together formed a season and at the same time the program for an evening. The operatic saga turns into an odyssey through a hybrid and expanding universe of contemporary opera.

Kommander Kobayashi, Series 1

With compositions by Moritz Eggert, Aleksandra Gryka, Ricardas Kabelis, Juha T. Koskinen, Helmut Oehring (episode #1), ­Jennifer Walshe (episode #2)

Ensemble
Ensemble © Katja Ruge
Jörg Wilkendorf, Soichi Kobayashi
Jörg Wilkendorf, Soichi Kobayashi © Katja Ruge
Jennifer Walshe
Jennifer Walshe © Katja Ruge
More about Kommander Kobayashi, Series 1     Cast

Pilot episode
4 Hermenauten
Four short operas by Juha T. Koskinen, Moritz Eggert, Aleksandra Gryka and Ricardas Kabelis

episode #1
Kobayashi singt (unter fremden Sternen)
[Kobayashi sings (under alien stars)]
Composed by Helmut Oehring

episode #2
Kommander Kobayashi #17
„set phasers on KILL!“
Composed by Jennifer Walshe

Premiere
at the Hamburgische Staatsoper on January 14, 2005


in co-production with Hamburgische Staatsoper,
UltraSchall – Das Festival für Neue Musik, Sophiensæle

Composition:
Moritz Eggert
Aleksandra Gryka
Ricardas Kabelis
Juha T. Koskinen
Helmut Oehring Folge #1
Jennifer Walshe Folge #2

Ensemble:
Meik Schwalm Ma’
Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir Go
Julia Henning Tii!
Sibylle Fischer Scrabble
Soichi Kobayashi Kommander Kobayashi
Giuseppe Giuranna Sign language actor soloist
Jörg Wilkendorf Solo e-guitar
Jennifer Walshe Ine

Orchestra:
Birgit Schmieder Oboe
Christian Vogel Bass Clarinet
Dianna Gaetjens & Tibor Szilli Horn
Ulf Behrens & Johann Plietzsch Trumpet
Karsten Süßmilch & Peter Wilden Trombone
Florian Goltz & Dobromira Kur Bass drum & percussion
Saori Tomidokoro & Arno Waschk Piano/celesta
Philip Douvier Violin
Dirk Beisse & Werner Klemm Violoncello
Matthias Bauer Double bass

Team:

Sven Holm Director
Vicente Larrañaga Musical director
Leonie von Arnim Stage design
Bettina Latscha Costume design
Philip Kießling (halbbild) Video

Alexandra Grieß & Carsten Schmidt (Ullastress.blackdata) Video
Jo Rychlik (aufderlichtung) Video
Jörg Bittner Light design
Sebastian Bark Dramaturg
Torsten Ottersberg (GOGH surround music) ­Sound conception & production
Stefan Fragner Production management

Fausto Nardi Assistant to the Musical Director Moshe Landsberg & Phillip Mayers & Saori Tomidokoro Accompanists Lisa Degenhardt & Elisabeth Hofmann Assistants to the director Mareike Jetten & Stefanie Klein & Anett Diestel Assistant to the stage designer Stefanie Bäuerle Assistant to the costume designer Anett Hohenberg Making of the costumes Dörte Wolter Assistant to the production manager Vanessa Offen Press and public relations Uwe Schönfeld Sign language interpreter Nora Werdich Assistant to the sign language actor soloist Heinrich Tröger Stage construction, Werkstätten der ­Hamburgischen Staatsoper Martin Danisch Direction trainee Einsdreiundsiebzig Graphic design­ Manuel Reinartz, Katja Ruge Photography Véronique Cabois & Oliver Kratz & Hans Schauerte Documentation

Kommander Kobayashi, Series 2

With compositions by Aleksandra Gryka und Sergej Newski

Sibylle Fischer, Eiko Morikawa, Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir
Sibylle Fischer, Eiko Morikawa, Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir © Benjamin Krieg
Ensemble
Ensemble © David Baltzer
Ensemble
Ensemble © Benjamin Krieg
More about Kommander Kobayashi, Series 2     Cast

Episode #3:
Die Zerstörung von Moskau ist keine Lösung
[The Destruction of Moscow Is Not a Solution]

Episode #3:
SCREAM YOU

Premiere
at Sophiensæle, Berlin on September 8, 2006


in co-production with Festival Warschauer Herbst,
Théâtre National du Luxembourg, Sophiensæle

Composition:
Aleksandra Gryka Episode #4
Sergej Newski Episode #3

Ensemble:

