"Die tote Stadt"

"Die tote Stadt" ("The Dead City") is an opera composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, first performed in 1920. The story centers on a grieving man named Paul who is haunted by the memory of his deceased wife, Marie. To cope, he immerses himself in a simulated world where he encounters a woman named Marietta, who resembles Marie. As Paul becomes emotionally entangled with her, he faces the conflict between his mourning and moving forward with life. The opera explores themes of love, loss, memory, and the human tendency to construct emotional illusions as a means of healing.