Die ägyptische Helena
also Die Aegyptische Helena, The Egyptian Helen
opera · Oper in zwei Aufzügen
Composer Richard Strauss
Librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Synopsis
Sailing home from Troy, Menelaus means to kill his recovered wife Helen for the war fought over her. Shipwrecked on the island of the sorceress Aithra, he is given a potion that convinces him the Helen he fought for was only ever a phantom, and that this Helen, faithful all along, has awaited his return.
Versions
Key facts
- Premiere
- 6 June 1928, Sächsische Staatsoper, Dresden
- Acts
- 2
- Language
- German (de)
- Setting
- Aithra's island palace off Egypt and a pavilion at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, in the years after the Trojan War.
What's different
The libretto is an original story by Hofmannsthal, reworking the legend, found in Euripides and elsewhere, that the Helen who went to Troy was a phantom.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Helena Menelas's wife. | soprano | Elisabeth Rethberg |
| Menelas Helena's husband. | tenor | Curt Taucher |
| Hermione Helena and Menelas's child. | soprano | Anneliese Petrich |
| Aithra An Egyptian princess and sorceress. | soprano | Maria Rajdl |
| Altair A nomad chieftain. | baritone | Friedrich Plaschke |
| Da-ud Altair's son. | tenor | Guglielmo Fazzini |
| Die erste Dienerin One of Aithra's two servants. | soprano | Erna Berger |
| Die zweite Dienerin One of Aithra's two servants. | mezzo-soprano | Sigrid Rothermel |
| Erster Elf First elf. | soprano | Angela Kolniak |
| Zweiter Elf Second elf. | soprano | Eva Johnn |
| Dritter Elf Third elf. | contralto | Elfriede Haberkorn |
| Vierter Elf Fourth elf. | contralto | Sigrid Rothermel |
| Die alles-wissende Muschel An oracular mussel shell in Aithra's keeping. | contralto | Helene Jung |
Key facts
- Premiere
- 14 August 1933
- Acts
- 2
- Language
- German (de)
- Setting
- Aithra's island palace off Egypt and a pavilion at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, in the years after the Trojan War.
What's different
A revision made for the Salzburg Festival, performed at the Festspielhaus there — the house since renamed Haus für Mozart, and not the same building as the Grosses Festspielhaus, which did not open until 1960. Neither version has ever established the work in the repertory, so unlike Ariadne there is no performing-tradition case for making the revision primary; the original stands as such here.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Helena Menelas's wife. | soprano | Viorica Ursuleac |
| Menelas Helena's husband. | tenor | Franz Völker |
| Hermione Helena and Menelas's child. | soprano | Irene Eisinger |
| Aithra An Egyptian princess and sorceress. | soprano | Margit Angerer |
| Altair A nomad chieftain. | baritone | Alfred Jerger |
| Da-ud Altair's son. | tenor | Helge Roswaenge |
| Die erste Dienerin One of Aithra's two servants. | soprano | Luise Helletsgruber |
| Die zweite Dienerin One of Aithra's two servants. | mezzo-soprano | Polly Batic |
| Erster Elf First elf. | soprano | Aenne Michalsky |
| Zweiter Elf Second elf. | soprano | Margit Szathmary |
| Dritter Elf Third elf. | contralto | Fanny Salinger |
| Vierter Elf Fourth elf. | contralto | Frieda Stroinigg |
| Die alles-wissende Muschel An oracular mussel shell in Aithra's keeping. | contralto | Gertrud Rünger |
Source
Original libretto.
Written from
- Osborne, C. (1988) The Complete Operas of Richard Strauss: A Critical Guide. London: Michael O'Mara Books, pp. 139-153.
- Strauss, R. (1928) Die aegyptische Helena: Oper in zwei Aufzügen. Berlin: A. Fürstner. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Murray, D. (1992) 'Strauss, Richard (Georg)', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 565-575.
- opera-guide.ch (2026) Die ägyptische Helena: Synopsis. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Boosey & Hawkes (2026) Die ägyptische Helena: Synopsis. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) Die ägyptische Helena. (Accessed: August 2026). The English article.
- Wikipedia (2026) Die ägyptische Helena. (Accessed: August 2026). The German article.
- Abendausgabe Dresdner Nachrichten (1928) 4 June, p. 2. (Accessed: August 2026). Named consistently in the order Kolniak, Johnn, Haberkorn, Rothermel across the sources, never alphabetically; the first two are sopranos and the last two contralto/mezzo, matching the numbered roles' own soprano-soprano-contralto-contralto split. Taken as First through Fourth Elf in that order.