Zurich Opera House tickets 21 June 2024 - Das Land des Lächelns (The Land of Smiles) | GoComGo.com

Das Land des Lächelns (The Land of Smiles)

Zurich Opera House, Zurich, Switzerland
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Important Info
Type: Operetta
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Starts at: 19:00
Acts: 3
Intervals: 1
Duration: 2h 10min
Sung in: German
Titles in: German,English
Cast
Performers
Tenor: Piotr Beczała (Prince Sou-Chong)
Tenor: Andrew Owens (Count Gustav von Pottenstein)
Soprano: Julia Kleiter (Lisa)
Conductor: Paul Daniel
Orchestra: Philharmonia Zürich
Soprano: Rebeca Olvera (Princess Mi)
Choir: Zürich Opera Chorus
Creators
Composer: Franz Lehár
Director: Andreas Homoki
Librettist: Fritz Löhner-Beda
Librettist: Ludwig Herzer
Overview

Romantic operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár (1870-1948). Text by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner after the libretto by Victor Léon.

History
Premiere of this production: 10 October 1929, Metropol Theater, Berlin (revised version)

The Land of Smiles (German: Das Land des Lächelns) is a romantic operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár. The German language libretto was by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda. The performance time is about 100 minutes. This was one of Lehár's later works, and has a bittersweet ending which the Viennese loved. The title refers to the supposed Chinese custom of smiling, whatever happens in life. (The leading character, Prince Sou-Chong has a song early in the show, "Immer nur lächeln" ("Always smiling") which describes this.)
 

Venue Info

Zurich Opera House - Zurich
Location   Sechseläutenplatz 1

Zürich Opera House is a main opera house in Zürich and Switzerland. Located at the Sechseläutenplatz, it has been the home of the Zürich Opera since 1891, and also houses the Bernhard-Theater Zürich. It is also home to the Zürich Ballet. The Opera House also holds concerts by its Philharmonia orchestra, matinees, Lieder evenings and events for children. The Zürich Opera Ball is organised every year in March, and is usually attended by prominent names.

The first permanent theatre, the Aktientheater, was built in 1834 and it became the focus of Richard Wagner’s activities during his period of exile from Germany.

The Aktientheater burnt down in 1890. The new Stadttheater Zürich (municipal theatre) was built by the Viennese architects Fellner & Helmer, who changed their previous design for the theatre in Wiesbaden only slightly. It was opened in 1891. It was the city's main performance space for drama, opera, and musical events until 1925, when it was renamed Opernhaus Zürich and a separate theatre for plays was built: The Bernhard Theater opened in 1941, in May 1981 the Esplanada building was demolished, and the present adjoint building opened on 27/28 December 1984 after three years of transition in the Kaufhaus building nearby Schanzengraben.

By the 1970s, the opera house was badly in need of major renovations; when some considered it not worth restoring, a new theatre was proposed for the site. However, between 1982 and 1984, rebuilding took place but not without huge local opposition which was expressed in street riots. The rebuilt theatre was inaugurated with Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the world première of Rudolf Kelterborn’s Chekhov opera Der Kirschgarten.

As restored, the theatre is an ornate building with a neo-classical façade of white and grey stone adorned with busts of Weber, Wagner, and Mozart. Additionally, busts of Schiller, Shakespeare, and Goethe are to be found. The auditorium is built in the neo-rococo style and seats approximately 1200 people. During the refurbishment, the issue of sightlines was not adequately addressed. As a result, the theatre has a high number of seats with a limited view, or no view, of the stage. This is unusual in international comparison, where sightlines in historic opera houses have been typically enhanced over time.

Corporate archives and historical library collections are held at the music department of the Predigerkirche Zürich.

The Zürich Opera House is also home of the International Opera Studio (in German: Internationales Opernstudio IOS) which is a educational program for young singers and pianists. The studio was created in 1961 and has renowned artists currently teaching such as Brigitte Fassbaender, Hedwig Fassbender, Andreas Homocki, Rosemary Joshua, Adrian Kelly, Fabio Luisi, Jetske Mijnssen, Ann Murray, Eytan Pessen or Edith Wiens.

Important Info
Type: Operetta
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Starts at: 19:00
Acts: 3
Intervals: 1
Duration: 2h 10min
Sung in: German
Titles in: German,English
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