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While strictly tonal in its musical language, the 90-minute three-acter dating from 1926 -- and the fifth work for stage by German composer Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) -- is no easy fare.
Based on a short story by the German romantic poet E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), it tells the story of the master goldsmith Cardillac, who murders anyone who buys his jewellery because he cannot bare to part with it.
His daughter is in love with an officer, who gives her a gold chain from Cardillac as a present. The goldsmith's attempt to murder the officer goes wrong and Cardillac is lynched by an angry mob.
Finnish baritone Juha Uusitalo gave a very human performance as Cardillac, a lonely, embittered artist, who loves his jewellery more than the people around him, including his own daughter.
German soprano Juliane Banse was similarly affecting as Cardillac's daughter, torn between filial love and duty and the man who can take her away from it all, the officer.
The sets by Rolf Glittenberg were all expressionist black and white and the costumes by Marianne Glittenberg could have come straight from a Tim Burton movie.
"Cardillac" is the Vienna State Opera's first full new staging under the house's new chief, Dominique Meyer, who took over in September from Romanian-born Ioan Holender who stepped down after 18 years at the helm.
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Based on a short story by the German romantic poet E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), it tells the story of the master goldsmith Cardillac, who murders anyone who buys his jewellery because he cannot bare to part with it.
His daughter is in love with an officer, who gives her a gold chain from Cardillac as a present. The goldsmith's attempt to murder the officer goes wrong and Cardillac is lynched by an angry mob.
Finnish baritone Juha Uusitalo gave a very human performance as Cardillac, a lonely, embittered artist, who loves his jewellery more than the people around him, including his own daughter.
German soprano Juliane Banse was similarly affecting as Cardillac's daughter, torn between filial love and duty and the man who can take her away from it all, the officer.
The sets by Rolf Glittenberg were all expressionist black and white and the costumes by Marianne Glittenberg could have come straight from a Tim Burton movie.
"Cardillac" is the Vienna State Opera's first full new staging under the house's new chief, Dominique Meyer, who took over in September from Romanian-born Ioan Holender who stepped down after 18 years at the helm.
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