The line between grief and obsession becomes blurred in Erich Korngold’s Die tote Stadt (“The Dead City”); an incredibly tender work, embodying the twilight of the Romantic era. Korngold, a remarkable prodigy who later became one of Hollywood’s most important composers, began the opera when he was only 19 and completed it at age 23. It opened simultaneously in December 1920 in Cologne and Hamburg and became one of the biggest operatic successes of the era. The opera’s theme of struggling with the memory of a lost loved one undoubtedly resonated with audiences still traumatized by the recent catastrophe of World War I.
Presented in collaboration with Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Christine Goerke, soprano (Marietta)
Elisa Sunshine, soprano (Juliette)
Amber Monroe, mezzo-soprano (Lucienne)
Karen Cargill, mezzo-soprano (Brigitte)
David Butt Philip, tenor (Paul)
Joshua Sanders, tenor (Victorin)
Neal Ferreira, tenor (Gaston)
Terrence Chin-Loy, tenor (Graf Albert)
Elliot Madore, baritone (Frank/Fritz)
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
James Burton, conductor
Boston Lyric Opera Chorus
Brett Hodgdon, Chorus Director
Boys of the St. Paul’s Choir School
Brandon Straub, Music Director
This performance was originally recorded on January 30, 2025 at Symphony Hall.