The Bayreuth Festival has announced a cast change for two productions. The company said that due to health reasons Dmitry Belosselskiy has canceled his participation in the festival. As a result, Mika Kares will take over the role of Hagen in the “Götterdämmerung” and Günther Groissböck in the role of Landgrave Hermann in the “Tannhäuser.” Kares will make his debut {…}
The Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal has unveiled its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The opening concert, entitled “Eine Kleine Nichtmusik” will feature soprano Juliana Zara and baritone Andrew Hamilton under conduct Patrick Hahn. The showcase features music by Mozart, Ligeti, and Haydn. Performance Dates: Sept. 10 & 11, 2023 Patrick Hahn will conduct Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 {…}
Theater Bremen has announced its 2023-24 season. The season opens with John Adams’ “Doctor Atomic.” The opera stars Nadine Lehner, Michał Partyka, Elias Gyungseok Han, and Hidenori Inoue. William Kelley and Stefan Klingele share conducting duties and Frank Hilbrich directs. Performance Dates: Sept. 16 – Oct. 22, 2023 Iliver Sewell, Ulrike Mayer, Ian Spinetti, Karsten Küsters, and Christian-Andreas Engelhardt star in {…}
(Credit: dpa) The German Constitutional Court has rejected motions that challenged the German Federal Emergency Brake in April 2021, and subsequently declared a state of lockdown as a legal instrument to fight COVID-19. Following the decision by the Court, Prime Ministers of German federal states have agreed to bring further restrictive measures in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. {…}
(Credit: Opéra de Dijon official website) The directors and general managers of 50 opera houses, theaters and orchestras in France have expressed grave concerns over poor attendance since the reopening in September 2021. For the past few weeks, orchestras and operas have been buzzing with rediscovered, renewed and revived joy. However, after only one month of reopening, a study by {…}
(Credit: RKI official website) Dr. Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute, stated that Germany needed an immediate massive contact reduction without further delay. On the press conference with the Health Minister Jens Spahn, Wieler sounded clearly frustrated with the current epidemiological situation in Germany. “How many more people have to die?” asked the President of the Robert Koch {…}
(Credit: dpa) The German Parliament – the Bundestag – has voted on a new law that will replace the Epidemic Situation of National Concern set to expire on Nov. 25, 2021. The new legislation includes mandatory daily testing for employees and visitors of care homes, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not. The 3G rule has been expanded {…}
(Credit: Federal Government/Steffen Kugler) Both chambers of the German Parliament – Bundestag and Bundesrat – have approved changes to the Infection Protection Act, giving Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet the power to impose tougher nationwide measures against COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. The federal states will have to comply with the federal government’s orders and the law will initially apply until the {…}
(Credit: Antje Kraschinski / BerlinOnline) The German federal government and Prime Ministers of German sixteen federal states have agreed to extend the lockdown in Germany until at least April 18, 2021. The federal states should accordingly adapt their COVID-19 regulations, which currently run until March 29. The federal and state governments are currently assuming that an overload of the health {…}
(Credit: Antje Kraschinski / Berlin Online) German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Ministers of Germany’s 16 federal states have reached an agreement about the possible gradual lifting of the hard lockdown measures in Germany. The lockdown has been generally extended until March 28, 2021. The government will relax regulations and requirements of the lockdown every two weeks, depending on {…}
(Credit: VisitBerlin website/ Dagmar Schwelle) Update: The German government has decided to extend the lockdown until March 7, 2021. The German government will extend the current state of hard lockdown until at least March 14, 2021. The cabinet of German Chancellor Angela Merkel is worried about the rapid spread of the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus and is planning {…}