The Convert, a grand opera by Wim Henderickx
'𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗺.' 𝗜𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁, 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗺 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘅 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗞𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗹𝘆-𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵.
With Vigdis Adelaïs, Hertmans has created a strong woman who, at the time of the First Crusade at the end of the 11th century, was torn between her Christian upbringing and the Jewish faith, to which she has converted for her beloved, taking the new name Hamoutal. The Convert tells the story of a young mother who, in times of religious violence, is the victim of a pogrom and tragically perishes in her search for her kidnapped children.
Henderickx's compositions are unique in finding a bridge between musical languages. In his score, influences from Western early music, modernism and film music merge in a symbiotic way with both Jewish and Arab traditions to create a contemporary opera in which Vigdis' epic life story is told through sound.
Koen Kessels conducts the Symphony Orchestra Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, soprano Lore Binon sings the title role and six singers from different vocal traditions perform the numerous other characters. In addition to members of the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen Chorus and Children's Chorus, an Antwerp community choir is also part of the line-up. Director and visual artist Hans Op de Beeck, who is also responsible for the scenography and costume design, creates a poetic visual world in which Vigdis' quest takes centre stage in a bygone world that is astonishingly similar to ours.
𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠
Director | Steven Maes
Assistant director & découpage | Hans Vercauteren
Editor | Tom Brewaeys
DOP & camera | Arthur Moelants
Camera | Xin Van Damme, Arno De Facq, Flor Maeyens
Music producer | Hans Vercauteren
Music mixing | Steven Maes
Music recording | Robin Breugelmans
Chief engineer | Floren Van Stichel
Composer | Wim Henderickx
Musical direction | Koen Kessels
Direction, scenography and costume design | Hans Op de Beeck
Electronics | Jorrit Tamminga
Lighting design | Peter Quasters
Dramaturgy | Koen Bollen
Choral conducting | Jan Schweiger
Children’s choir conducting | Hendrik Derolez
𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧
Lore Binon, Vincenzo Neri, Amel Brahim-Djelloul, Françoise Atlan, Daniel Arnaldos, Luvuyo Mbundu and Guido Jentjens
Symphonic orchestra, choir and children’s choir of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen
City choir, Madam Fortuna in collaboration with Meeting Centre Het Oude Badhuis