Richard, Duke of Gloucester and brother of the king, uses murder and intrigue to pave his way to the English royal throne. Richard candidly tells his audience about his unscrupulous plans and why he has decided to be a villain. The story of the rise and fall of King Richard III, which William Shakespeare tells in his historical drama written in 1593, is a prime example of a despot who pushes his way to the top by force without having any political ideas beyond power.

The fact that Shakespeare's drama ‘matches’ perfectly with music by Henry Purcell was impressively demonstrated last night. Director Kateryna Sokolova and the musical director of the production, Benjamin Bayl, worked together to find key pieces from Shakespeare's masterpiece and Purcell's oeuvre to show Richard III in a completely different light! In the Kammeroper, Richard's art of disguise is at the centre of the production: three performers, a singer (Christoph Filler), an actor (Sören Kneidl) and a dancer (Fabian Tobias Huster) play the multifaceted role of the power-hungry king. The premiere evening was particularly remarkable, as Timothy Connor stepped in at short notice to sing for Christoph Filler, who was ill, while Christoph Filler performed on stage.

Also on stage were: Louise Kemény, Martina Neubauer*, Johannes Bamberger and Antoine Amariu* (*CAMPUS cooperation with students from the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna). The Bach Consort Vienna performed.

The audience was thrilled by this exciting and unusual evening and celebrated all the artists. Reason enough to celebrate afterwards and raise a glass to the success of the last premiere of the 2023/24 season! BRAVI TUTTI!