Die letzte Verschwörung, Operetta by Moritz Eggert
A talk show host meets a flat-earther – this sounds like another funny YouTube video. It is actually the beginning of the operetta Die letzte Verschwörung, or The Final Conspiracy, by Moritz Eggert. A chance encounter sends the protagonist down a number of rabbit holes, each deeper and more twisted than the last. The ‘mythical operetta’, as Eggert calls it, strikes at the heart of present-day conspiracy theories that spread through our societies like wildfire. The operetta’s score is similarly effervescent and flamboyant, striking a balance between the best traditions of Jacques Offenbach and the free harmonies and unchained melodies of modernism. Volksoper Wien presents a wild ride through the warped collective mind of today.
Die letzte Verschwörung’s charismatic hero is Florian Quant, a talk show moderator, who starts his descent into conspiratorial madness after a run-in with Lara Lechner, a flat-earther. The episode serves as his gateway into the parallel universe of hidden symbols and unimaginable nightmares that is modern conspiracy thought. On the long and winding path into strange fantasy scapes, Quant collects an increasing amount of outlandish and hard-to-believe explanations for the world we live in. From aliens to pizza topped with human flesh, the stations of his journey push the boundaries of imagination until he is prepared to face the ultimate conspiracy. Will it finally make his mind snap, or will it lead him to a new understanding of life as we know it?
Moritz Eggert is the creative force behind Die letzte Verschwörung. His libretto and his score go hand in hand at tackling the funny yet very serious topic of conspiracies and their detrimental effect on society. By letting his imagination run free while referencing real-world hoaxes, Eggert paints a convincing picture of what it is to live in a world of constant doubt and fear where your colleagues, your superiors, your friends, and even your partner are not who you thought they were. With The Final Conspiracy, Vienna’s Volksoper takes you by the hand and pushes you straight down the rabbit hole.