Richard Strauss's two-act opera Intermezzo, premiered in 1924, is an unusually intimate work for the composer – a 'bourgeois comedy with symphonic interludes' drawn directly from episodes in his own marriage. The soprano role of Christine, full of shimmering, conversational vocal lines, mirrors Strauss's wife Pauline, while the successful Kapellmeister Robert Storch stands in for the composer himself. Though avant-garde in its day for bringing domestic squabbles onto the opera stage, the piece now feels remarkably close to the world of modern reality television. This production from the Deutsche Oper Berlin brings out the score's orchestral richness and wit, anchored by Maria Bengtsson's vivid, formidable portrayal of Christine and a strong, characterful ensemble cast.