Daniel Henriks Ma’
Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir Go
Eiko Morikawa Tii!
Sibylle Fischer Scrabble
Soichi Kobayashi Kommander Kobayashi
Judith Kamphues Laika
Kaspar Kröner Sergej Pawlowitsch
Jan Oczkowski Twin 1
Alexander Cegla Twin 2

Ensemble Mosaik:
Christian Vogel Clarinet
Nathan Plante Trumpet
Matthias Jann & Chih-Sheng Tien Trombone
Roland Neffe Percussion
Ernst Surberg Piano
Chatschatur Kanajan Violin
Karen Lorenz Viola
Dirk Beiße Violoncello
Matthias Bauer Double bass
Boris Baltschun Samples

Team:

Sven Holm Direction
Vicente Larrañaga Musical direction
Constanze Fischbeck Stage and costume design
Philip Kießling, halbbild Video
Jörg Bittner Lighting design
Sebastian Bark Dramaturgy
Janka Voigt Production management

Rahel Fiona Juschka & Malaika Eschbaumer Assistants to the director Anja Bihlmaier Assistant to the musical director Saori Tomidokoro Accompanist ­Susanne Theiss, Carla Ehrlich Assistant to the stage designer Tatjana Saller Costume maker ­ Christiane Boy Assistant to the production manager Jörg Bittner & Dirk Lutz Technical direction Johanna Badorz & Lisa Franke Costume trainees Henning Wagenbreth Illustrations & poster Jörg Liebsch Graphic design Benjamin Krieg Photography ­Philip Kießling Documentation

Kommander Kobayashi, Series 3

With compositions by Klaus Lang und Gryllus Samu Libretto: Sebastian Bark, Sven Holm, Klaus Lang

Eiko Morikawa
Eiko Morikawa © Elisa Limberg
László Tömösközi, Anna Füri, Gábor Bizják
László Tömösközi, Anna Füri, Gábor Bizják © Elisa Limberg
© Elisa Limberg
Soichi Kobayashi, Sibylle Fischer
Soichi Kobayashi, Sibylle Fischer © Elisa Limberg
Soichi Kobayashi
Soichi Kobayashi © Elisa Limberg
Rupert Bergmann
Rupert Bergmann © David Baltzer
Ensemble, Chor, Blasorchester Köpenick
Ensemble, Chor, Blasorchester Köpenick © David Baltzer
More about Kommander Kobayashi, Series 3     Cast

Episode #5
Aoihana darf nicht sterben! [Aoihana must not die!]

Episode #6
am ende. [at the end.]

Premiere
at Sophiensæle, Berlin on September 7, 2007


in co-production with Sophiensæle and Trafó, Budapest

Composition:
Klaus Lang Episode #6
Gryllus Samu Episode #5

Libretto:
Sebastian Bark, Sven Holm, Klaus Lang

Ensemble:
Rupert Bergmann Ma’
Sibylle Fischer Scrabble
Eiko Morikawa Tii!
Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir Go (Video)
Soichi Kobayashi Kommander Kobayashi
Anna Füri Meisterin

Ensemble Mosaik:
Christian Vogel Clarinet
Ernst Surberg Keyboards/organ
Karen Lorenz Viola
Werner Klemm Violoncello
Matthias Bauer Double bass

Guest musicians:
László Tömösközi Percussion
Gábor Bizják Horn

Brass Orchestra Köpenick:
Bettina Gentzen, Claudia Hein, Jaqueline Langmann, Jens Mietzelfeld, Sven Mietzelfeld, Jeanette ­Papenthin, Gerhard Schwarz, Annegret Sperling, Jana Sperling, Jens Sperling, Tina Sperling, Andreas Tauchert, Antje Wersig

Choir:
Flock, Kerstin Fuchs, Silvia Gruber, Inga Hahn, Karsten Kassner, Andreas Liebmann, Anne Linder, Katharina Mahrt, Anna Neumann, Stefan von der Mark, Maren Rennoch, Konrad Rudolf, Anneli Rueling, Sanja Schilling, Ireen Trautmann, Jan Uplegger, Stefan Wellhöner, Imke Wilms, Björn Wirtjes u. a.

Team:

Sven Holm Direction
Vicente Larrañaga Musical direction
Elisa Limberg Stage and costume design
Jörg Bittner Lighting design
Sebastian Bark Dramaturgy
Dörte Wolter Production management
András Halmos Budapest Producer

Lisa Degenhardt & Elisabeth Hofmann Assistant to the director Itay Dvori ­Assistant to the musical director Saori Tomidokoro ­Accompanist Anne Steiger Assistant to the stage designer and cinematographer Anke Gänz Stage and costume trainee Verena Rast Production and direction trainee Milchhof ­Graphic design David Baltzer Photography Philip Kießling ­Documentation