Friedenstag was Richard Strauss’ (1864-1949) last operatic collaboration with his librettist Stefan Zweig and his first with Joseph Gregor. The themes of the opera – set in the mid 17th century are about the highest humanitarian and liberal ideals – themes Zweig devised from the factual events from the Thirty Years War.

The challenge that faced Strauss and Gregor was how to express this message in the Third Reich, where such well intentioned themes could be hijacked by the Nazis as reflecting the regime's ideal and proclaiming it ‘the first Nazi opera’. By the time this work was composed, Zweig had fled Germany, but remained on cordial terms with Strauss, and it has been argued that of all their operatic collaborations this is the one where Zweig’s lofty ideals are most obvious.

However, a combination of Strauss’s music which descends to an empty jingoistic martial style in places, and the abandonment of Zweig’s words on reconciliation in place of a long chorus of rejoicing and triumphalism – was music to Goebel’s ears no doubt. The work stands apart from the canon of Strauss’s operas, and has only a tenuous hold on the repertoire – an example of lofty ideals sacrificed on the alter of political expediency.

‘Sinopoli's recording has magnificent, committed and full-throated choral singing, and this makes the final scene sound as Fidelio-like as Strauss undoubtedly wished. Albert Dohmen, who has sung Wotan but here sounds at times more like Alberich, is a powerful Commandant.’ - Gramophone, December 2001

Cast:
- The Commandant: Albert Dohmen
- Maria, His Wife: Deborah Voigt
- A Sergeant-Major: Alfred Reiter
- A Corporal: Jochen Kupfer
- A Private Soldier: Tom Martinsen
- A Musketeer: André Eckert
- A Bugler: Jürgen Commichau
- An Officer: Jochen Schmeckenbecher
- A Front-Line Officer: Matthias Henneberg
- A Piedmontese: Johan Botha
- The Holsteiner: Attila Jun
- The Mayor: Jon Villars
- The Pastor: Sami Luttinen
- A Woman of the People: Sabine Brohm
- Members of the Delegation: Norbert Klesse, Ekkehard Pansa, Rafael Harnisch