Gyges und sein Ring

In this mythic tragedy the court of ancient Lydia erupts with ambition, rivalry, and the weight of ancient symbols. King Kandaules, his queen Rhodope, and the enigmatic Greek Gyges find themselves drawn together by a glittering diadem and a newly forged sword—objects that promise power but also hint at danger. As courtiers, slaves, and enslaved women whisper in the hall, the tension between duty and desire sharpens, turning ordinary ceremony into a precarious dance of pride and betrayal.

Hebbel’s language swirls with vivid images—a muted rainbow, the clash of metal, the echo of heroic myths—while the story unfolds over a tightly bound forty‑eight‑hour span. The first act sets the stage for a clash of wills, where gifts become tests of loyalty and the characters grapple with the seductive pull of glory. Listeners will be drawn into a world where the line between honor and ruin is as fragile as the jeweled crown itself.