a chamber opera, original version
by
Anne Ku
Last update: 21 May 2007
Created: 2 May 2007
Meiyanda (Nicky Bouwers, alto) ponders over her decision to leave her country to study in the Netherlands, where thankfully she meets Willem (Gerben Budding, bass) who is eager to introduce his friends, among them Hendrik Jan (Gerben Budding). MeiyandaÕs desire to fit in are sometimes opposed by her inner self, the two echoes (sopranos played by Ingrid N. and Maria Pozdnyakova.)
Thurs 26 April 2007 Scores to cast
Thurs 3 May 2007 First rehearsal (without harp) H214
Tues 8 May 2007 from 2:30 pm Group rehearsal in K128
Thursday 10 May 2007 1:45 pm to 3 pm in K118
Monday 14 May 2007 from 12 noon group rehearsal K118
Monday 21 May 2007 Dress Rehearsal from 9:30 am in K&W Hall
Monday 21 May 2007 at 7:00 pm K&W Premiere
Saturday 9 June 2007 evening - private house concert -- to be confirmed
| Overture | midi | piano, harp | ||
| What I Miss | midi | harp, alto | ||
| It Takes Getting Used To | midi | harp, voices | ||
| Invitation to Amsterdam | midi | piano, alto, bass | updated 6 May | |
| I Want Something | midi | synthesizer/bass, females | ||
| Ham or Cheese | midi | synthesizer, alto, bass | updated 7 May - includes duo cadenza |
CAST & biography
Nicky Bouwers, alto
Gerben Budding, bass & overture pianist
Maria Pozdynakov, soprano, harpist
Ingrid N., soprano
Charlie Bo Meijering, pianist
programme notes (3 page pdf)
Born in Brunei of Chinese parents, Anne Ku spent her childhood in Okinawa and received a full scholarship to Duke University in the US where she studied piano under Randall Love. Besides studying composition at HKU Faculty of Music, she is also active promoting piano guitar duo music, writing didactic music for piano education , and as organiser of the Monument House Concert Series in Utrecht.
Overture for piano and harp
Meiyanda:
Is it food? Is it home that I miss when alone.
Is it hunger or a longing?
Is it real or am I dreaming of the life IÕve left behind?
Heartache in my mind.
The answer I must find.
In these long winter nights
I think of what I miss.
Not the cold, the wet or windy.
Not the dark and gloomy clouds that bring tears into my eyes.
Another world had I,
once upon a time.
Willem, Meiyanda, Ingrid:
The cold takes getting used to.
The rain takes getting used to.
The wind takes getting used to.
Too cold, too wet, too dark, too too cold, too wet, too dark, too cold!
The cold makes me hungry, hungry, hungry.
The cold makes me hungry, hungry, hungry.
The cold makes me hungry.
The cold takes getting used to.
Too hungry, too hungry, too cold!
Willem:
My best friend Hendrik-Jan invites us to his home
in Amsterdam he lives on his own.
HendrikJan he wants us to be there very soon
And stay all afternoon.
Meiyanda:
Should we eat before we go?
Will we eat there, do you know?
If we leave here before ten,
IÕll be hungry until then.
Willem, Meiyanda, Ingrid, Maria:
You need not worry when
Hendrik Jan
Hendrik Jan he is my oldest friend
IÕll be hungry until then.
You need not worry when
IÕll be hungry until then.
Hendrik Jan is my oldest friend, oldest friend.
WeÕll need not worry then.
No worries then.
He is our friend, our friend from Amsterdam.
[IÕll be hungry until then.]
Hendrik Jan.
Meiyanda, Ingrid, Maria:
I want something hot, hot, hot
to fill my stomach up, up, up
definitely not, not, not
definitely not, not, not
a cold sandwich.
Tell me, have you got, got, got
something really hot, hot, hot
something really hot, hot, hot and spicy
something really warm, warm, warm and juicy
sweet, sweet, sweet and sour
Anything that I can devour
Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me
What, what, what
have you, have you, have you, have you
got, got, got?
In Amsterdam, Hendrik Jan welcomes Willem and Meiyanda to his home.
Hendrik Jan, Meiyanda, Ingrid, Maria:
Ham or cheese?
Excuse me please?
Ham or cheese? Ham or cheese? Ham or cheese?
What did you say?
Ham or cheese?
Is that the ham from the package?
Cheese from the fridge?
The salty things you put on bread?
Thin slice of ham
Thin slice of cheese
A single thin slice of something I donÕt eat
Unless thereÕs nothing else to eat
As a guest to Amsterdam
IÕve been offered cheese and ham.
No! No! No!
Ham or cheese?
Must I now choose between
Ham or cheese? Ham or cheese?
Ham and cheese?
Ham or cheese? Ham or cheese? Ham or cheeese?
WonÕt you help me please?
Ham or cheese? Must I choose between?
Ham or cheese? Ham or cheese?
DonÕt you want?
I donÕt want
DonÕt you want?
I donÕt want
Ham or cheese!
[I will be hungry after all.]
ANNE KU, composer
Born in Brunei of Chinese parents, Anne Ku was active as an accompanist, pianist, keyboardist, and piano teacher in Okinawa, Japan. She won a full scholarship to Duke University (USA) where she studied piano under Randall Love and graduated magna cum laude with an engineering and math degree. Currently in her third year of composition studies under Caroline Ansink and Jeroen DÕHoe at Utrecht Conservatory, Anne performs regularly with her piano guitar duo.
NICKY BOUWERS, alto [Meiyanda]
Nicky Bouwers studied piano with Rudy de Heus at the preparatory class at the Zwolle Conservatory. After obtaining her masters degree in public administration at Twente University in 2001, she joined a choir and took voice lessons with Rianne Vogten in Nuenen. At Utrecht Conservatory, she has been following conducting lessons with Danny Oosterman and voice studies with Eugenie Ditewig.
GERBEN BUDDING, bass [Willem, Hendrik-Jan], pianist
Gerben Budding began his organ studies at the age of six. He has given organ recitals in Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam, Grote Kerk Dordrecht and St.Ludgerikirche Norden, among others. Besides being organist at three churches, Gerben is also active as an organ teacher and accompanist (organ and harpsichord) and conductor of two mixed choirs. At Utrecht Conservatory, he is studying organ with Reitze Smits, choral conducting with Rob Vermeulen, and singing with Hanny van Lankeren.
MARIA POZDNYAKOVA, soprano and harpist
Born in Moscow, Maria Pozdnyakova began her musical education when she was four and the harp when she was six. After graduating from Moscow State Musical College named efter Gnessins, she continued her education in the Fine Arts Academy of Moscow under Prof. Emilia Moskvitina. In 2006 she came to Utrecht Conservatory to study under Erika Waardenburg in the third year of BMus. Maria has been singing her entire life everywhere - even in Austria, with an amateur choir. She plans to continue taking voice lessons.
CHARLIE BO MEIJERING, pianist
Born in Amsterdam to Dutch composer Chiel Meijering and painter and lithographer Elma Oosterhoff, Charlie Bo Meijering encountered the arts at a very early age. After a year of general music lessons at the Bach School he began taking piano lessons at age seven. His first teacher Liesbeth Langendijk introduced him to different types of piano music. Eight years later, he began studying under Dani‘l Kramer who encouraged Charlie to get on stage as often as possible. Under his influence, Charlie is now finishing his first year in piano at Utrecht Conservatory.