Alexander Zemlinsky
"DER KÖNIG KANDAULES"
Beauty loses its charm as soon as its secret is revealed
Synopsis
Act 1
At the court of the incredibly rich King Kandaules preparations are underway
for a banquet that will outshine all other festivities. Nervous anticipation
is the predominant mood among the king’s sycophants and favourites. As
the highlight of the evening’s celebrations Kandaules has promised his
friends the appearance of Queen Nyssia, who otherwise normally conceals
herself from the gaze of strangers. Gyges the fisher is the only person
to stand aside from the rest: he abhors the parasitism of the fawning
courtiers. After all, he used to play with the young Kandaules and even
then became aware of his boundless altruism and thus his vulnerability.
For Kandaules, however, wealth and extravagance only exist in selfless
sharing and so he orders Nyssia to lift her veil and show herself to the
guests at the banquet.
Kill happiness rather than share it
The queen’s beauty leaves everybody speechless. However, Nyssia objects to her role as a soulless object on display and counters Kandaules’ altruism with a decided expression of her own esteem: “It’s preferable to kill happiness rather than share it.” The situation threatens to escalate into a conflict but is interrupted by an incident. Inside the fish brought by Gyges one of the courtiers has found a ring; it bears the ambiguous inscription, “I conceal happiness”. Alarmed by this oracle Kandaules sends for the fisherman. The king is deeply amazed by the poverty and unhappiness of Gyges: “How can such misery exist alongside happiness like mine?” The courtiers provoke Gyges with insinuations about the infidelity of his wife Tryda, who works in the king’s kitchens. The scene escalates because the fisherman unconsciously adheres to the queen’s maxim: he’d rather kill his wife than share her with others. Kandaules, overwhelmed by Gyges’s resolve and pride, offers him his friendship.
Act 2
Kandaules showers his new friend with presents and tries to give him an
idea of his nameless wealth. Of course that hardly impresses the modest
fisherman. Kandaules thinks out a fatal plan: with the help of the mysterious
ring that makes its wearer invisible, Gyges is to catch sight of Queen
Nyssia unclothed – only then will he be able to fully appreciate the king’s
happiness. Gyges opposes the idea but as the queen appears unexpectedly,
he is forced to watch from a hiding place as Nyssia takes off her veil.
In the ensuing love scene, when Kandaules leaves the room on a pretext,
the enchanted Gyges takes his place …
Act 3
A magnificent orchestral prelude portrays the night of love enjoyed by
Nyssia and Gyges. The following day the fisherman, overwhelmed by shame,
remains in his hiding place and thus witnesses how the queen enthusiastically
tells Kandaules about the most wonderful night she has ever had. For the
first time the king feels jealous and Gyges reveals himself to the queen.
The deceived woman’s love abruptly turns into excessive hatred and she
orders Gyges to kill the king. Gyges obeys her, again having become invisible
by wearing the ring, and stabs his friend Kandaules. Nyssia crowns the
fisherman as the new king but she replies scornfully to his order to veil
herself again: “Kandaules tore my veil!”
Christian Wildhagen
Monika Rittershaus, Searching
Alexander Zemlinsky
Der König Kandaules
Sung in German with English
supertitles
Conductor Kent Nagano
Stage director Christine Mielitz
Stage sets Alfred Hrdlicka
König Kandaules Robert Brubaker
Gyges Wolfgang Schoene
Phedros Mel Ulrich
Syphax John Nuzzo
Nicomedes Jochen Schmeckenbecher
Pharnaces Randall Jakobsch
Philebos Georg Zeppenfeld
Simias Jürgen Sacher
Sebas John Dickie
Archelaos Almas Svilpa
Der Koch Peter Loehle
Nyssia Nina Stemme
German Symphony Orchestra Berlin
Kleines Festspielhaus
New production: 28 July 2002,
31 July, 3 August (performance begins at 3 p.m.)
6 and 8 August
Performances begin at 7 p.m.
unless otherwise stated
Tickets are available from
the Festival Ticket Office:
€ 135 (not on 31. 7.),
€ 195, € 270 and € 315.
Telephone: 0043 662 8045-500
Telefax: 0043 662 8045-555
E-mail: info@salzburgfestival.at