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© Vereinigte Buhnen Wien
Psyche
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March 2025 | ||||||
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Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
Semi-opera in five acts
Libretto by Thomas Shadwell
Italy and France may be the undisputed heartlands of great opera in the 17th century, but the most unusual examples of musical theatre in this period may well be those from England. Matthew Locke, for instance, boldly experimented with new aesthetic approaches and daring harmonies that his contemporaries considered as ill-chosen as his lifestyle: in times of the strictest Puritanism, Locke converted to Catholicism, and when the Puritans made a great show of closing down the theatres, he made a point of composing theatre music. This air of defiance also characterises his semi-opera Psyche (1675) in which he masterfully interweaves spoken dialogue with arias and dance music. Actors and singers are given equal prominence. The beauty of the king’s daughter Psyche is so out of this world that even Amor, the god of love, courts her and makes her his lover. However, in order to keep his true identity secret he never shows himself by day – leading Psyche to wonder just who it is that she has stumbled into an affair with.
Concert performance in English with German surtitles
Introduction to the work 30 minutes before curtain-up
Synopsis
The plot, which is extremely complicated, follows the Classical legend of Cupid and Psyche.
Program and cast
Conductor - Sébastien Daucé
Chief Priest - Lucile Richardot
Venus - Élodie Fonnard
Pan - Tristan Hambleton
Vulcan - Etienne Bazola
Theater an der Wien
About the Theater an der Wien
The New Opera House is not just any theatre, but the one that Emanuel Schikaneder, the all-round genius, actor, impresario with a flair for organization but above all librettist of The Magic Flute, had built in 1801 in Vienna in keeping with the spirit of Mozart.
To coincide with the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth the Theater an der Wien presents itself as a new opera house from January 2006. As a “season” opera house with productions all the year round the Theater an der Wien carves a new and independent niche in the realm of high-quality culture in Vienna. For twelve months of the year, with one premiere every month, opera will be performed under the “stagione”, or season, system: that means the cast remains unchanged from the first performance to the last one, which guarantees that the very highest international standards are maintained.
The theatre’s modern, accessible approach to music theatre as demonstrated by the works performed, the overall artistic concept Bespielung and the artistes is further underlined by the building itself, its architecture and the vibrancy of its location. The surroundings and materials, the intimate atmosphere and perfect acoustics in the historical theatre prepare the senses to experience beauty. The Theater an der Wien deliberately enters into a symbiotic relationship with its lively surroundings on the Naschmarkt street market and the young cultural scene centred in the Schleifmühl quarter.
How to get there
With public transport:
We can be reached by public transport:
U1, U2 und U4 Station Karlsplatz, Exit Secession
Bus 59A Station Bärenmühldurchgang
Bus 57A Station Laimgrubengasse, pedestrians via Laimgrubengasse to Linke Wienzeile
KAMMEROPER:
Fleischmarkt 24, 1010 Wien
We can be reached by public transport:
U1, U4: Station Schwedenplatz
Tram Linie D (bei Ablenukung über Kai), 1, 2: Station Schwedenplatz
Bus 3A (on workdays)
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