BSO — 2025/02/01

 This evening the Boston Sy,phony gives us an unfamiliar opera, "Die tote Stadt" by Erich Korngold. WCRB tells us:

Saturday, February 1, 2025
8:00 PM

Erich Korngold’s opera Die tote Stadt (The Dead City) is an incredibly tender work, begun when the composer was only 19. When he completed it at age 23, it quickly became one of the biggest operatic successes of the era, laying the groundwork for Korngold’s later success as a legendary Hollywood film composer. The opera’s theme of struggling with the memory of a lost loved one undoubtedly resonated with audiences still traumatized by the recent catastrophe of World War I.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Christine Goerke, soprano (Marietta/Marie)
Amber Monroe, soprano (Lucienne)
Elisa Sunshine, soprano (Juliette)
Karen Cargill, mezzo-soprano (Brigitte)
David Butt Philip, tenor (Paul)
Joshua Sanders, tenor (Victorin)
Neal Ferreira, tenor (Gaston)
Terrence Chin-Loy, tenor (Graf Albert) 
Elliot Madore, baritone (Frank/Fritz)
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
 James Burton, conductor
Boston Lyric Opera Chorus
  Brett Hodgdon, conductor

Erich KORNGOLD Die tote Stadt

Presented in collaboration with Boston Lyric Opera

To hear a preview with soprano Christine Goerke and the BSO's Anthony Fogg on GBH's The Culture Show with Jared Bowen, use the player above.

To see a libretto with both the sung German text and a side-by-side English translation, visit Orpheus Ireland.

I' suggest reading the extensive program notes, at least the synopsis of the plot, available at the BSO's performance detail page. They summarize the evening as follows:

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Hall, Boston, MA 

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Christine Goerke, soprano (Marietta)
Elisa Sunshine, soprano (Juliette)
Amber Monroe, soprano (Lucienne)
Karen Cargill, mezzo-soprano (Brigitte)
David Butt Philip, tenor (Paul) 
Joshua Sanders, tenor (Victorin)
Neal Ferreira, tenor (Gaston)
Terrence Chin-Loy, tenor (Graf Albert) 
Elliot Madore, baritone (Frank/Fritz)
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
 James Burton, conductor
Boston Lyric Opera Chorus
 Brett Hodgdon, conductor
Boys of the St. Paul’s Choir School 
 Brandon Straub, Music Director

KORNGOLD Die tote Stadt*

Erich Korngold’s Die tote Stadt (“The Dead City”) is an incredibly tender work, embodying the twilight of the Romantic era. Korngold, a remarkable prodigy who later became one of Hollywood’s most important composers, began the opera when he was only 19 and completed it at age 23. It opened simultaneously in December 1920 in Cologne and Hamburg and became one of the biggest operatic successes of the era. The opera’s theme of struggling with the memory of a lost loved one undoubtedly resonated with audiences still traumatized by the recent catastrophe of World War I.

*Sung in German with English supertitles.
Presented in collaboration with the Boston Lyric Opera.

Please note that ticket purchase information will be shared with the Boston Lyric Opera.

This week's performances by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus are supported by the Alan J. and Suzanne W. Dworsky Fund for Voice and Chorus.

Thursday evening's performance by Christine Goerke is generously supported by Patricia Romeo-Gilbert, in memory of Paul B. Gilbert.

Saturday evening’s concert is generously supported by the Gregory E. Bulger Foundation / Gregory Bulger and Richard Dix.

The production of Die tote Stadt is generously supported in part by the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation.

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Pre-concert Talk
The January 30 performance will include a pre-concert talk starting at 5:30pm with Dr. Carolyn Abbate.

Please note that tenor Brandon Jovanovich has had to withdraw from these performances of Die tote Stadt due to illness. We are very fortunate that David Butt Philip is able to sing the role of Paul in his place.

Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 7:30pm EST  (Past)

• The Catherine and Paul Buttenwieser Concert

Sat, Feb 1, 2025, 8:00pm EST

I was there on Thursday, and it was good to find out what the opera is. I had only heard about it, so I was curious. But it may be a bit difficult for listening over the internet or on radio. I had the benefit of the plot synopsis in the program book and the English surtitles as it was being sung. You can read the synopsis via the link at the performance detail page, and WCRB tells you where to find the libretto, so it may be possible to follow along. Alternatively, you can just listen to the music.

To me, however, the music wasn't especially attractive except perhaps in the final scene. It seemed more like Richard Strauss's "Elektra" than anything else I'm familiar with.

There is a favorable and informative review in the Boston Musical Intelligencer. The review in the Globe is largely favorable.

So while I can't say it's must listening or even promise you'll enjoy it, it is worth hearing as a landmark piece of music.