Few works have slipped from the programmes of German-language opera houses to the extent experienced by the operas of Albert Lortzing. Where works such as THE POACHER, THE ARMOURER and UNDINE were still fixtures in the repertoire only thirty years ago, they have now all but vanished from the calendars of theatre venues. Not even Lortzing’s greatest triumph, his comedy of errors CSAR AND CARPENTER (1837), has escaped the neglect – and this despite old chestnuts like the “Clog Dance” and the aria “Lebe wohl, mein flandrisch Mädchen.” Doubly surprising if you consider that this tale of Tsar Peter the Great, who strikes up a friendship with an army deserter with the exact same name while acquiring the skills of a carpenter incognito in a Dutch shipyard, was arguably one of the best musical comedies of its time, with Lortzing’s protagonists retaining all their relatable flaws and yearnings in the face of all their ups and downs. The young deserter, who just wants a quiet life, the feisty Marie, who’s determined to decide her own path, the Tsar with his thinly veiled leanings to violent domination, and van Bett as the mayor and a loveable caricature of a German bigwig… all these characters confer a timeless humanity on the comedy.

Csar and Carpenter

Deutsche Oper Berlin

The three sailors Gabey, Chip and Ozzie have twenty-four hours ashore in New York. And they don't need to be told twice, because the big city doesn't come calling every day! In the city of great expectations, they soon find themselves on the subway, where Ivy smiles down from a poster as “Miss Subway of the Month” and has Gabey's head spinning. It immediately becomes clear to him that he has to find this woman in the urban jungle. Whatever may come! And so begins a fast-paced journey through the city, that never sleeps, but instead holds so many delights in store that each of the three men is soon chasing his own adventure...

Marie-Christine Zeisset

Events

Past events

Jun 20 - Jul 11, 2026

Csar and Carpenter · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Apr 21 - Jun 18, 2026

On the Town · Deutsche Oper am Rhein

About

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