Rossini’s ‘Der Graf Ory’ is a two-act masterpiece of the comic opera genre. The opera is set during the Crusades and follows Count Ory’s humorous exploits in seducing women. The libretto, originally written in French and based on a medieval French ballad, was translated and adapted into German by Karlheinz Gutheim. The German language version was staged by Carl Ebert and took place in 1957 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. The production, which featured a captivating se t design by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, enjoyed surprising success over two years, which led to a film adaptation in 1964.