Das weite Land

Premiere at the Akademietheater on October 29, 1959. Recording from the Akademietheater in 1960.

Paula Wessely and Attila Hörbiger, the Burgtheater’s most famous acting couple, as Friedrich and Genia Hofreiter—one of the best-known theatrical couples in world literature: In a charming, conversational tone, the facade of an upper-class marriage is maintained, yet the abysses lie hidden beneath the nuances. Hofreiter, a successful industrialist and womanizer, constantly cheats on his wife Genia and masks the callousness with which he openly indulges in his affairs with a veneer of honesty. Genia’s loyalty and fidelity mean little to him; on the contrary, he even admits to his wife that he couldn’t blame her for having an affair. But when Genia actually turns to a young lover, Hofreiter begins to apply double standards—and the sharp edge of refined conversation is exchanged for dueling pistols.