Introduction

The project

The chamber opera The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, composed by Michael Nyman, is a unique work based on the famous book by renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks. The opera tells the story of Dr. P., a singer suffering from visual agnosia, which prevents him from recognizing faces and objects around him. He uses music as a guide to navigate his daily life. This production sensitively explores the relationship between music and perception, while offering deep reflections on the human condition.

Presented for the first time in Switzerland by Muavi in April 2021 at the Oriental-Vevey theater, this project was a major artistic and public success. With five sold-out performances, three school shows, and a public dress rehearsal for professionals, this Swiss premiere demonstrated the opera’s ability to resonate with a broad audience, even amid the challenges posed by the pandemic.

The opera was praised for the quality of its interpretation and its unique atmosphere, immersing spectators in a world where music becomes a survival tool in the face of lost visual perception. This project marked a turning point for Muavi, reinforcing its commitment to producing demanding and captivating artistic works.

Project activity report (French only)

Argument

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat

Michael Nyman, composer

Christopher Rawlence, librettist

Based on the eponymous work by Oliver Sacks

(published in 1985)

Premiered on October 27, 1986

The first stage work by British composer, pianist, librettist, and musicologist Michael Nyman (born 1944), this chamber opera stands out as it does not deal with tragic love, revenge, or betrayal like many operas, but rather with a fascinating neurological case described by Oliver Sacks (1933-2015) in his book of the same name. While the book explores many cases, Nyman chose this one because music plays a crucial role.

Dr. P, a professional singer, suffers from visual agnosia, preventing him from recognizing everyday objects or making sense of what he sees. His brain cannot process the visual information from his eyes. Music, however, allows him to give meaning to the world around him, which forms the basis of Nyman’s composition. During the creation of the opera, Nyman said:

“Dr. P developed a system where music replaced vision, a sort of musical world map that helped him navigate time, space, and social interactions. His wife said he had created a repertoire of melodies that served as cues for shaving, dressing, eating, etc. Sacks visited them with a copy of Dichterliebe (songs for solo voice and piano), and that was all the encouragement I needed to use Schumann’s lieder to portray the man’s isolation and his near-total dependence on music to orient himself.”

Nyman’s music brilliantly reflects the dislocated environment Dr. P struggles in, while elements derived from Robert Schumann’s lieder define his musical identity. The emotional and musical climax comes when Dr. P performs Ich Grolle Nicht from Schumann’s Dichterliebe, while fragments and transformations of other lieder are woven throughout the opera.

The action unfolds first in Dr. S’s office, and then mostly at the home of Dr. P and his wife. It revolves around a series of tests, through which the neurologist (and the audience) come to understand the extent of Dr. P’s symptoms. In the end, Dr. S gives his conclusion:

“I can’t tell you what’s wrong, but I can tell you what’s right. You’re a remarkable singer, a long-time musician. You’ve built your life around music, and now you’re using music to organize your life. My only prescription is more music! More music!”

Distribution

Olivia Doutney

Mrs P. (Soprano)

Matthias Geissbühler

Dr. P. (Baryton)

Christian Joel

Dr. S. (Tenor)

Sébastien Eyssette

Stage direction

Thibault Deloche

Stage direction

Stephanie Gurga

Conductor & Piano

Olivier Blache

Violin I

Charlotte Woronkow

Violin II

Elise Lehec

Alto

Indira Rahmatulla

Cello I

Daniel Mitnitsky

Cello II

Julie Sicre

Harp

Flavien Louis

Scenography

Romain Baur

Lights

Christophe Delesques

Costumes

The association Muavi and the ensemble Valéik

The Muavi association was founded for the creation of this work. According to its statutes, the association aims to produce and create live performances and organize concerts on a non-profit basis. Before its official creation, the members of this project and Muavi collaborated on Vision de Manon, a lyrical performance based on Abbé Prévost’s novel and Jules Massenet’s opera, artistically conceived by Violette Renié. Additionally, Matthias Geissbühler organized several concerts in the Lake Geneva region without seeking any subsidies.

Founded in 2016 by violist Elise Lehec, the Valéik ensemble is a musical group bringing together active artists from Valais. Valéik, meaning “Valais” in patois, started as a string quintet, joined over time by other artists—musicians, actors, and visual artists. Members include violinists Maria Ten and Charlotte Woronkow, violist Elise Lehec, and cellist Jonas Bouaniche. Valéik’s primary mission is to return classical music to its popular roots, bringing it out of traditional concert halls.

Initially based in Monthey, in partnership with the Théâtre du Crochetan, Valéik was sponsored by Valaisan sculptor Edouard Faro, with their identity taking shape through the creation of INSONDABLES in May 2017. Today, the ensemble collaborates with Teatro Comico, Médiathèque-Valais, and the Caves du Manoir in Martigny. Since 2017, Valéik has co-produced concerts and conferences in partnership with Contrechamps, Lemanic Modern Ensemble, Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain, Médiathèque-Valais, the Cantonal Conservatory, and Lausanne University of Music.

Since its founding, Valéik has steadily gained recognition in the cultural landscape of Valais. The ensemble has collaborated with artists such as Kaori Ito, Stephanie Gurga, Yannick Barman, Roland Vouilloz, Stéphane Chapuis, Georges Vassilev, Xavier Moillen, the Tchiki Duo, and Black Cracker. It has performed at venues such as the Kremlin in Monthey, Théâtre du Crochetan, Ballades d’Antoine in Meyrin, Caves de Courten, Festival Arcades, Fondation Fellini, Contrechamps season, the Îles du Bic Festival in Canada, Riches Heures de Valère, Ouverture-Opéra, and the Sion Festival.

For the 2019/2020 season, HOMO MUSICUS will feature a variety of artists from different backgrounds, including Kala Jula, Richard Poher, ensemBle baBel, Many Many Oboes, and Valentin Cotton. Valéik is the recipient of the 2019 MusiquePro grant from the Canton of Valais.

Support & donors

Muavi would like to thank the following for their support of this production:

Fondation philanthropique Famille Sandoz | Ernst Göhner Stiftung | Fondation Leenaards | Fondation Marcel Regamey | Théâtre de l’Oriental

Muavi also extends special thanks to its private donors and patrons for their support.

Media & Press

Here is a glimpse of our performance through photos and in the form of a trailer.

Un press kit (FR) is available.

Photos by Julien James

Contact presse

Shows

Wednesday, 21.4.2021 at 8:00 PM Thursday, 22.4.2021 at 8:00 PM
Friday, 23.4.2021 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, 24.4.2021 at 7:00 PM
Sunday, 25.4.2021 at 5:30 PM

(All shows were sold out)

at Théâtre de l’Oriental-Vevey.

Adress

Oriental-Vevey
rue d’Italie 22
1800 Vevey


www.orientalvevey.ch

About the production

Some feedback on our production.

This documentary opera, created in 1986, had never been presented in Switzerland. It is a gem of repetitive music for a small orchestra (with string instruments from the Valéik ensemble) and three excellent singers: Dr. Sacks (Christian Joel), Professor P. (Matthias Geissbühler), and his equally disturbed wife (Olivia Doutney). Directors Sébastien Eyssette and Thibault Deloche bring out the unintentional humor, the chaos of daily life, and the miraculous emotion of intact musicality.

Matthieu Chenal

24 Heures, 21.4.2021

The opera is magnificent. I attended the dress rehearsal yesterday and was absolutely delighted. Bravo!

Benoît Perrier

Contact

Muavi
Sentier des Crosets 6
Switzerland