Fabrice Bollon: the Folly (tragedy of Erasmus of Rotterdam)

Anja Jung, Zvi Emanuel-Marial, Roberto Gionfriddo, Michael Borth, Friederike Hess-Gagnon, Dina Fortuna-Bollon, Tilman Comer, Choirs of the Theater Freiburg, Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg, Fabrice Bollon

At the center of Fabrice Bollon's opera The Folly is Erasmus of Rotterdam, the influential Renaissance reformer, cosmopolitan humanist and intellectual who, in his old age, reflects on the events of his life and draws on historical texts. Past and present merge when fictional characters from his books or real-life antagonists appear, similar to the way Bollon connects the eras through the creative use of various 16th century compositions. In an age of polarized extremism that mirrors our own time, Erasmus' humanism demands vigilance, defense and reinvention.