Work of the Week - Carl Orff: De temporum fine comoedia

A new production of Carl Orff’s final stage work De temporum fine comoedia (The Play of the End of Times) will receive its first night at the Staatstheater Darmstadt on 30th January. The staging of the opera will take place alongside the performance of Orff’s first opera Gisei – The Victim, finally receiving its first performance ninety-seven years after its completion. Both operas are directed by John Dew as part of the Staatstheater Darmstadt’s The Works of Carl Orff series which began in their 2006/2007 season. Both works will be conducted by Constantin Trinks.

Orff’s De temporum fine comoedia gives a vision of the apocalypse at a point where different historical traditions, religions, magic and languages come together. The music explores these diverse philosophical ideas and invites the audience to scrutinize this world of contrasting historical sources.

Combining the first and last stage work for the opening night at the Staatstheatre Darmstadt gives the audience a unique opportunity to compare the stage works of one of the best known composers of the 20th century. Further performances of Gisei – The Victim and De temporum fine comoedia will take place on 5th, 20th and 28th of February.

• More on the World Premiere of Gisei - The Victim
• Carl Orff - Profile
• Staatstheater Darmstadt
  

_{Image: Stage design draft by Heinz Balthes, Staatstheater Darmstadt}