A Midsummer Night's Dream
Premiere
Opera
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the inspiration for works in all genres. Amongst others, Henry Purcell, Ambroise Thomas, Carl Maria von Weber and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy wrote widely differing music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and visual artists, choreographers and film-makers were also inspired by the complex story. In 1960, with his A Midsummer Night’s Dream Benjamin Britten published one of the best known opera versions: an amusing, light, poetic and psychological masterpiece that is one of his most played works of music theatre. Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was first heard at the opera house on the Ring in 1962; now, after more than half a century, the opera house is producing the work again.
Cast | 02.10.2019
| Conductor | Simone Young |
| Director | Irina Brook |
| Set design | Noëlle Ginefri-Corbel |
| Costumes | Magali Castellan |
| Lighting | Jean Kalman |
| Choreography | Martin Buczko |
| Théo Touvet | |
| Oberon | Lawrence Zazzo |
| Tytania | Erin Morley |
| Puck | Théo Touvet |
| Theseus | Peter Kellner |
| Hippolyta | Szilvia Vörös |
| Lysander | Josh Lovell |
| Demetrius | Rafael Fingerlos |
| Hermia | Rachel Frenkel |
| Helena | Valentina Naforniţa |
| Bottom/Zettel | Peter Rose |
| Flute/Flaut | Benjamin Hulett |
Details
The King and Queen of the Fairies, Oberon and Tytania, are at loggerheads with each other: Oberon is jealous of an Indian orphan whom Tytania has taken in. To get her to comply with his wishes, he sends the elf Puck off to pick a magic herb, the juice of which, when sprinkled on the eyes of a sleeping human, will cause them to fall hopelessly in love with the next living creature they set eyes upon. The lovers Hermia and Lysander are desperate: Hermia has been ordered by her father to marry Demetrius, who is in love with her; meanwhile Helena is in love with Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander flee together, Demetrius follows Hermia, and Helena follows Demetrius. Oberon feels compassion for the unhappy lovers and tells Puck to drizzle the magic juice on Demetrius’ eyelids to make him fall in love with Helena. In the meantime, the Mechanicals are rehearsing a play to be performed at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Puck plays a trick on the weaver Bottom and gives him the head of an ass; thus endowed, he encounters the awakening bewitched Tytania, who instantly falls for him. By mistake, Puck places a spell on Lysander instead of Demetrius, thus exacerbating the chaotic love relationships – because Lysander now falls in love in Helena. When Demetrius too is later bewitched (as planned) by Oberon, suddenly both men are in love with Helena. A fierce dispute breaks out, which Puck and the Fairies resolve, and finally remove the spell from Lysander, who thereupon falls in love again with Hermia. Tytania gives up the orphan. Filled with pity for her, Oberon now dissolves the spell. Bottom too is liberated from his ass head. All the affairs of the heart are resolved to the joy of everyone, and the Mechanicals perform their “very tragical mirth” of Pyramus and Thisbe.
The King and Queen of the Fairies, Oberon and Tytania, are at loggerheads with each other: Oberon is jealous of an Indian orphan whom Tytania has taken in. To get her to comply with his wishes, he sends the elf Puck off to pick a magic herb, the juice of which, when sprinkled on the eyes of a sleeping human, will cause them to fall hopelessly in love with the next living creature they set eyes upon. The lovers Hermia and Lysander are desperate: Hermia has been ordered by her father to marry Demetrius, who is in love with her; meanwhile Helena is in love with Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander flee together, Demetrius follows Hermia, and Helena follows Demetrius. Oberon feels compassion for the unhappy lovers and tells Puck to drizzle the magic juice on Demetrius’ eyelids to make him fall in love with Helena. In the meantime, the Mechanicals are rehearsing a play to be performed at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. Puck plays a trick on the weaver Bottom and gives him the head of an ass; thus endowed, he encounters the awakening bewitched Tytania, who instantly falls for him. By mistake, Puck places a spell on Lysander instead of Demetrius, thus exacerbating the chaotic love relationships – because Lysander now falls in love in Helena. When Demetrius too is later bewitched (as planned) by Oberon, suddenly both men are in love with Helena. A fierce dispute breaks out, which Puck and the Fairies resolve, and finally remove the spell from Lysander, who thereupon falls in love again with Hermia. Tytania gives up the orphan. Filled with pity for her, Oberon now dissolves the spell. Bottom too is liberated from his ass head. All the affairs of the heart are resolved to the joy of everyone, and the Mechanicals perform their “very tragical mirth” of Pyramus and Thisbe.
