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© Teatro Carlo Felice
The Love of Danaë
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April 2025 | ||||||
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Richard Strauss’s mythological comedy directed by Fabio Luisi and directed by Laurence Dale
Mythological comedy in three acts by Richard Strauss, libretto by Joseph Gregor
A new production by Fondazione Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova
Italian premiere of the original version
with Italian artistic ensembles
Die Liebe der Danae (The Love of Danae), the penultimate opera by Richard Strauss, is a mythological comedy in three acts composed in 1940. About twenty years earlier, the poet and playwright Hugo von Hofmannsthal had proposed a canovaccio entitled Danae, or the Marriage of Convenience, to the composer, but it had been shelved in favour of other projects. When Strauss decided to realise the opera, he entrusted Hofmannsthal’s draft to librettist Joseph Gregor. The work proceeded with difficulty: first because of misunderstandings between librettist and composer, then because of the postponement of the premiere (initially scheduled for the Salzburg Festival in 1944, and then postponed due to the serious events of the war). The opera could only finally be staged on 14 August 1952 in Salzburg, three years after Strauss’ death. The plot is taken from Greek tradition, and features Danae, Midas, Jupiter and Juno in a plot of deceit, love and desire. Although at first the protagonist is only trying to escape her poverty (her father, King Pollux, having squandered the family fortune), Danaë will sincerely fall in love with Midas, and despite the wrath of Jupiter – who is in love with the girl – will succeed in making her love triumph. With refined and elegant writing, made up of soft, persuasive phrases and sweeping timbres, Strauss creates a musical tale vibrating with tension. The expressiveness is varied and remains as effective in light moments as in moments of greater pathos, the unity of the whole is rendered through the wise use of recurring thematic motifs.
Synopsis
Danae, whose father King Pollux is bankrupt and beset by creditors, dreams of a wealthy husband in terms of a shower of golden rain. Royal envoys return with news that Midas, who can turn all to gold, has agreed to woo Danae, and his arrival at the harbour is announced. Danae receives a stranger who is Midas in disguise as his own servant. Strangely drawn to each other, they proceed to the harbour where the supposed King Midas (actually Jupiter in pursuit of another female conquest) greets Danae. Jupiter prepares for his marriage to Danae but, fearing discovery by his wife Juno, forces Midas to deputise for him at the ceremony. When Danae and Midas embrace, she is turned into a golden statue and Jupiter claims her as his divine bride. However her voice calls for the mortal Midas, she is returned to life, and the lovers disappear into the darkness. Jupiter announces that she will be cursed with poverty. Midas, returned to his former existence as a donkey-driver, reveals to Danae his broken pact with Jupiter, but Danae admits that it was love rather than his golden cloak that won her heart. Jupiter pays off Pollux's creditors with a shower of gold and, realising that Danae is far more than a passing amorous fancy, makes one desperate last attempt to win her back. However, she gives him a hair-clasp, her last golden possession, and the god accepts his loss with a moving farewell.
Program and cast
Main characters and performers:
Jupiter: Scott Hendricks
Merkur: Timothy Oliver
Pollux: Tuomas Katajala
Danae: Angela Meade
Xanthe: Valentina Farcas
Midas: John Matthew Myers
Erste König: Albert Memeti
Zweite König: Eamonn Mulhall
Dritte König: Nicolas Legoux
Vierte König: Giovanni Battista Parodi
Semele: Anna Graf
Europa: Agnieszka Adamczak
Alkmene: Hagar Sharvit
Leda: Valentina Stadler
Concertmaster and conductor: Fabio Luisi; Michael Zlabinger (16)
Director: Laurence Dale
Scenes and costumes: Gary McCann
Choreography: Carmine De Amicis
Lighting: John Bishop
Orchestra, chorus and technicians of the Opera Carlo Felice Genoa
Choirmaster Claudio Marino Moretti
Carlo Felice Theater
Built on the area of Carlo Felice, the new theater, built by Aldo Rossi, recovers an idea already present in Paul Chessa projects and Carlo Scarpa: the creation of a piazza covered with 400 square meters, where the theater it was the ideal link between Galleria Mazzini and Piazza De Ferrari. Distant instead from an architectural point of view are the same Galleria Mazzini and the theater. the square is an open foyer; the walls are covered with stone slabs, and are enriched with columns and metal beams. There are two requirements that the architects wanted to keep in mind in the implementation of the new Carlo Felice theater: first, the need to rebuild it exactly where it was and secondly the desire to equip the new facility with the latest technology. From the latter need arises the imposing fly tower about 63 meters high. In practice the old theater work of Barabino remain the columns, the portico, the Latin inscription and the terrace that overlooks Via XXV Aprile which is accessed by one of the foyer; the current structure is very compact and geometric, the fly tower is a very linear in height developed rectangular, adorned only by a cornice.The auditorium, the foyer and services for the public are contained in a smaller box, where they emphasize the porch and the porch. As for the construction of the new theater are the stone were used for the exterior, plaster and iron, for the interior marble and wood. It is durable material that suggests an image of eternity, security and survival of the building over time. From the covered square, descending a staircase, you enter a room with a capacity of about 200 seats. Equipped with a small stage and independent from the rest of the theater, the hall hosts conferences, lectures and musical events. The interior of the theater entrance wide staircase leads to the closet and still climbing, the first foyer which has an area of 660 square meters and is decorated with frescoes and tapestries. the lantern A characteristic feature of the new Carlo Felice is the lantern visible in the foyer overlooking the lobby; it's a kind a light cone that runs through the building in all its height and it runs through all the plans, bringing the light from the roof to the indoor square. The tower Absolutely unique is the scenario in which they operate the technical units; right in the scenic tower, which houses the machine to move the shows, come together in a delicate balance human labor and sophisticated gear.In fact, the theater has four stages, a main stage, a back stage behind the first two stages and less aligned with each other and managed by integrated electronic and computerized. These scenic handling facilities, computerized lighting, sophisticated booths director for filming and acoustics among the best in Italy are among the features that make the Carlo Felice a factory of emotions among the most important in Italy.
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