In addition to his successful opera Hansel and Gretel, Engelbert Humperdinck also set other Grimm's fairy tales such as Snow White, The Seven Little Goats and Sleeping Beauty to music. An instrumental short version was first performed in 1902, followed by the staged premiere of the complete score. After the 100th anniversary of the composer's death in 2021, the TFN is bringing this rarely performed masterpiece back to the stage - somewhat belatedly for well-known reasons - and enchanting audiences with wonderfully fairytale-like (sound) images.
The royal couple finally have their long-awaited daughter Sleeping Beauty, who is to be blessed by twelve fairies. When the thirteenth fairy realizes that she has not been invited, she curses the newborn: Sleeping Beauty is to prick herself on a spindle and die on her 15th birthday. However, the twelfth fairy is able to weaken this curse and turn it into a 100-year sleep. It comes as it must: Although the parents protect their child, Sleeping Beauty pricks herself on a spindle and the whole village falls into a deep sleep. A brave prince sets out to rescue the princess ...
Premiere February 17, 2024
Further performances: February 22, March 17 and 19, April 1, 14, 15 and 27, May 15 and 26 and June 8, 21 and 30, 2024
