Sophonisbe, a tragic female figure from antiquity. She mercilessly becomes the pawn of power interests in the war between Rome and Carthage and can therefore be considered a highly topical figure in our present day, which is characterised by wars and political conflicts. Ultimately, it is always the individual who suffers from the desires of the world powers. Driven into a corner by diverging power interests, Sophonisbe chooses suicide. This tragic female figure's desperate decision calls for a radical realisation.
Christian Gottlob Neefe, who as the founder of the German Singspiel often resorted to rather cheerful subjects, fulfils this demand and has Sophonisbe appear as the only character in his monodrama. This "sole position" of the main character corresponds to her extensive isolation and desperate situation. first performed in 1776, Neefe's music is characterised by its drastic intensity and oppressive density, which illuminates the protagonist's emotional life in all its facets. It is a great stroke of luck that Neefe himself arranged the orchestral work with a solo speaking part for piano in order to make it performable in a more intimate setting.
The visual artist Sara M. T. Richter-Höhlich was commissioned to design the miniature-like stage set. Despite the antiquated textual level, the content of Neefe's monodrama is reinterpreted and deliberately given a political connotation. Due to its high density of events, Neefe's music has an astonishingly modern effect and merges with the stage design to create new units of meaning. Last but not least, this miniature theatre is a resolute protest against the abuse of women in the service of power and armed conflicts.
Magda Decker, born in Berlin in 1987 and an actress at Chemnitz Theatre since the 2013/14 season, and Richard Röbel, a specialist in historical keyboard instruments, a master student of Mozart Prize winner Christine Schornsheim and a 2006 scholarship holder of the Sächsische Mozart-Gesellschaft e.V. in his younger years, will be performing on stage.
