Herheim Opera Quote

[lennygoran]

A friend from England sent me this quote-this Herheim has so far been kept from the Met and I for one hope it remains that way-his ROH Queen of Spades where Tchaikovsky himself actually is on stage is creating quite a stir.


“Opera is not about entertaining people”
It’s about confronting our problems, says director Stefan Herheim

Regards, Len


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comm ... -brhwl6bc8

THIS PRODUCTION

Nieuwe production
Premiere 7 May 2016
Co-production with Royal Opera House Covent Garden, London

The second Russian opera in the anniversary season, and one of the highlights of the Holland Festival, is Tchaikovsky's Pique dame. The compelling opera was composed in a period of turmoil for Tchaikovsky about himself and his homosexuality. His hidden desires come to the fore in the stirring music.

In short

Director Stefan Herheim gives an exciting visualisation of how Tchaikovsky’s unspeakable homosexuality and passion rises through the music to the surface of the story of gambling and love. The life he has acted and forfeited is played out against the drama.

The story in a nutshell
The protagonist Hermann stakes everything on gambling, in the belief that he knows a secret formula that will prevent him from losing at cards. This is not the case, however, and Herman commits suicide. He thus becomes the third victim of his own compulsive gambling behaviour – after the old Countess, who was supposed to know the secret, and Lisa, who was in love with him.