Der ferne Klang

ACT I

Germany. Springtime.

Fritz, a young, ambitious composer, lives in a small town. He forsakes his true love Grete, who is from a family of simple means, to devote himself to his music. His sets off in search of a distant sound that he hears within; one he finds hard to put down on paper. Unfettered and free, he hopes to find the mysterious sound that still eludes him. Since he loves Grete, he promises to return to her as soon as he has established himself as a composer.

Once he has left, Grete’s parents try to marry her off to the landlord of a local inn in the hope of settling debts run up by the drunkard father. Grete runs away from her nightmarish parental home and follows an old woman into the forest at night. The woman promises her joy and happiness with a handsome young man. Grete hopes to see Fritz once again.

ACT II

10 years later. A summer night on an island near Venice.

Deceived by the old woman, who turned out to be a procuress, Grete is now a coveted courtesan at a luxury brothel near Venice. Admiring aristocrats swarm around her, among them a count who wants her for himself and is ready to sweep her away.

Grete, who by now has been with hundreds of men, still longs for Fritz. She challenges her suitors to a contest, where the prize is a night with her for free. Whoever touches her heart with the most imaginative piece of music, story or song will be the winner.

In a gloomy ballad, the count laments his unquenchable desire for her, and a seasoned chevalier sings a chanson about the meaninglessness of marriage. Soon, the divided audience demands that Grete declare the chevalier as the winner.

At that very moment, a stranger appears. It is Fritz, now a well-known composer. He has yet to find the distant sound he has been seeking. Fritz and Grete recognise each other at once and fall into each other’s arms. However, when Fritz realizes that Grete is now a prostitute, he forsakes her for the second time. The count takes a distraught Grete with him.

ACT III

15 years later, back in Germany.

An opera house is staging an opera that Fritz has finally completed after many long years. Grete, who after a brief period with the count was thrown onto the streets, is back in Germany, now a common streetwalker. She sees the composer’s name on the opera advertising board and goes to see the performance. Strongly moved by the tale, which is basically her own life story, Grete leaves the theatre before the performance ends. As the audience streams out of the opera, she hears that the work is deemed a failure, and that it will hardly outlive its dying creator. Doctor Vigelius, who was involved in the plans to marry off Grete all those years ago to the landlord, and who feels like an accessory to her wretchedness, recognizes Grete Graumann in the aged street prostitute. He promises to bring her to Fritz.

The morning after the failed premier, Fritz receives a visit from A dubious character (Rudolf) who has come to cheer him up. He believes that Fritz should be able to rewrite the final act, thereby completing his masterpiece. Fritz however, who feels that death is near, only wants to see the woman he caught a glimpse of in the audience at the performance the night before, and who left the opera early.

Suddenly, Fritz once again hears the sound within him that has been eluding him for so long. Doctor Vigelius brings Grete to him. The two promise never to part.

Fritz’s journey through life has come to an end. He realizes that he could only hear the sound in the company of Grete and dies in her arms.

We recommend that you arrive at least half an hour before the performance begins. If you can arrive earlier, it's even better: 45 minutes before the start of the performance, there is a free audience introduction in the Golden Foyer - an excellent way to approach the performance! Please note that once the performance has started, no one will be allowed into the hall until after the first intermission.

We have put together some useful tips for your visit. Otherwise, our best advice is to arrive on time - discover the Opera House, leave your coat in the cloakroom, eat or drink something. AND, ask our ushers - they'll be happy to help! Outerwear and bags should be left in the cloakroom for safety and evacuation reasons.

You can rebook tickets yourself on the website up to 24 hours before the start of the performance within the the current season. Tickets cannot be cancelled (read more in our general terms and conditions).

Of course you can! Our partner Restaurang Grodan is on the ground floor facing Strömgatan - take the opportunity to book a table ahead of your visit! Each floor also has a service with drinks and snacks, at the stalls' café there is a slightly larger selection. We advice you to pre-book the intermission service so it is ready and waiting for you during the interval!