Book presentation

The last days of the opera

December 3, 2023, 11am

Vienna State Opera, Vienna, AT

In March 2020, Hermann Nitsch was invited to write a text on the future of opera for the anthology “Die letzten Tage der Oper”. The book was published in German in spring 2023 and will be presented by the editors Christian Kircher, Gert Korentschnig and Denise Wendel-Poray at the Vienna State Opera on 3 December 2023. – Participation by personal invitation only!

The book “The Last Days of Opera”, whose title was inspired by the epic drama “The Last Days of Mankind” by Karl Kraus, seeks answers to the question of where the genre of music theatre stands today in the 21st century and where it could stand in the future. It is a comprehensive survey of the current situation of opera as an art form and is therefore essential reading for professionals, students and all opera lovers. The aim of the anthology, which comprises around 100 essays, is to discuss the relevance of opera in today’s dystopian world and to take a look at possible developments in the genre in the foreseeable future.

The editors Christian Kircher, Gert Korentschnig and Denise Wendel-Poray have realised this book project together with the renowned Milan-based publishing house Skira over the course of two years.
Over 90 authors from all areas of opera as well as creative minds from theatre, film, architecture, philosophy and the visual arts – including Hermann Nitsch – were recruited to contribute to this important discourse. The results were analyses, declarations of love, descriptions of problem areas and constructive approaches, clever essays and harsh criticism, optimistic interjections and pessimistic settlements. But love and passion shimmer through all the texts and they are pleas for a beautiful future.

Vienna State Opera
Opernring 2
1010 Vienna
Austria
www.wiener-staatsoper.at