Very impressive production--the performers acted and sang their hearts out. It helped greatly having read the play that the opera was based on (in German--not sure if it's ever been translated into English), as it made the plot make a lot more sense. The original German play is a poetic and philosophically insightful masterpiece, in my opinion, despite the apparently negative remarks in German here in the comment section about it. In any case, I enjoyed this opera production greatly and thank the poster for uploading.

The protagonist is Georges Danton, a leader in the French government during the Revolution. When he turned against Robespierre's tactics-including terror-he was guillotined in April 1794. The opera's first act establishes Danton's confrontation with Robespierre. In the first scene Danton and Camille Desmoulins express their desire for an end of the daily executions to a group of their friends playing cards. Scene two introduces the volatile crowd. Robespierre enters and in an aria sways the crowd and promises more executions. Danton confronts him. After Danton leaves, Robespierre and his colleague Saint-Just decide that he and Camille must be killed. In the last scene of the act Danton announces to Camille and his wife Lucile that he is to be arrested, but he refuses to flee. Act 2 depicts Danton's trial and death. Two scenes before the Revolutionary Tribunal are separated by one with Danton and Camille in prison. Lucile comes to see Camille; she has lost her reason. In the trial scenes the crowd swings between demanding Danton's death and falling under the spell of his eloquent oratory. At the end, in the Place de la Révolution, the condemned prisoners sing "La Marseillaise" in counterpoint to the crowd dancing the Carmagnole. Danton and Camille are guillotined. After the crowd disperses, Lucile enters and sits on the steps of the guillotine. She cries Es lebe der Konig (Long live the king) and is arrested as the curtain falls.

Cast at 1:33:40

alter das Buch ist schon schlimm da erschieß ich mich ja direkt

1:27:31 The great Karl Terkal

An emotional and fascinating musical of the French Revolution. Not as impressive as Les Miserables, in my view, but nonetheless a triumph! All of the songs are creatively written and powerfully performed. Wolfgang Büttner is especially great as Robespierre.