A mixture of music, theater and poetic text can be heard in the great hall of the Dutch National Opera. Sopranista Maayan Licht and mezzo-soprano Carina Vinke perform the story of Mariza, who finds herself between life and an unfathomable future, an intermediate state that is impressively portrayed in this production.
The performance, titled Requiem for Mariza, is a musical theater work that deals with the transition from life to death. The piece is a contemporary requiem with a libretto by Sarah Sluimer and music by Meriç Artaç, who is making her composition debut with Dutch National Opera. The production is carried by the New European Ensemble and the Dutch National Opera chorus. Silvia Costa is providing the mise en espace, giving the whole a special stage design. Lighting designer Marco Giusti complements this with careful lighting that enhances the scenes.
Requiem for Mariza falls under the programming of the Opera Forward Festival and is made possible by a co-production between the November Music festival and Dutch National Opera & Ballet. The performance is part of a special anniversary edition of the festival. Besides the leading roles by Maayan Licht and Carina Vinke, Cappella Amsterdam also plays an important role in the musical framework. The whole is a multidisciplinary musical theater that weaves music, drama and poetry into a penetrating experience.
The combination of New European Ensemble, Chorus of Dutch National Opera and poetic texts creates an extraordinary theatrical landscape.
This production, which will premiere in the 2025-2026 season, offers a structured look at the theme of transition and temporality. In doing so, it aligns with broader developments within contemporary musical theater and allows new voices to be heard within the genre.