Daphne - Schedule, Program & Tickets

conductor
Sebastian Weigle
directing
Nicholas Joel
Furnishing
Pet Halmen
choreography
Renato Zanella

Peneios
Gunther Groissböck
Gaea
Noa Beinart
Daphne
Hanna-Elisabeth Müller
Leucippus
Daniel Jenz
Apollo
David Butt Philip

The stage depicts a salon “à la grec”. In the dark twilight, a young woman lies dreamily on a couch in the middle of the salon. The salon is dominated by two large antique statues; at the feet of Apollo, sitting in a chair, one suspects a dark figure. The young woman moves restlessly in her sleep. is she dreaming The man watching her - is it her husband? A lonely oboe sounds. The figures in the murals appear to be alive. The Dionysos statue, whose gaze is directed towards the sleeping woman, glows in the dark. Voices penetrate the walls to the woman's ear. She straightens up, the painted trees draw her magically, she laments longingly: "Oh stay, beloved day". She fears the night, especially the one that is now beginning. The wall becomes transparent. A young man is lying in the leaves, he suddenly gets up and approaches the singer. The veil between them falls, from now on the two levels merge. The woman becomes Daphne, the young man is Leucippus, the mother becomes Gaea, the father becomes Peneios, the husband becomes Apollo. When Leucippus becomes intrusive, Daphne flees the reality of the salon. Leucippus complains to the entering maids. These advise him to put on Daphne's clothes in order to approach her. Peneios comes with his shepherds and sings of the beauty of Olympus. The idyll is disturbed by the appearance of a stranger. It's Apollo in disguise. Frightened, everyone flees. Left alone for a moment, he blames himself for humiliating himself. Daphne rises from her lounger. In the magical light of the moon, the sight of her reminds Apollo of his sister Artemis. He feels a great affection for her. But Daphne is a little suspicious of this man. The stranger confesses that he knows her very well and repeats some words that she (on her first appearance) addressed to the daylight. Believing that she has found a kindred spirit in Apollo, she sinks into his chest. However, when he kisses her wantingly, she wants to flee.
The festival in honor of the god Dionysus begins. A large mask becomes visible. Fauns and nymphs jump out of their mouths, a large fountain of wine is brought, everyone gets drunk. Among them Leucippus in disguise, who is flatteringly approaching Daphne. She is drawn to this “girl” with a deep connection. They start dancing. When Daphne wants to take the mask off the stranger's face, Leucippus defends himself brutally and throws Daphne to the ground in order to rape her. At that moment, Apollo sees through Leucippo's disguise and bursts out into a roar of rage. He summons a thunderstorm, everyone runs away, only Daphne, Apollo and Leucippus stay behind. Leucippus asks Apollo to reveal his identity. When Daphne demands the same, he reveals himself: "I am Apollo, the god of the sun and of daylight". Leucippus curses the god, who kills him. Daphne, who mourns the corpse of her former playmate, now realizes that she belongs with him. She bitterly rejects Apollo's courtship. Deeply moved, he begs the gods to forgive him for his betrayal of these mortals. He asks his father Zeus to transform Daphne into a laurel tree. Its branches are said to adorn the foreheads of the noblest men, and as a sister she is said to be associated with Apollo. Daphne's transformation begins. You can still hear her voice for a while. The wall closes. The man is sitting in the dark room, but the couch is empty.

Subject to change.