Verbena

for baritone, bass, contemporary vocalist, vocal group, and ensemble

Libretto: Annelotte Lammertse

Duration: 14 minutes

Commissioned by the Dutch National Opera

In the garden between the columbine, the cherry and the wisteria is Verbena on her knees. Stuck into the earth, she only has attention for her paradise. The plants seduce her, and slowly Verbena disappears. Nobody can reach her anymore, not her husband, not her daughter. With fingers full of green she only colours the walls that imprison her. She is not herself anymore, but only desire. And the garden blossoms, grows…

Instrumentation:
Recorders (Tenor, Alto, Soprano, Sopranino, Basset)
Harp
Percussion
Viola
Viola da Gamba
Double Bass
Electronics

Artistic Team:
Director – Rosemintje Verpaalen
Scenography – Lisanne Bovée
Dramaturgy – Koen Bartijn
Production – Eva Banning, Jan de Ronde, Anouk Thijsseling
Conductor – Nicolò Umberto Foron

Cast:
Verbena – Lionel von Lawrence
Vader – Jasper Leever
Crocus – Tjaša Fajdiga
Plants – Jessica de Boer, Chrisje Catlender, Ruth Elings, Manon Nijenhuis, Wakaba Otsu, Suze Terwisscha, Sara Tompkins, Lizet Vink

Musicians:
Juho Myllylä – Recorders
Juan Sebastián Blanco – Harp
Agostinho Sequeira – Percussion
Nikolaï Clavier – Viola
Miron Andres – Viola da Gamba
Lucas Faucher – Contrabass
Dennis Matos – Electronics

Performed at:
Dutch National Opera, Montagehal – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Composers’ Festival – Amsterdam, The Netherlands