SUMMERSCAPE OPERA
The Egyptian Helen
RICHARD STRAUSS
New Production
Music by Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Directed by Christian Räth
American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leon Botstein
Sung in German with English supertitles
July 24 – August 2
“A hypnotic blend of myth, melodrama, and psychological intrigue, Richard Strauss’s seldom heard The Egyptian Helen (Die ägyptische Helena) receives a lavish, rare U.S. staging at Bard SummerScape.
Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal reimagine the Helen myth, set in the aftermath of the Trojan War, as a tale of doubling: a phantom Helen returns to Troy, while the real, faithful Helen has been spirited away from harm. The vengeful husband, Menelaus, surrenders to love; the unfaithful Helen renews her devotion. The opera unfolds as a rich exploration of the complexities and contradictions of love, sexuality, and marriage.
Director Christian Räth (Meyerbeer’s Le prophète, Strauss’s The Silent Woman, Korngold’s The Miracle of Heliane) returns for his fourth Bard SummerScape to helm a full production of this neglected Strauss masterpiece. In Räth’s visionary staging, the mystical sorceress Aithra becomes the director of Helen and Menelaus’s story, seeing Helen as her alter ego and transforming the opera into a prism of fame, fantasy, and the creation of identity.
Making her SummerScape debut, the “compelling” (The New York Times) soprano Ambur Braid makes her role debut as Helena, joined by SummerScape Opera favorites: the “incredible” (OperaWire) tenor John Matthew Myers (Smetana’s Dalibor) as Menelaus and the “bright and earnest” (The New York Times) soprano Jana McIntyre (Strauss’s The Silent Woman) as Aithra. Anchored by the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstein, this production continues Bard’s decades-long tradition of showcasing rare operatic gems with artists of the highest caliber.
CREATIVE TEAM
Direction Christian Räth
Scenic Design Christian Räth and Daniel Unger
Costume Design Mattie Ullrich
Lighting Design Tyler Micoleau
Projection Design Elaine J. McCarthy
Choreography Catherine Galasso
Hair and Makeup Design Brittany Rappise”