La Grande-Du­ch­es­se de Gé­rol­stein

The duchess loathes both boredom and the dull functionaries who administer her duchy. Unnerved by this, the apparatchiks start a war with a view to strengthening their position and increasing their sway over the duchess. Meanwhile, she has fallen for Fritz, a private in the army, and promotes him to the highest of ranks as a way of winning his attentions.

This zany parody of provincial bigwigs, military bragging and gothic schlock is classic Jacques Offenbach, the masterly mixer of ribald comedy and subtle irony. The opéra bouffe marks Andreas Kriegenburg’s debut at the Nuremberg Opernhaus.