Die Entführung aus dem Serail - Singspiel by W.A. Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Singspiel in three acts | KV 384
Libretto: Christoph Friedrich Bretzner
Running time: 120 min. including interval

+Performed in German · With surtitles in German and English.

PRODUCTION TEAM
Puppet construction: Bernhard Leismüller
Puppet heads: Sebastian Demmel
Costumes: Bernhard Leismüller
Set design: Bettina Hummitzsch
Direction, dramaturgy: Bernhard Leismüller

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
"Die Entführung" is a plea for courage, tolerance and forgiveness. Against an exotic backdrop, in the tension between two entirely different cultures, Mozart sketches a historical utopia: reconciliation. "Nothing is as ugly as revenge!" With racial and religious conflicts still causing bloodshed around the world, "The Abduction from the Seraglio" feels more relevant than ever.

STAGE HISTORY
The premiere took place on 16 July 1782 at the Burgtheater in Vienna and was a resounding success. The opera soon began its triumphant journey through German theatres: performances followed in Prague, Leipzig and Bonn in 1783, then Munich, Salzburg, Mannheim and Frankfurt am Main in 1784. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe attended the Weimar premiere on 4 April 1785 and remarked: "All our efforts to confine ourselves to the simple and limited were lost when Mozart appeared. 'The Abduction from the Seraglio' swept everything aside." The opera has held its place on stages worldwide ever since.