Jazzorchester Vorarlberg, Renee Benson and Vincent Pongracz

So, a jazz opera. Austria has a kind of tradition here. Ernst Krenek called his 1927 work Jonny spielt auf a jazz opera, although jazz style only appears marginally. Nearly half a century later, Michael Mantler was partly responsible for the monumental Escalator over the Hill by Carla Bley, a work that can truly be called a jazz opera. Now, composer and clarinetist Vincent Pongracz is adding another example to this genre, and the result is both audible and, of course, visible. His work is called Leelah, with a libretto by Renee Benson, an African American poet, singer, and performer.
The story is about eight-year-old Leelah, a “digital native” who receives a mysterious toy. With conditions: she may only open it after dawn, and the toy only reveals its secret after solving mysterious tasks. Thus, the girl faces a long night filled with doubts and inner struggles – an attempt to preserve childlike innocence or a transformation of the innocent child. All this happens in a consumer world aimed at instant gratification.
During her journey through the toy, Leelah is split into four female archetypes. Renee Benson embodies the girl, the virgin, the mother, and the witch with much drama, passion, and grand gestures – stylistically situated in the broad spaces between rap, hip-hop, soul, and jazz. A convincing performance and a compelling text with much interpretive freedom.

Program and cast

Renee Benson: vocals, lyrics
Vincent Pongracz: clarinet, composition
Martin Franz, Andreas Broger, Isabellla Lingg, Klaus Peter: reeds
Christoph Ellensohn: french horn
Jan Ströhle, Phil Yaeger, Thomas Halfer: trombones
Bartholomäus Natter, Martin Eberle, Anton Meusburger: trumpets
Benny Omerzell: keyboards
Tobias Vedovelli: bass
Christian Eberle: drums