About the work
Blühen ("Blossoming") is an opera in seven scenes by Vito Žuraj, to a libretto by Händl Klaus after Thomas Mann's last novella "Die Betrogene" (The Black Swan, 1953). Commissioned by Oper Frankfurt, it was premiered on 22 January 2023 at the Bockenheimer Depot and named "World Premiere of the Year 2023" by the magazine Opernwelt. Žuraj, a Slovenian composer with an individual, consistently sensuous musical language, created with Blühen his first full-length opera, performed by Ensemble Modern.
Plot
The ageing Aurelia falls in love with the young Ken, who could be her son. In the intoxication of this late passion she experiences a physical rejuvenation and believes she is blossoming anew. But at the height of her devotion the supposed reawakening proves to be the harbinger of an incurable illness. In a startling dialectic of life and death, desire and transience, the opera traces Aurelia's path from euphoria to dying — a "blossoming" that is at once a withering.
Cultural significance
With Blühen, Oper Frankfurt confirmed its reputation as "Opera House of the Year" and its tradition of regularly commissioning premieres. The highly poetic, chamber-like work is regarded as one of the most important German-language opera premieres of recent years and brings Thomas Mann's late work powerfully to the musical stage.