“The famous figure of Malvolio is at the centre of the pocket opera. Fool, comedian and at the same time tragically deceived – this enduring ambivalence of the character leaves room for the music theatre to be independent and is explored in exemplary fashion in the letter scene. When and how does the music smile, when does it know what Malvolio does not yet know?” Gordon Kampe
Gordon Kampe’s musical theatre is comedic, almost operetta-like. He combines all the essential Malvolio scenes into a coherent dramolet, with small, highly articulation-laden, almost cartoonish musical interludes transitioning from one stupidity of the protagonist to the next stupidity. The mood changes, colourfulness and the compositional ironische create an unique score.
Gordon Kampe places Malvolio, Countess Olivia’s steward, at the centre – and does so in two versions as tenor (Christian Sturm) and countertenor (Bernhard Landauer): 35 tragicomic minutes – from the forged love letter to self-deception on the brink of madness.
I want to smile, smile, smile
Music theatre for soprano, countertenor, a singing actress and ensemble
based on William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
Commissioned work for the 2019 Pocket Opera Festival Salzburg
Music Gordon Kampe
Direction Thierry Bruehl
Marie Tehila Nini Goldstein
Olivia Bina Blumencron
Malvolio 1 Bernhard Landauer
Malvolio 2 Christian Sturm
