{"id":22245,"date":"2025-11-05T11:02:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T10:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neukoellneroper.de\/?post_type=play&p=22245"},"modified":"2026-05-06T16:02:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:02:21","slug":"selemo","status":"publish","type":"play","link":"https:\/\/www.neukoellneroper.de\/en\/performance\/selemo\/","title":{"rendered":"Selemo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u00a9 Peter van Heesen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe world keeps dreaming of spring.<\/em>\u201d
(Tom Waits \u2013 You Can Never Hold Back Spring)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back into the light, into beauty, and into life! Spring represents the power of transformation, rebirth, and an ancient promise of prosperity. What can this fantasy of abundance mean for us \u2013 culturally, spiritually, and sonically \u2013 across geographical boundaries?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The South African composers and performers S\u2019busiso Shozi and Nhlanhla Mahlangu from Johannesburg\u2019s Centre for the Less Good Idea approach the concept of spring anew with the chamber opera SELEMO \u2013 through body, sound, and voice. Together with soloists and orchestral musicians of the Komische Oper Berlin, they engage in a musical conversation about returning to a deeply rooted understanding of nature beyond the colonial calendar system. African rites of passage encounter baroque splendor, Antonio Vivaldi\u2019s violin concerto The Four Seasons<\/em> meets Umkhosi woMhlanga, the ritual reed dance of the Swazi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turbulence, grief, and beauty: For many South Africans, the first season symbolizes not only the end of (winter\u2019s) hardship, but is also concretely tied to historical-political memories of student uprisings and strikes. Just as spring itself repeatedly refuses to settle, the springtime opera SELEMO falters, repeats, and begins anew in three movements. Its world premiere at the music theater festival SCHALL&RAUSCH demonstrates that the hope for renewal must be tested again and again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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CO-COMPOSER, MUSICAL DIRECTOR<\/strong> S\u2019busiso Shozi CO-COMPOSER<\/strong>, STAGE DIRECTOR<\/strong> Nhlanhla Mah\u00adlan\u00adgu MUSICAL MENTOR<\/strong> Neo Muyanga PRODUCER<\/strong> Bronwyn Lace ASSOCIATE PRODUCER<\/strong> Dimakatso Motholo COSTUMES \/ STAGE DESIGN<\/strong> Nthabiseng Malaka STAGE DESIGN ASSISTENT<\/strong> Elena Gorlatova LIGHT DESIGN<\/strong> Michael Inglis VISUAL ARTIST<\/strong> Marcus Neustetter SCRIPT WRITER<\/strong> Stacey Hardy DRAMATURGY<\/strong> Sophie Jira\/Dennis Depta ASSISTANT DIRECTOR <\/strong>\/ STAGE MANAGER<\/strong> Sandra M. Heinzelmann PRODUCTION MANAGER<\/strong><\/strong> Lucia Leyser<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WITH<\/strong> the performers Hlengiwe Lushaba Madlala, Tshegofatso Khunwane, Gregory \u201cKekelingo\u201d Mabusela, Vhahangwele Moopo, Pertunia Msani, Al\u00adma Sa\u00add\u00e9 \/ Polly Ott and the musicians Deniz Tahberer, Julia Lindner de Azevedo Conte, Magdalena Bogner, Arnulf Ballhorn and Tuy\u00eat Pham<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PREMIERE <\/strong>12 February 2026 DURATION <\/strong>70 minutes, no break
LANGUAGES <\/strong>isiZulu, Sesotho, Tshivenda,\u00a0German,\u00a0English and French <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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