The Trial is an English-language opera in two acts, with music by Philip Glass to a libretto by Christopher Hampton, based on the 1925 eponymous novel by Franz Kafka.
[4] Scottish Opera first staged the work at the Theatre Royal Glasgow on 24 January 2017.
[5] The North American premiere was on 4 June 2017 at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
Hampton has acknowledged that the initial idea for an opera based on The Trial originated with Glass.
Glass dedicated the score to Music Theatre Wales in commemoration of its 25th anniversary.
[10] On his 30th birthday, a bank manager, Josef K., is arrested at his flat for an unidentified crime.
Neither the guards, Franz and Willem, nor the police inspector offer any explanation, although all of K.'s neighbours seem to understand better than K. why they are present.
Later that same evening, K., apologises to his landlady, Frau Grubach, for the disturbance that morning resulting from his arrest.
K. protests the proceedings, and a sudden cry is heard, coming from the washerwoman, as a man presses himself on her.
Whilst the washerwoman continues her advances toward K., the student Berthold appears and carries her off.
In his office, K. receives a visit from his uncle Albert, who berates his nephew for concealing his arrest.
Huld remarks on how interesting K.'s case is, and boasts of his standing in legal circles.
Uncle Albert interrupts Leni and K. in flagrante, and berates K. for this behaviour, saying that K. has severely damaged his case by his flirtation with Huld's mistress.
The priest states his knowledge of K.'s situation, and explains that the verdict of the trial is 'not suddenly pronounced', but instead 'slowly evolves from the proceedings'.