Das Spitzentuch der Königin

To mark the 200th anniversary of Johann Strauss's birth in 2025, his operetta Das Spitzentuch der Königin returns to the stage of its premiere on January 18th. The Waltz King's seventh operetta, composed in 1880, became his greatest success to date, as it was evidently a parody of the rebellious Crown Prince Rudolf, whose liberal ideas posed challenges to the Habsburg monarchy.

In the operetta, Portugal is under the control of a ruthless prime minister who plans to sell the country to the Spanish crown. The young king, however, shows no interest in politics or his queen, devoting himself instead to exquisite truffle pâtés and extramarital escapades – making Portugal’s downfall seem inevitable. Enter the poet Cervantes, fleeing from pursuers, who finds himself in Lisbon. With plenty of humor, he intervenes in state affairs, saves the country, and discovers ample inspiration for his satirical novel Don Quixote.

After the scandalous suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf at Mayerling in 1889, the operetta disappeared from the stage overnight. However, Strauss incorporated its main musical theme into his concert waltz Roses from the South, which remains widely popular to this day. Das Spitzentuch der Königin is a treasure trove of beautiful melodies, and Strauss’s decision to have all of Portugal waltzing leaves no doubt about which monarchy was being playfully satirized.

Performed in German with German and English surtitles.
Introductory talk 30 minutes before each performance.