Lodewijk Mortelmans 1868-1952

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100 years after its world premiere at the Royal Flemish Opera, De Munt/La Monnaie, conducted by chief conductor Alain Altinoglu, performs two concert performances of Lodewijk Mortelmans' only opera 'The Children of the Sea'.

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Illustration of 'The Children of the Sea' as published in the art magazine 'De Vlaamse School' from 1900.

 

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FRAMEWORK FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS

 
This special event will be framed by various activities primarily aimed at conservatory students and recently graduated musicians.
 
1. LODEWIJK MORTELMANS: LIFE AND WORK
 
2. ACCOMPANYING ACTIVITIES
 
The performances of Mortelmans' opera by La Monnaie are an ideal opportunity to introduce young pre-professional and professional musicians to the life and work of Lodewijk Mortelmans, and to his vocal oeuvre in particular.
 
2.1. STUDY DAY
 
The study day is primarily aimed at students of the Belgian Conservatories and students of musicology, but can also be attended as an introduction by those who wish to attend the performance.
 
2.2. MASTER CLASS FOR SINGERS AND ACCOMPANISTS
 
The intention is to invite conservatory students from the vocal and piano accompaniment departments, as well as young professional singers and pianists, to a masterclass in which they will be coached by two eminent musicians, namely mezzo-soprano Lucienne Van Deyck and pianist Jozef De Beenhouwer.
 
2.3. ‘MORTELMANS-MARATHON’
 
During the 'Mortelmans marathon' the integral song production of Mortelmans will be performed in one day during an aperitif concert, an afternoon concert and an evening concert by participants of the masterclass and some young professional singers.
This special event can also be followed on Facebook via a live stream.
 
 
Organisation:
Studiecentrum voor Vlaamse Muziek vzw in collaboration with Labo XIX&XX (Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen), the Mortelmans Foundation and La Monnaie
 
 
Jan Dewilde
Studiecentrum voor Vlaamse Muziek
Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen (AP Hogeschool)
 
Jan Van Rijswijcklaan 115, Antwerpen 2018
jan.dewilde@ap.be - +32 3 244 18 20
 
 
 
 

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From CD Phaedra In Flanders' Fields 92097 by Jan Dewilde, SVM

 
The 'Children of the Sea' is Mortelmans' unique opera. It was probably intended to add luster to the silver jubilee of the Antwerp Royal Flemish Opera in 1918, but World War I precluded that.
It was eventually decided to proclaim the 1919-1920 season the jubilee season, and to put two popular Flemish operas on again, Jan Block's'Herbergprinses' (The Inn's Princess) and 'Quinten Massys' by Emile Wambach.
De 'Kinderen der Zee' was premiered on March 27, 1920.
Its libretto was written by Rafaël Verhulst (1866-1941), a dramatist, its subtitle, appropriately, is 'dramatic lyricism in three acts'.
It is rhymed and has arias, duets, ensembles and choirs. Its publication in 1900, which had been awarded the prize in the 'competition for drama writing' by the city of Antwerp, already mentioned that it 'was being set to music by Lodewijk Mortelmans'.
The action is near the sea, in the 17th century, 'when lighthouses were still lit with real fires'.
 
 

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Lodewijk Mortelmans - sheet music
 

Fragment of the theme of the fateful forecast
from "The Children of the Sea",
 
to my friend
Jules Baetes
Lod. Mortelmans 30 jan. 1904