(Credit: W.Hoesl)

It’s been a year since Diana Damrau sang a role on the opera stage. Her last was in 2022 when she made her role debut as the Countess in “Capriccio.” Since then Damrau has been open about taking a step back from the dramatic Bel Canto roles and has noted that she does not want to sing “crazy ladies anymore.” Instead, she is making some excursions into operettas and concerts.

This week, she makes her long-awaited debut as Rosalinde in J. Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” in a new production by Barrie Kosky. Damrau previously performed the role of Adele. Now she takes on the leading lady and will ring in the New Year in this production. Regarding the new role, in a recent interview, she said, “For me, ‘Die Fledermaus’ is the most comprehensive thing you can experience on stage. Temperament, tempo, repartee and beautiful melodies – a complete package.” 

The new role also comes on the heels of her new album “Operette,” which she said “she has a passion for” and a genre that is very “close to her heart.”

For audiences not in Munich to experience Damrau’s recent return to the Bayerische Staatsoper, the production will be streamed on Arte on Dec. 31, 2023.  The soprano also performs recitals all over the world in such cities as New York, Brussels, and Vienna. She is also set to tour her new album Operette.

Recordings

For audiences who want to discover the soprano’s massive discography, we recommend her new album “Operette” as well as her exciting “Coloratura” and “Forever” albums. Damrau also has recordings of “Hansel and Gretel” and “Der Rosenkavalier.”

Here is a clip of a duet with Jonas Kaufmann and clips from “Die Fledermaus.”