Opera Tonight – Der Zwerg by Zemlinsky from the Dutch National Opera
OperaOpera Tonight – Der Zwerg (The Dwarf) by Zemlinsky
The Plot: the Spanish crown princess receives a very special present: a little person. To everyone’s amusement, he is unaware of his small stature. Before long feelings develop between the pair, but what chance do they have in a world where appearance is everything?
Der Zwerg (The Dwarf) is perhaps Alexander von Zemlinsky’s best-known and most powerful opera. It is based on a story by Oscar Wilde and is brought to Slippedisc by OperaVision.
The performance marks both the first production of rising star Lorenzo Viotti as principal conductor at Dutch National Opera and the operatic debut of film and theatre director Nanouk Leopold. The heldentenor Clay Hilley performs the title role, while Infanta Clara is interpreted by soprano Lenneke Ruiten.
Available from 19.00 CET, 18.00 London and 13.00 NY on Saturday 18th September
Looks like the Rhinemaidens and the Valkyries got together and discovered pink. Maybe even Parsifal’s Flower Maidens.
Disgraceful – this so-called opera should be banned as it mocks the vertically-challenged minority. We need a national debate on this and someone needs to publish a major thesis on music that was composed to glorify the non-handicapped by juxtaposing them against those less fortunate among us. Smetana’s ‘The Bartered Bride’, Schmidt’s ‘Notre Dame’, Auber’s ‘La Muette de Portici’, Offenbach’s ‘Les Deux Aveugles’ and countless others. Even the witch in Hansel and Gretel; women were burned as witches and this opera must surely be traumatic for any woman to watch. The work needs to be re-written so that the witch is represented by a white slave-trader.
That’s it for Snow White, then…and as for Thumbelina…:)