Under no circumstances should you leave during the break. Even if what’s going on on the stage of the National Theater in Munich is a bit laborious and slow until then, even if not everything that initially comes out of the pit triggers complete musical rapture. Because after the break the music really turns up, there is a truly beguiling aria sung by Elena Tsallagova in black velvet and dark light, there is a symphonic interlude of the highest quality and a choir that is magically conjured up into the symphonic, which then guarantees great pre-Christmas happiness. And on stage you can experience a great circus.