What does it mean to make an opera in colonial Suriname, shaped by European classical traditions and rooted in Surinamese stories? In Helstone in The Pledge of the Gods theatre-maker Mathieu Wijdeven explores what the first Surinamese opera still has to tell us today. Wijdeven's new performance will premiere at Oerol Festival on 13 June.
Central to the performance is The Pledge of the Gods, the opera Johannes Nicolaas Helstone (1853-1927) wrote in Suriname. Helstone grew up on plantation Berg en Dal and was educated at the Leipzig conservatory thanks to German missionaries. His music moves between two worlds: the European classical tradition and Surinamese stories, rhythms and mythology.
In this musical and theatrical narrative, Wijdeven explores how colonial history, cultural identity and artistic influence come together in Helstone's work. Together with pianist Djuwa Mroivili and baritone Frank Dolphin Wong, he brings the forgotten story back to life.
The show will premiere at Oerol Festival on13 June and tour theatres across the Netherlands from September.
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