Culture Clashes

Among the nineteenth century practitioners of German Spieloper Albert Lortzing was perhaps the most deeply immersed in the world of the theatre: in addition to writing the libretti for many of his own operas, his presence on stage as an actor and singer gave him a unique insight into the public for whom he was writing, and his ability to place genial tunes in the service of undemanding scenarios in which everything works out in the end ensured that his works were popular both in his own lifetime and well into the twentieth century.

In recent decades, however, Lortzing’s name has been notably absent from the programmes of many German opera houses. The new production of Zar und Zimmermann at the Deutsche Oper Berlin was their first performance of any of his operas in at least fifteen years, and while the evening boasted sparkling musical…