The Silent Woman - Fisher Center at Bard

The plot is almost identical to Donizetti’s Don Pasquale except that the “old man” is not a fool here and his relationship with his nephew, Henry, is loving. It is more human and tender but still has bite. All the old man, Sir Morosus, wants is silence. Richard Strauss' Die schweigsame Frau was first presented in 1935; Hitler and Goebbels refused to attend because Stefan Zweig, the librettist, was a Jew and Strauss refused to remove his name from the program after the Nazis had insisted it be excised. It was a great success but was withdrawn for just that political reason after only three performances. Presented here is the complete, with some minor tweeks, uncensored version.

Cast

Harold Wilson Sir Morosus

Jana McIntyre Aminta

David Portillo Henry Morosus Edward Nelson Schneidebart, the barber

Ariana Lucas Widow Zimmerlein

Matthew Anchel Vanuzzi

Chrystal E Williams Carlotta

Anya Matanovic Isotta

Federico DeMichelis Farfallo

Jorell Williams Morbio

Metadata from the source database.