Kafka: Before the Law

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Kafka: Before the Law

directed by Nina Spijkers

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The choir that regularly surrounds K. intensifies the suffocating nature of the story, and the connection between the narrative and the music (conceived by conductor Daniel Reuss) fits together like a puzzle. - Anne Stuart
NRC
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Josef K.!" roar 25 voices at actor Roeland Fernhout. He looks battered, like the wandering protagonist from Franz Kafka's novel The Trial (1915). K. is accused but doesn’t know of what. He is interrogated, but by whom? And then, in the performance, he stands opposite Cappella Amsterdam, a choral bastion that subjects him to a shifting tide of disorienting and comforting sounds. – Guido van Oorschot
De Volkskrant

directed by Nina Spijkers

programme

Luzzasco Luzzaschi (1545-1607) Quivi sospiri
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) De profundis
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) Eines Narren, eines Künstlers Leben, An eine Tote and Nun da der Tag des Tages müde ward
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (arranger: Clytus Gottwald)
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) Im Treibhaus (arranger: Clytus Gottwald)
Giaches de Wert (1535-1596) Valle, che de’ lamenti miei se’ piena

performers

Cappella Amsterdam
Daniel Reuss conductor
Nina Spijkers director
Roeland Fernhout actor
Anne-Chris Schulting actor

background

Cappella Amsterdam and director Nina Spijkers join forces once again. After the 2021 concert The Grand Inquisitor, they now present Kafka, a music-theatrical adaptation of Kafka’s parable Before the Law from the book The Trial.

Franz Kafka is known for his work that highlights the absurdity and paralyzing nature of bureaucratic systems. Cappella Amsterdam, under the direction of chief conductor Daniel Reuss, brings these themes to life through a unique combination of choral music and theater. Director Nina Spijkers, actor Roeland Fernhout, and actress Anne-Chris Schulting unite their talents to bring this gripping story to the stage.

Kafka revolves around Josef K., who is arrested for no apparent reason in a world ruled by incomprehensible power and bureaucracy. Josef K. doesn’t know why he has been arrested, and even the man who arrests him doesn’t understand the reason. After his arrest, he continues with his daily life, but his fate takes a dark turn.

Download the digital programme booklet on Kafka

Nina Spijkers has adapted the text into a theatrical version for two actors. Roeland Fernhout plays the role of Josef K., while Anne-Chris Schulting takes on the roles of the characters who torment Josef K., as well as the role of the narrator. The choir moves like an intangible force around the characters, amplifying the oppressive atmosphere of Kafka’s story.

Daniel Reuss has selected choral works that intuitively and associatively align with the mood of Kafka’s narrative. Although there is no direct connection between the chosen texts and Kafka’s story, the combination of text and music creates a timeless emotional experience in which melancholy, comfort, and the beauty of the music further bring Kafka’s suffocating world to life.

visit

Stunning natural beauty, picturesque buildings, and the annual concert of Cappella Amsterdam at the Gudulakerk, known for its beautiful acoustics. As always, you will be warmly welcomed by the (volunteers of) Stichting Requiem Lochem.

Go to VVV Lochem

reading club

In collaboration with the book club organization Senia, Concertgebouw De Vereeniging offers two engaging (and free) book club experiences: one physical meeting and one online meeting. These book clubs are the perfect opportunity to dive deeper into The Trial by Franz Kafka with like-minded readers. Upon registration, you will receive the reading guide and discussion questions via email.
Would you like to participate in the physical book club? De Vereeniging warmly invites you on November 17. If online participation suits you better, you can join the book club on November 22.

Learn more

Calendar

Thu 26 Oct 2023 20:15 hour
Amsterdam / Muziekgebouw
Past
Sun 05 Nov 2023 15:00 hour
Lochem / Gudulakerk
Past
Sat 25 Nov 2023 20:15 hour
Nijmegen / De Vereeniging
Past
Sun 26 Nov 2023 15:00 hour
Utrecht / Pieterskerk
Past
Thu 30 Nov 2023 20:30 hour
Leeuwarden / City Theatre De Harmonie
Past