About the work
Opera in three acts, Richard Strauss's first opera, to his own German libretto. Composed between 1887 and 1893 under strong Wagnerian influence, it premiered on 10 May 1894 at the Grand Ducal Court Theatre in Weimar, conducted by Strauss himself.
Plot
In medieval Germany, the minstrel-monk Guntram tries to overthrow the tyrannical Duke Robert. He saves the duke's daughter Freihild from drowning and falls in love with her; during an uprising against Robert he kills the duke. Realising that jealousy had driven his deed as much as conviction, he leaves Freihild and seeks penance in solitude.
Cultural significance
The Weimar premiere was a moderate success, but a planned production in Strauss's native Munich collapsed after a single performance in 1895 – an early setback the composer never quite forgot. In 1940 Strauss issued a shortened, more stageable revised version.