About the work
Philippe Boesmans composed the opera "Reigen" after Arthur Schnitzler's play of the same name, with a libretto by Luc Bondy. It premiered on 4 March 1993 at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling.
Plot
The opera keeps the cyclical round-dance form of its source: ten characters meet in pairs and pass each other on through Vienna around 1900, starting with a prostitute and a soldier, until the circle closes when the count meets the prostitute again. The music leaves the actual love scenes offstage, letting them fade into dark orchestral interludes.
Cultural significance
"Reigen" is regarded as the first 20th-century Belgian opera to enter the repertoire of neighbouring countries as well, including Stuttgart State Opera. In 2004 Fabrizio Cassol re-orchestrated the work for a twenty-player chamber ensemble.