Der Evangelimann. The story takes place in a Benedictine monastery in St. Othmar. It is the early nineteenth century. There we find the clerk Mathias, who is in love with Martha, his boss’s daughter. Highly inappropriate, of course, and Mathias is logically dismissed. Now follows a twist that can be called unique in the world of opera. There is someone else in love with Martha, namely Mathias’ brother, Johannes, but Martha wants nothing to do with him. Brother dearest does not accept this, and in revenge he sets fire to the monastery. (To clarify: this is the action of a lone wolf, not a terrorist attack on a Roman Catholic institution.) A Marinus van der Lubbe-type situation ensues, because it is not the pyrophilic brother but Mathias who is identified as the perpetrator: 20 years in prison, and court verdicts were not appealed at that time. After his release, Mathias travels around the country as a preacher. His brother Johannes, a classic villainous baritone, has become a wealthy businessman through shady dealings and has settled in Vienna. That he eventually becomes seriously ill is an undeniable case of reaping what you sow. Thirty years after the fire in the monastery, the two brothers meet again. Matthias —a preacher, after all!— forgives Johannes, allowing the latter to die in peace.
