A circuit is proposed for the high-frequency operation of at least one lamp with an active harmonic filter with at least one capacitive pump branch with a pump capacitor (C1; C2) for feeding the energy back to a filter capacitor (C4) from a connection point on the lamp side between and including a central tap of the push-pull frequency generator and a first lamp diode, is characterized by the fact that a trapezoidal capacitor (CT1; CT2) is provided between a point of at least one pump branch, which, from the central tap of the push-pull frequency generator, lies out behind capacitor (C1; C2) of the pump branch, and one of the external taps, and thus the one or more pump capacitors of the one or more pump branches are the only capacitors connected in a direct capacitive load at the central tap of the push-pull frequency generator and/or no resonance capacitor (C6) connected directly in parallel to the lamp in the operating state is provided for lamp ignition.