By Thea Derks
Young composer Mathilde Wantenaar's star is rising fast. In 2013, she collaborated on the Boom|Amsterdam is an operaproject , two years later she wrote the mini-opera personar for the first edition of the Opera Forward Festival. On 18 March, her family opera A Song for the Moon will have its world premiere, concluding the fifth instalment of this festival.
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'I had known Toon Tellegen's work for some time, my parents used to read it to me when I was little and I still enjoy his stories; occasionally I read them to my boyfriend before we go to sleep. During a period when I was going through a rough patch at the conservatoire, I read the collection Misschien wist zij alles in one go. The stories are simultaneously comforting, uplifting, wonderful and above all very beautiful. They lifted me above my grief and made me calm.'
'I did not yet know the book A Song for the Moon and when I read through it, I was immediately touched. It appealed to me that Tellegen addresses themes of loneliness, identity, disappointment and friendship. I especially like that music plays a central role in it, ideal for an opera. De Mol, the main character, goes through a real development. In the beginning he is a bit shy and insecure, but eventually, thanks to the music, he crawls out of his shell, makes friends and goes out into the wide world.'
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'The beauty is that the story is excellent for children to follow, but at the same time has so much philosophical depth that it is also interesting for adults. The Cricket sings: ‘With music you can make anything’. For me, that is the essence of this opera.'