Klytia: A Story of Heidelberg Castle

The story opens in the grand halls of Heidelberg Castle in the spring of 1570, when the court of the Elector Palatine is crowded with petitioners from across Europe. Among the hopeful artists, theologians, and foreign envoys, two starkly different pairs wait for an audience: a lively, optimistic couple and a despondent duo—a defrocked parson and his cynical, dwarf‑sized companion. Their conversation reveals personal grievances tied to a notorious wanderer named Olevianus, hinting at political and religious tensions that swirl through the court.

As the Elector calls names, the scene teems with vivid details of the castle’s Gothic‑Renaissance architecture, the sharp contrast between solemn heraldic symbols and the portly court servant’s cheerful livery. The characters’ motives—ambition, redemption, and a desperate search for patronage—create a tapestry of hopes and fears that pulse beneath the stone walls. Listeners are invited to step into a richly rendered 16th‑century world where personal fortunes hinge on a single, precarious audience.