Der Idiot

Posthumous success The Idiot is the final opera by Mieczysław Weinberg and was composed in 1986/1987. It compresses the novel by Dostojevski into a capricious succession of images on a simultaneous stage, which also contains epic commentary. Until recently, Weinberg was one of the unjustly forgotten composers of the 20th century. Thanks to an impressive renaissance in recent years, he is now recognized alongside Sjostakovitsj and Prokofjev as one of the most important composers of the Soviet Union. The production recorded here by the Mannheim National Theater was one of the most successful productions of the season and was named "World Premiere of the Year" by the journal Opernwelt in 2013.

Reviews

"The passionate commitment of those involved, in particular the orchestra and the conductor, is palpable, and not infrequently the struggle against the expressive 'resistance' of the music. This recording is not for the convenience of easy listening. But why should the listener, who wants to get to know an engaging work, have to make less effort than the performers?" (Fono Forum, May 2016)