Elizabeth Magnuson

Operetta in three acts / Sung in German Five years after Wagner's "Parsifal," Johann Strauss II presented "Simplicius" in the Theater an der Wien. Neither an opera nor an operetta, it was a work that did not fit into any of the pre-defined categories. On the 100th anniversary of the composer's death in 1999, the Zurich opera house presented a new production, the work's Swiss premiere. This production picked up on various impulses from the history of the work’s origin, using them to create a unique version of the piece. Here, for example, is the "Donauweibchen" incorporated shortly before the end. The Austrian-born chief conductor of the Zurich opera house, Franz Welser-Möst, has left his mark as a native speaker on this "Simplicius" production both here and elsewhere.

Live performance from Zürich Opera House, 2001. “Vesselina Kasarova’s Rosina turned this Barber into a major event. Pearling coloratura, endless resources of vocal colour and nuance and phenomenal acting versatility became mere means to an end: that of making Rosina into a human being of flesh and blood, with heart, humour and considerable brains.