Dim lights

The librettist for the opera was Ernst von Wolzogen , who in 1901 founded the place Überbrettl ( German for "overcabaret, super-cabaret"), which was the beginning of the German Kabarett movement, which later flourished in the Weimar Republic. The tonality corresponded to Strauss's aspiration for something disrespectful and cynical, with many words (including the names of Wagner and Strauss) and a children's choir singing "stanzas of a supposedly folk song in a wide dialect." ^[1] What struck the modern audience most of all was obscene and suggestive. There was a lot of pressure on the composer to calm him down, but Strauss and the conductor of the premiere in Dresden, Ernst von Schuch, stuck to the original. At this time, sexual and erotic overtones and psychology were disturbing to the audience, as well as the perceived “advanced” nature of the music itself for more conservative musicians. ^[2] The premiere at the Dresden Opera, held on November 21, 1901, was a great success: Gustav and Alma Mahler was near, and she recalls in her diary that Strauss was delighted with the “endless curtains”. ^[3] The success in Dresden led to the fact that "Extinguished Lights" were staged in many theaters throughout Germany, including a performance in Frankfurt led by Strauss himself. ^{[4] The} performance of the opera in Vienna turned out to be more problematic for Gustav Mahler because of the need to satisfy the censorship, which refused to cooperate. Mahler wrote to Strauss in the middle of 1901: “As for the Extinguished Lights, the censor seems to be terribly unhappy, which complicates the matter because the work has not yet ended, so I am not able to send contracts to Extinguished Lights.” I am afraid that you may have to agree with the changes ... Alas, there will be no comfort ” ^[5]

The Vienna premiere finally took place on January 29, 1902, with the participation of Strauss. He wrote to Maleru: “Send me my heartfelt thanks for the incomparably beautiful performance that you gave to my work last week ...” (letter of February 4, 1902). The Viennese public and critics were less enthusiastic than the German ones: Max Graf wrote: "Critics unanimously rejected the job." ^[6] Mahler wrote to Strauss on February 18: “I am disgusted by the attitude of the Vienna press and, above all, by the general agreement of the public that I cannot overcome it!”. He removed the work after four disappointing performances, although this year on March 14 (with the “popular ballet”) he made another performance. Strauss took the opera to Berlin, where he was more successful with seven performances, which premiered on October 28, 1902. ^[7] However, the Empress (Kayserin) disliked obscenity, and the Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm banned the opera. Strauss continued to include music from the love scene in his orchestral concerts. The opera was revived twice in Vienna, first in 1905 by Mahler, with the Repertory of the Vienna Court Opera under Gustav Mahler # New works presented in Hofoper under Mahler, a new production of 7 performances ^{[8] [9] [10]} and in 1922 Strauss with 6 performances. ^[11] Strauss wrote towards the end of his life ...

“In almost all the biographical articles I read, I missed the right attitude to Extinguished Lights.” One forgets that this is certainly far from ideal work, still introducing the old subjective style into the nature only at the very beginning of the century. This is a kind of high spirits. ”

^[12]

In London, he was introduced on July 9, 1910, ^[13] while the US premiere was not given until December 1, 1927 by the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company in the Philadelphia [Metropolitan Opera House] with George Raselli as Gandelfingen and Alexander Smalenssa . ^[14] The premiere in Zurich did not make up until 1953. ^[15] The premiere in New York was held in 1985 at the Manhattan School of Music . ^[16] She was introduced to The Santa Fe Opera during the 1988 summer season. In the UK, the Chelsea Opera Group presented a concert performance in 2000. ^[17]

In 2014, the anniversary year of the Ostrich, the opera “Extinguished Lights” was revived by numerous opera houses around the world ^[18] Theater Massimo staged an opera in January 2014, ^{[19] [20]} and there were concert performances in the same year that provided by Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich in February, ^[21] in Dresden Semperoper . ^{[22] [23]} Itan Pessen , a former Semper opera director and artistic adviser to the Theater Massimo Palermo, twice performed the opera this season. Other performances in 2014 include the Volksoper in Vienna, the Kaiserslautern Theater, the Theater am Gertnerplatz in Munich and Carnegie Hall . ^{[18] [24]}

Place: Medieval Munich

Time: Summer night Night

All the warmth of the springs from the woman, can be your fires .

During the holiday of the Solar Solstice, lovers swear to be faithful by leaping over the flames of a fire (known traditionally as Johannesfair, St. John ). Love is in the air, and children collect firewood for the flame of the solstice. A sorcerer appeared in the city, Kundrad, seizing the house of the old sorcerer. His presence worries people and leads to big assumptions. Much to his surprise, he offers his children a house for the flame of the solstice. The daughter of Mayor Diemut and her three friends are intrigued by Kunrad, and his friends find him quite attractive. Diemut is less impressed. Kundrad attracts more Dimuta. To universal shock, he comes to Diemutu and kisses her publicly. She pushes him away, but is plotting revenge for the insult. She promises to bring him to her room in the basket. He agrees, but she leaves him halfway through. In retaliation, he quenches all the bonfires and condemns people as commoners. It sets the condition: the only way to restore the fire is through the “virgin body in the heat”, which shocks the population. However, after some thought, they persuaded Dyemut to cede to Kunrad. She does this, and after her first sexual experience (depicted in the orchestral “Love Scene”), with the light shining in her room, the fires are restored, and Diem and Kundrad begin to sing a love song.

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• Strauss. Full libretto of operas in Russian