''Caligula'' is 2006 German-language opera by

Detlev Glanert Detlev Glanert (born 6 September 1960) is a Opera in German, German opera composer, who has also composed numerous works for chamber and full orchestra, including three symphonies. Biography Detlev Glanert was born in Hamburg in 1960. He came ...

in four acts to a

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by Hans-Ulrich Treichel, freely adapted from the 1945 play by

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, journalist, world federalist, and political activist. He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the s ...

. The published version by

Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes is a British Music publisher (sheet music), music publisher, purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass instrument, brass, string instru ...

also includes an English version by

Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English media personality, actress and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent competition show '' Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the national ''H ...

. The opera premiered at the

Oper Frankfurt The Oper Frankfurt (Frankfurt Opera) is a German opera company based in Frankfurt. Opera in Frankfurt am Main has a long tradition, with many world premieres such as Franz Schreker's ''Der ferne Klang'' in 1912, ''Fennimore and Gerda, Fennimore ...

, conducted by Markus Stenz, directed by . The plot of Camus' play tells of the last days of

Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...

Roles

Recording

*''Caligula'' – Ashley Holland (Caligula), Michaela Schuster (Caesonia), Martin Wölfel (Helicon), and Dietrich Volle (Mereia/Lepidus), Barbara Zechmeister (Livia), Hans-Jürgen Lazar (Mucius), Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, Markus Stenz, Oehms 2012Review
by Andrew Clements, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 30 April 2010: "A full German libretto is included in the booklet, but there's no English version."

References

{{reflist 2006 operas German-language operas Operas Operas based on plays Operas based on real people Operas set in the 1st century Cultural depictions of Julia Drusilla Cultural depictions of Caligula