Christoph Willibald Gluck: Le Cinesi (The Chinese Women)

One-act opera about three bored Chinese women.

The opera begins with the ‘building’ of the set, a chines bathroom. Like a paper pop-up theatre, pieces are unfolded, flipped open and moved into place. The three female singers get wheeled in by technicians and are moved into position like life-size dolls. No-one will leave the small bathroom for the entire opera. All props and costumes needed for the frequent and visible transformations are parts of the bathroom, which are disassembled and used in a new context. At some point a male visitor appears from the bathtub.

Monika Schwabegger – mezzo soprano as Lisinga
Elisabeth Breuer – soprano as Sivene
Anna Manske – mezzo soprano as Tangia
Benedict Kristjánsson – tenor as Silango
recreationBAROCK
Erich Polz – conductor
Thomas Höft – direction and presentation
Lilli Hartmann – set design and costumes