Oper von Elena Langer

Like many people with Alzheimer’s, Mr. D. is living out the final days of his life in a nursing home, a reality signaled by the children’s voices in his head. Aside from the fact that his memories constantly revolve around a gift he was unable to give away, we learn very little about his life from him directly, as he can only make himself understood to a limited extent and no longer recognizes his wife, the doctor, or his own reflection.  

Instead, we learn more about the troubled people surrounding Mr. D.: his helpless wife, who cannot reach him; the ambitious doctor, who lost his own mother to Alzheimer’s disease; the overwhelmed nurse, who adores the doctor; and her rather lonely daughter, who sneaks into the nursing home to be closer to her mother among the patients than usual.  And it is precisely this neglected daughter, this young girl, who manages to build an empathetic relationship with the elderly Mr. D., allowing him to finally and successfully dream out his unfulfilled dream of giving a gift.  

The opera by the British composer of Russian descent premiered at the Brighton Festival in 2010. In keeping with the theme, her emotionally charged music reflects, on the one hand, the inner turmoil of all the characters. On the other hand, however, the composition captivates with its many small moments of happiness that the characters bring to one another despite the seemingly hopeless circumstances brought on by life and illness.