The Taming of the Shrew

opera by Götz

Also known as: “Der widerspänstigen Zähmung”

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July 14, 2026

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Hermann Goetz's opera, Der widerspenstigen Zähmung (1874), is a comic opera based on William Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. The opera achieved immediate success due to its spontaneous style and lighthearted characterization.1

Shakespeare's play, written around 1590-1594, details the courtship between the shrewish Katharina (Kate) and Petruchio, who aims to tame her and claim her dowry. The main plot is framed by a story where a lord plays a prank on a drunken tinker, Christopher Sly, making him believe he is a nobleman. Goetz's opera, however, depicts Katharina falling in love with Petruchio almost immediately, altering Shakespeare's original portrayal of the antiheroine.23

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Hermann Götz
…opera Der widerspänstigen Zähmung (1874; The Taming of the Shrew) achieved immediate success for its spontaneous style and lighthearted characterization. His other works include a less successful opera, Francesca da Rimini (1877; completed by Ernst Frank), chamber and choral works, an overture, a piano concerto, and a symphony.
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…opera Der widerspänstigen Zähmung (1874; The Taming of the Shrew) achieved immediate success for its spontaneous style and lighthearted characterization. His other works include a less successful opera, Francesca da Rimini (1877; completed by Ernst Frank), chamber and choral works, an overture, a piano concerto, and a symphony.
Read More