Das schlaue Gretchen

Semperoper Dresden, Dresden, Germany

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6 PM

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Important Info

Type: Opera

City: Dresden, Germany

Starts at: 18:00

Duration:

Sung in: German

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

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If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
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Overview

Gretchen, the fisherman’s daughter, is very clever. She even knows how to visit someone in a very unusual way: Neither by car nor on foot, neither clothed nor naked, neither shod nor barefoot, neither bearing gifts nor empty handed. Nobody is able to repeat this fine trick. Just as well that the King likes smart women. They fall in love and Gretchen becomes Queen – at least for a while, because the King is very proud, and trouble is surely around the corner! But Gretchen doesn’t let herself be beaten, and in the end turns the tables on her lover using his own tools.

History

This children’s opera by Martin Smolka from 2006 brings many surprises to young and old alike with its unique and unusual sounds. The piece is staged by Andrea Kramer, who recently directed "Schneewitte" in Semper Zwei, with four singers, one actor, 13 musicians … and lots of fun.

Synopsis

The miller and the fisherman have a quarrel, which they carry before the king: Who owns the water of the stream? But before the king wants to pass a judgment, he poses three riddles to the two of them, which they have to solve by the next day: What is the benefit of man? What is so cute as nothing else in the world and what is the worst enemy of man called? The fisherman is desperate, but he has an idea how to get out of the mess: he simply asks his clever daughter Gretchen. As expected, she solves the riddle in no time, and when he comes to the king the next day, the king is very impressed with the fisherman's answer. The miller, however, is thrown into prison. However, the king doubts that the fisherman came to the answer on his own. After some hesitation, he then admits that his daughter helped him and the king now wants to get to know the girl. He invites Gretchen to the castle, but: driven - not driven; clothed - not clothed; shoes - not shoes; combed - not combed; with a gift and at the same time without a gift, so she should come to him.

The clever fisher girl doesn't hesitate long and builds a scooter with which she can drive into the castle and run at the same time. Her mother sews her a fishnet dress and her father prepares an unusual gift. When Gretchen finally stands in front of the king, he immediately falls in love with her and the two marry. Only one thing Gretchen has to promise her husband: she should never interfere in his government affairs!

After many happy months, the king witnesses a dispute between a mare and a gelding dealer about a foal that has run away from his mother and has laid under a gelding. The king decides in favor of the gelding dealer and the desperate mare dealer secretly turns to the clever queen. Despite a guilty conscience and against her promise not to interfere, she advises the dealer how to get his foal back. Your plan works. However, the king immediately guesses who helped the mare dealer and sends his wife back to her parents for their interference. She is not allowed to take anything apart from what she likes best in his castle. Clever as it is, Gretchen makes the king drunk when he says goodbye, unceremoniously rolls him into a carpet and has him brought to the fisherman's hut. When the king wakes up there the next morning and Gretchen tells him that he loves her the whole castle, he happily returns to his home with her. But because she is so clever, much smarter than him, he makes her regent and as Rolleriana, the first, she should now guide the fortunes of the empire, while he will always be by her side as a prince consort.

Venue Info

Semperoper Dresden - Dresden
Theaterplatz 2

Not only one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world, the Semperoper is renowned both in Germany and abroad for the brilliant star-studded performances by Saxon State Opera as well as numerous international guest artists.

This is the home of the Staatskapelle Dresden, an orchestra which looks back on 460 years of uninterrupted music-making. The State Opera Chorus was founded by Carl Maria von Weber in 1817. Operatic history has been written here, with the Semperoper playing host to numerous important premieres, such as Richard Wagner’s "Rienzi", "Der fliegende Holländer" and "Tannhäuser". There is also an indissoluble link to Richard Strauss, nine of whose 15 operas were premiered in Dresden, including "Salome", "Der Rosenkavalier" and "Elektra". The small venue Semper Zwei provides space for diverse forms of music theatre as well as theatrical experiments, and is also the venue for performances of Semperoper Junge Szene.

The magnificent Semperoper dominates the Theaterplatz be-side the river Elbe, forming the centrepiece of the historic old city. The original building opened its doors in 1841, constructed to a design by Gottfried Semper which combined a late Classical style with Renaissance elements. Following a devastating fire in 1869, the citizens of Dresden immediately set about rebuilding their beloved opera house. This was completed in 1878, also to a design by Semper. In 1945, during the final months of World War II, the Semperoper was once again razed to the ground.

After a second reconstruction was successfully completed in 1985, the reopening of one of Europe’s most beautiful opera houses was celebrated with a performance of Carl Maria von Weber’s "Freischütz".
The dazzling interiors were painstakingly reconstructed by local craftsmen and artists according to original plans, with state-of-the art stage machinery and technical fittings in the auditorium. A modern annex was added to house the administrative offices and rehearsal rooms. Internationally renowned for its brilliant acoustics and incomparable performances, audiences from around the world continue to flock here to enjoy unforgettable experiences at the Semperoper Dresden.

Important Info

Type: Opera

City: Dresden, Germany

Starts at: 18:00

Duration:

Sung in: German

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