Dramaturge

With Die Frau ohne Schatten , composer Richard Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal created a layered fairy tale about two couples in search of meaning and new life in a cold and barren world.

The Frau ohne Schatten

National Opera & Ballet

Let us briefly recall the main theme of this multi-layered myth. The Titan Prometheus stole fire from the gods to share this attribute of their power over the world with the ordinary mortals and contribute to the development of humanity. Enraged with the sacrilege, Zeus decided to wreck cruel revenge on the disruptor and humankind. He ordered Prometheus to be bound to the rocks of the Caucasus and would send an Eagle each day to eat his liver. The vital organ would grow back overnight and only to Prometheus’s suffering to begin again the next day. At the same time, the king of the Olympus decided to put humanity to the test: he ordered a stunningly beautiful and multitalented woman named Pandora to be created and gifted her with a mystery box as a dowry for her future husband. There was just one condition: Pandora was not to open the box under any circumstances. Prometheus’s gullible brother Epimetheus married Pandora, who proceeded to open the box to satisfy her curiosity, consequently releasing all the evils that have been plaguing humanity ever since. Luckily, the box also contained Hope, which remains inside the box to comfort humankind.

Klaus Bertisch

Dramaturge

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 23 - May 10, 2025

The Frau ohne Schatten · Nationale Opera & Ballet

18 - 27 Jun, 2025

Prometheus · Polish National Opera

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