Ritter Ei­sen­fraß

Why is it, again, that the two knights, Munchiron and Dealdeath, are at daggers drawn? They’re not even sure themselves now, but they keep skirmishing all the same – on principle. Spurred on by Karl the knave’s brand-new gruesome gore gadget and by the music of Jacques Offenbach.

This opera for children transports audiences to the age of chivalry, yet the theme it addresses is a timeless one. If Munchiron’s nephew Jacques and Dealdeath’s daughter Dubdouce had not fallen in love and teamed up with the castle ghost to keep the two knights from each other’s throat, they would doubtless be duelling to this day. But just because it’s an old tradition doesn’t mean it’s right.

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