Opera without Victims
© Nik Schölzel
Critical Classics – Opera without Victims
This Website is about non-discriminatory editions of Operas, Operettas and Oratorios. The initiative „Critical Classics“ publishes editions of such works with libretti aproximated to modern standards by experts in diversity and opera. For more information, please go to our ABOUT page.
Critical Classics Edition of „Die Zauberflöte“ is now released
Critical Classics has published its non-discriminatory edition of „Die Zauberflöte“ at the INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SCORE LIBRARY PROJECT (IMSLP). You can download also the libretto, the piano vocal score and an Introduction from this and from befriended websites. If you are interested, please go to our DOWNLOAD page. Alternatively, you may download the material from the websites of LANDESMUSIKRAT NRW. NEUKÖLLNER OPER or OPERA EUROPA (Members Section).
Podcast on the upcoming edition of the St John Passion with the Cultural Commissioner of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD)
On 10 October, Dr Hinrich Claussen, Cultural Representative of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), recorded a podcast with Änne-Marthe Kühn and Berthold Schneider as part of the ‘Draußen mit Claussen’ series. It is mainly about the current work of Critical Classics on a non-discriminatory edition of the St John Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach. Click here to listen to the podcast.
Critical Classics receives funding to develop a non-discriminatory edition of the St John Passion
Both the Amadeu Antonio Foundation and the Municipal Integration Centre of the City of Cologne have decided to support the work of Critical Classics. The funding will make it possible to adequately involve the many necessary partners needed for the edition, to produce the edition to the usual high editorial standard and then to make it available to interested amateur and professional ensembles free of charge.
Critical Classics holds lecture and discussion at Assitej-Meeting in Stuttgart
„From appropriation to recognition – possibilities and potentials of dealing with discriminatory content in classical operas and young music theatre“ – At the opera meeting of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (Assitej) in Stuttgart on 27.10.2024, Cricitcal Classics was invited to give a lecture and hold a discussion event in front of a number of heads of theatre education departments. For the first time, Critical Classics had to deal specifically with the issues of theatre for children and young people. You can download the lecture in German language here.
Radio feature about Critical Classics on Deutschlandfunk
On Tuesday, 09.07.2024, 10.05pm, a radio feature by music journalist Thilo Braun with Critical Classics team members Aşkın-Hayat Doğan, Berthold Schneider and Julia Jones will be broadcast on Deutschlandfunk’s „Musikszene“. Tune in to hear in depth about our edition of “Die Zauberflöte” and the debate surrounding our project as well as the changing of operatic texts in general. You can also hear our versions of the duet „Bei Männern“ and a recording of the new Papagena-Papageno-dialogues recorded by Deutschlandfunk for this feature! If you don’t want to wait: listen to the duet in our Download section.
The Landesmusikrat NRW and Critical Classics have agreed an official partnership.
The Landesmusikrat NRW supports the aims of the initiative, in particular the creation of editions which include the original texts in their entirety and provide all possibilities of faithfulness to the intentions of the authors, but which also propose alternative versions and explain the contexts.
The results of the initiative’s work will be presented by the Landesmusikrat NRW as an umbrella organisation with the relevant member associations and, if necessary will be further developped. Our focus is primarily on oratorios that are frequently performed by music lovers in North Rhine-Westphalia. Here, the stimulation of discourse can lead to a valuable sensitisation of performers and music lovers in the amateur music scene.
Prof. Dr. Christine Siegert, Präsidentin des Landesmusikrats NRW
Prof. Dr. Robert v. Zahn, Generalsekretär des Landesmusikrats NRW
„From now on, not only the original text of the Mozart opera must be read critically, but also that of the Edition by Critical Classics – but it’s worth it!“ Deutschlandfunk, 12 Feb. 2024
National radio Deutschlandfunk Kultur und Deutschlandradio as well as WDR 3 have broadcast programmes on CC. In „Tonart“ (8′) you hear Leyla Ercan, in „Streitkultur“ (25′) in DLR, you can hear an 8 min review on the Critical Classics Edition of „Die Zauberflöte“ in „Musikjournal“. Please klick on the Buttons below.