Work of the Week – Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Violanta

By Christopher Peter
18 Jan 2026

Digital illustration of a nocturnal Venetian scene featuring dark palazzos and the Rialto Bridge silhouette. Vibrant red waves with musical notes flow across the canal. On the right, a vintage black-and-white portrait of young Erich Wolfgang Korngold

On January 25, 2026, the Deutsche Oper Berlin brings a work into the spotlight that, like few others, embodies the transition from late Romanticism to Modernism: Erich Wolfgang Korngold's one-act opera Violanta. Under the musical direction of Sir Donald Runnicles and directed by David Hermann, this psychologically dense chamber play is being reimagined. The production promises a profound exploration of a work that reaches far beyond the status of a mere "early work."

A Prodigy Stuns the Musical World: Korngold was only 17 years old when he completed the score for Violanta. Its 1916 premiere in Munich under Bruno Walter was a sensation. Giacomo Puccini, who later met the young composer in Vienna, remarked admiringly:

He has so much talent, he could give us half of it and still have enough for himself. (Giacomo Puccini)

This gift is evident in Violanta through a complete mastery of the large orchestra. Historically, the work stands in the context of Vienna’s "Fin de Siècle": while the world around him plunged into the First World War, Korngold created a highly emotional portrait of human abysses, exploring the boundary between tonal tradition and expressive modernism.

Between Vengeance and Emotional Turmoil

The plot takes us to Renaissance Venice. While the Carnival rages outside, a claustrophobic silence reigns inside the house of Simone Trovai. His wife, Violanta, has a plan: she wants to lure the seductive Prince Alfonso—who drove her sister to suicide—into a trap. Her husband is to act as the executioner. However, the encounter takes an unexpected turn: in a grand orchestral dialogue, Violanta's hatred transforms into uncontrollable desire. The piece ends not with the planned murder, but with a tragedy in which Violanta is caught between the fronts of duty and passion, eventually dying at her husband's hand.

Psychological Exploration on Bismarckstraße: In the current Berlin production, director David Hermann eschews historical Venetian kitsch. Instead, he focuses on the psychological constellation of the triangular drama. This approach is supported by the musical expertise of Sir Donald Runnicles. Known for his interpretations of Strauss and Wagner, Runnicles is the ideal partner to reveal the fine nuances and almost "cinematic" colors of Korngold’s orchestration, bringing the complexity of this score to the audience.