The most fun opera in a long time
Even Queen Beatrix came to the Amsterdamse Stadsschouwburg for a reconstruction of what you might with some good will perhaps call the first Dutch opera: Granida by the Dutch playwright P.C. Hooft.
Apart from a few tragedies one rarely sees stagings of early Dutch theatre repertoire. Even Hooft’s Granida, one of the 17th century’s top hits, has been all but forgotten. […] This reconstruction by Ipermestra shows how undeserved that is. One hopes it will prove the beginning of a renaissance of this genre, for these plays are very entertaining to watch and listen to, especially considering their historical context. […]
Granida is a production with a lot of action and humor, tempting both ear and eye. […] It is one of the most fun productions in a long time, and very high-quality musically.
Oswin Schneeweisz, Algemeen Dagblad, 8 April 2009
A new life for Granida
[…] In the Amsterdamse Stadsschouwburg, in the presence of Queen Beatrix, the Dutch playwright Hooft’s 17th-century pastoral Granida was premiered in a beautiful and catching production. More than half the story was sung - like an opera, therefore. Or was it?
Wim Trompert has realized a long-cherished desire to stage Granida as opera. Research by Natascha Veldhorst and musical leader Mike Fentross led to the discovery of extra music, in addition to the melodies Louis Grijp found ten years ago for the part that are sung. The music provides variety and gives the story speed. […] Trompert has thought out the action well: smart and esthetically pleasing, with a couple of well-placed jokes based on the text.
Peter van der Lint, Trouw, 8 April 2009
archival video fragments
Pieter Corneliszn Hooft: Granida
Ipermestra Foundation (2009)