Chicago Opera Theater (COT) will premiere Kurt Weill’s “Der Silbersee” (The Silver Lake) on March 4th, marking the first fully staged production of the work in the United States. The opera, which premiered in Germany in 1933, was promptly banned by the Nazi party shortly after its debut.
Written with librettist Georg Kaiser, “Der Silbersee” tells the story of Severin, a man shot while stealing a pineapple, and Olim, the policeman who wounds him but later nurses him back to health. The production, performed in German with English supertitles, explores themes of redemption and reconciliation, according to COT.
Lawrence Edelson, the general director of Chicago Opera Theater, has been working towards this production for years, committed to presenting the work as Weill and Kaiser originally intended. “One hundred percent of the original music is there,” Edelson said, while noting some dialogue scenes have been trimmed to improve the pace for a contemporary American audience. Previous attempts to stage the opera in the United States involved significant alterations to the score and libretto.
The opera’s history is intertwined with the rise of Nazism in Germany. Weill, labeled a “degenerate” by the Nazi regime, fled Germany for Paris in 1933 and later immigrated to the United States. The premiere was deliberately staged in multiple German cities in an attempt to evade censorship, but the production was ultimately shut down after sixteen performances.
The Chicago production features tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali as Severin and bass baritone Justin Hopkins as Olim, both making their COT debuts. Ariana Strahl will portray Fennimore, a role originally performed by Lotte Lenya, Weill’s wife and a prominent singer and actress. Strahl, who has performed extensively in Germany, brings her experience to the role, though Edelson emphasized this will not be a Lenya tribute.
Edelson highlighted the opera’s continued relevance, stating that it addresses issues such as wealth inequality, abuse of state power, and the rise of fascism – themes that resonate in the United States today. He also emphasized the work’s underlying message of hope. “The piece is imbued with hope throughout, and that’s something we desperately need right now,” he said.
The Chicago Opera Theater’s production of “Der Silbersee: Ein Wintermärchen” will run from March 4th through March 8th at the Studebaker Theater, 410 South Michigan Avenue.
