Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach, la 28 syys 2024, Alkaen (2024/2024), Ohjannut Johannes Pölzgutter,, Musiikinjohto Maximilian Otto, Opernhaus Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany

How could this noble myth have gone to the dogs like this! Instead of a model of undying love, Orpheus and Eurydice's marriage resembles a hell of quarrels and boredom. They only exchange tenderness with their neighbors. Only consideration for public opinion prevents them from separating. On Mount Olympus, too, there is a wide gap between aspiration and reality: to his horror, Jupiter, the father of the gods, has to watch his children languish despondently because they are denied human worship. His efforts to restore discipline and morality remain fruitless. Love escapades have undermined his credibility too much. It is now too obvious that the gods must take a different path than before. When the unruly underworld ruler Pluto arrives and has to answer for the theft of Eurydice, a revolt breaks out on Mount Olympus. Only the unexpected appearance of public opinion saves Papa Jupiter. It forces Orpheus to demand the return of his unwelcome wife from the father of the gods, who takes it upon himself to personally check on the whereabouts of the beautiful mortal in the underworld ... The entire Olympian entourage follows him to the roaring ball in hell to experience long-lost feelings of divinity far from home... Created in 1858 as a satire of upper-class bigotry, Orpheus in der Unterwelt has become a timeless classic - a celebration of sensual pleasure in the face of the constraints and considerations that determine social life. Thomas Winter's new text version for Chemnitz focuses in particular on the myth of love and sheds light on the narcissistic interplay between today's "public opinion" and its idols. The production will be directed by Johannes Pölzgutter, who has already appeared in Chemnitz with Die Fledermaus and Die Entführung aus dem Serail in Chemnitz.