Zanaida
2024
Prinzregententheater München
Regie: Sabine Hartmannshenn

Johann Christian Bach's Zanaida, an opera set in the cultural context of the Near East, explores themes of power, morality, and emotional conflict. The stage design features an oversized, abstracted weaving frame with light, spatially stretched warp threads representing the Persian kingdom as hosts to a delegation from the Turkish royal house. These threads reference the rich tradition of carpet weaving in the region, a craft that serves both as an art form and a means of nonverbal storytelling. Movable thread segments allow for flexible spatial configurations, dynamically adapting to different scenes and moods. This structural element symbolizes the stories woven through the interplay of characters and their actions.
Complementing this, the costume concept incorporates a spectrum of red tones as weft threads, missing from the stage structure. The characters themselves become ornaments of an imagined carpet, linking the visual and narrative elements of the opera. This interplay highlights the etymological connection between "textile" and "text," emphasizing the woven layers of meaning within the performance.