In the organizer's words:

Composer Hans Werner Henze. Libretto by Edward Bond based on the story Peines de cœur d'une chatte anglaise by Honoré de Balzac.

A story for singers and instrumentalists in two acts (1983)

recommended for ages 14 and up

In German language. With surtitles in German.

Hans Werner Henze based his opera The English Cat (1983) on a story by Honoré de Balzac from the early 1840s, illustrated by the famous illustrator Grandville. The libretto for The English Cat was written by the English writer Edward Bond, with whom Henze had already collaborated successfully on his previous opera We Come to the River. While this was a fiery plea against war, the animal parable The English Cat appears at first glance to be apolitical, even harmlessly amusing. However, the story about the elderly tomcat Lord Puff, president of a vegetarian "Society for the Protection of Rats", and his young wife Minette, who falls in love with the daring tomcat Tom, ends tragically and functions as an evil satire: Minette is drowned by the other cats, Tom is stabbed in the back when he has just inherited a large sum of money. The callous, hypocritical cat society, which is only concerned with its own advantage, gets off scot-free.

Henze wrote music with a neoclassical feel reminiscent of the 18th century, which cleverly alienates many traditional forms - such as cavatina, aria, duet, waltz, tango, ländler - and creates music with an often chamber-music-like transparency. For all its playful lightness, however, it always remains clear that this piece holds up a mirror to the audience and that the hypocritical cat society naturally refers to us.

CAST

• Musical direction Katharina Wincor
• Production Christiane Lutz
• Stage Christian Andre Tabakoff
• Costumes Dorothee Joisten
• Lighting Benedikt Zehm
• Dramaturgy Olaf Roth

• Lord Puff Michael Butler
• Arnold Daniel Vening
• Mr. Jones / The Judge / Mr. Fawn Zhe Liu
• Tom Armand Rabot
• Peter Samuel Stopford
• Mr. Keen / The Defender / The Reverend Dafydd Jones
• Minette Seonwoo Lee
• Babette Meg Brilleslyper (2026: Jan 25, 30) Lucy Altus(2026: Jan 28)
• Louise Iana Aivazian
• Miss Crisp Elene Gvritishvili
• Mrs. Gomfit Nontobeko Bhengu
• Lady Toodle Jess Dandy
• Mr. Plunkett / The Prosecutor Bruno Khouri
• Betty, a juror Lucy Altus (2026: Jan 25, 30)
  Meg Brilleslyper (2026: Jan 28)

• Bavarian State Orchestra

Price information:

Prices vary depending on seat category: CEE, € 55 /50 /38 /24 /14 /7