Work of the Week – Carl Orff: Die Kluge

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the cleverest of them all? Based on the story by the Brothers Grimm, Carl Orff's fairytale opera Die Kluge (The Wise Girl) will be performed at the Salzburg Festival on 20 August 2024 under the musical direction of Anna Handler. 

The "jung&jede*r" section has opted for a version with a reduced cast by Wilfried Hiller and Paul Leonard Schäffer. This retains the rich tonal colours of the Orff instrumentation and the rhythmically accentuated speech setting, but also gives the wise women more vocal parts.

Die Kluge by Carl Orff: A Strong Protagonist

It was important to director Giulia Giammona to show a strong protagonist. In her search for her father, she is repeatedly underestimated. She also has other problems that are understandable for everyone, but especially for children. The opera deals with justice, power and recognition for young and old alike.

"You can be clever and love." (Giulia Giammona, director)

If you fancy more music by Carl Orff, you will find many performances of Carmina Burana in our calendar. However, Orff's Trionfi, which will be performed on an opera stage at the Hamburg State Opera on 21 September 2024 for the first time in a long time, is a very special experience.

Further Reading:

Carl Orff:  Composer Profile

Die Kluge: Work Details and Online Score 

Website Salzburg Festival

Calendar with performances of Carmina Burana

photo: Salzburg Festival / Neumeier / Leopold