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Manuel Winckhler, Brenda Rae, Siyabonga Maqungo, Peter Rose, Dionysios Avgerinos & Samuel Hasselhorn (Photo: Bernd Uhlig)<\/p>\n
Richard Strauss\u2019 Die schweigsame Frau (The Silent Woman) remains a genuine rarity. Despite the pedigree \u2013 a score composed at the height of Strauss\u2019 powers and a libretto by Stefan Zweig after Ben Jonson \u2013 the opera has never secured a lasting foothold in the repertoire. The UK has barely seen it at all \u2013 its last appearance was at Garsington Opera in 2003. On the evidence of this revival at the Staatsoper Berlin, that feels both understandable and slightly frustrating.<\/p>\n
Understandable because, for all its musical riches and flashes of comic brilliance, Die schweigsame Frau simply struggles to sustain itself over three sprawling acts. Frustrating because when performed at this level, it becomes impossible not to admire.<\/p>\n
The plot itself is gloriously flimsy. Sir Morosus, an ageing retired naval commander who can no longer bear noise of any kind, decides to marry in search of domestic peace and quiet. His nephew Henry \u2013 an opera singer \u2013 conspires with a theatrical troupe to trick him into marrying Aminta, a supposedly meek and silent young woman who transforms after the wedding into an impossibly loud and chaotic nightmare. Predictably, the deception spirals into escalating farce before finally resolving itself in reconciliation and forgiveness. Cleverly constructed though Zweig\u2019s libretto undoubtedly is, the central joke begins to wear thin long before Strauss\u2019 luxuriant score does.<\/p>\n
\u201cChristian Thielemann drew peerless playing from the Staatskapelle Berlin\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
With a 19:00 start and a final curtain close to 22:40, the evening undeniably tested stamina. Yet it\u2019s difficult to imagine a more persuasive case for the work than the one presented here. Christian Thielemann drew peerless playing from the Staatskapelle Berlin, revelling in Strauss\u2019 endless invention without allowing the score to collapse under its own weight. The orchestral playing was sumptuous throughout \u2013 warm strings, gleaming brass and woodwind playing of extraordinary character \u2013 but Thielemann also understood that this opera works best when it keeps moving. He maintained momentum wherever possible, ensuring the comedy never entirely stalled.<\/p>\n
Vocally, the performance could scarcely have been better cast. Peter Rose<\/a> was magnificent as Sir Morosus, finding genuine pathos beneath the character\u2019s bluster and misanthropy. Strauss may repeatedly invite us to laugh at Morosus, but Rose also made clear the sadness of a man increasingly bewildered by the modern world around him. His final monologue emerged with touching sincerity.<\/p>\n Brenda Rae\u2019s Aminta combined vocal brilliance with razor-sharp comic instincts, effortlessly negotiating Strauss\u2019 demanding writing while relishing the character\u2019s theatrical transformation from obedient bride to monstrous spouse. Samuel Hasselhorn was equally impressive as the Barber, relishing the role\u2019s manic energy and driving much of the evening\u2019s comedy, while Siyabonga Maqungo brought warmth, lyricism and a ringing tenor voice to Henry.<\/p>\n Siyabonga Maqungo, Brenda Rae & Peter Rose (Photo: Bernd Uhlig)<\/p>\n![\"Die](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/frau2.jpg\"\/)
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