Georg F. Mielke

This is released as part of Art Haus' Walter Felsenstein edition. Felsenstein, a contemporary of Bertold Brecht, ran the East German Komische Oper from just after World War II to his death. Felstenstein was famous for his ensemble productions and for the enormous amount of rehearsal time that went into his productions.

The Deutsche Staatsoper Unter den Linden is presented together with some of its best and most popular singers. A program of famous opera arias and scenes: Among others, Theo Adam sings Philipp's aria from Verdi's "Don Carlos", Peter Schreier the cavatina of Almaviva from Rossini's "Barber of Seville". Ute Trekel-Burkhardt and Isabella Nawe present a scene from Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier". The chorus and ballet also make their appearances. Between the numbers, the artists make statements about the opera house against the backdrop of the opera and its magnificent interiors.

Ritter Blaubart is a DEFA studio recording, commissioned by East German television, of Walter Felsenstein's production of Jacques Offenbach's operetta Bluebeard in three acts at the Komische Oper Berlin. The operetta was recorded in color at the DEFA Studios for Feature Films in Potsdam-Babelsberg. The film was first shown in theaters on April 27, 1973, in a gala preview at the Kino International in Berlin.