Marie Antoinette

The ghost of Marie Antoinette wanders restlessly through the halls of the Versailles Palace. Her friend, the talented Beaumarchais, who harbors tender feelings for her, tries to lift the depressed queen’s spirits with an impromptu opera performance. On the castle stage, the complex romantic comedy of the characters from the Figaro trilogy unfolds, but despite the witty twists, brilliant stage effects, and the entertaining play of well-known and beloved characters, the queen’s melancholy does not dissipate. It seems that stronger influences are needed. Therefore, the impromptu performance has a new mission: to change history. Figaro and his friends team up to rescue Marie Antoinette from prison. If successful, not only will there be no guillotine to sever Marie Antoinette's graceful little head, but the French Revolution will also be averted. Liberté, Égalité, and, let’s not even mention Fraternité, all will be forgotten. Everything seems to be going according to plan – or rather the script – but when the bars open, Marie Antoinette halts the performance. “She must stay,” she says, “she must stay and die.” She realizes that she can only be free if she accepts what has happened. She recalls the moments before the guillotine and admits that she feels she deserves the death sentence. She is deeply grateful to Beaumarchais for opening her eyes and even confesses that she loves him. Her restless, cold, empty, and sorrowful wandering ends here. Off to heaven.
The recording was made on November 21, 2023, during the opera evening of Ulrike Sonntag's class at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst concert hall in Stuttgart. The performance was directed by Rebekka Stanzel, with Olga Wien accompanying on the piano. My silent partner was baritone Shenghan Wang.
I would like to thank Hannes Kieselbach, Björn Hartmann, Eric Weimann, Johann Schimon, Klara Schulmeyer, Lukas Knobloch, Walter Schimon, and Arne Morgner for the beautiful recording.