(Photo: Monika Rittershaus) There are operas that survive their period, and others that somehow seem to grow into it. Aribert Reimann’s “Lear,” which received its world premiere at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich in 1978—a performance I attended—belongs emphatically to the latter category. Nearly half a century later, its music has lost none of its capacity to disturb. If {…}
The Staatsoper Stuttgart has announced its 2026-27 season. Premieres Chelsea Lehnea, Kai Kluge, Johannes Kammler, and Adam Palka star in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” Andriy Yurkevych conducts the production by Katie Mitchell. Performance Dates: Oct. 3-Nov. 1, 2026 Nicholas Carter conducts a new production of Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.” Ulrike Schwab directs the production with Goran Jurić, Moritz Kallenberg, Rosie Aldridge, {…}
Theater Basel has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Kurt Weill’s “Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny” will be directed by Benedikt von Peter. Jasmin Jorias Etezadzadeh, Ronan Caillet, Andrew Murphy, Solenn’ Lavanant Linke, Rolf Romei, Ervin Ahmeti, Elliott Carlton Hines, and Marius Aron star. Stefan Klingele and Thomas Wise conduct. Performance Dates: August 28-Oct. 26, 2025 David Oller, Carmen Artaza, {…}
Oper Leipzig has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres A new production of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” will be performed with Sarah Traubel, Gabrielė Kupšytė, Franz Xaver Schlecht, Matthias Winckhler, Josh Lovell, Matthias Stier, Samantha Gaul, Mirjam Neururer, Sejong Chang, and Tuomas Pursio. Matthias Foremny and Yura Yang conduct the new production by Katharina Thoma. Performance Dates: Sept. 13, 2025-May 23, {…}
The Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres The children’s opera “Conrad or The factory-made boy” by Samuel Penderbayne will star Mengqi Zhang, Andreja Schneider, Philipp Meierhöfer, Ulrike Helzel, Johannes Dunz, and Junoh Lee. Anne Hinrichsen conducts the production by Ruth Brauer-Kvam. Performance Dates: Oct. 10-Dec. 26, 2025 James Gaffigan conducts a new production of Strauss’ “Salome.” The {…}
It has been 23 years since Daniel Barenboim offered three performances of Wagner’s comedy at Teatro Real. It was the first Laurent Pelly Wagner production, and therefore the expectations were high. And the result did not disappoint an enthusiastic audience which gave strong ovations at the curtain call. Pelly is a master in “comedy” and he recognizes that he doesn’t {…}
The Deutsche Oper am Rhein has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Verdi’s “Nabucco” will be directed by Ilaria Lanzino. Vitali Alekseenok and Katharina Müllner conduct a cast that includes Alexey Zelenkov, Eduardo Aladrén, Jussi Myllys, Liang Li, Svetlana Kasyan, and Marigona Qerkezi. Performance Dates: Sept. 15-Dec. 25, 2024 Christoph Stöcker and Katharina Müllner conduct Jerry Bock, Joseph Stein, and Sheldon Harnick’s {…}
The Komische Oper has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the operatic performances. Premieres George Petrou conducts Händel’s “Messiah” with Damiano Michieletto directing. The soloists will include Penny Sofroniadou, Julia Grüter, Rachael Wilson, Katharina Bradić, Julien Behr, Rupert Charlesworth, Philipp Meierhöfer, and Tijl Faveyts. Performance Dates: Sept. 21-Oct. 6, 2024 Franz Wittenbrink’s kinderoper “Die kleine Hexe” will {…}
Photo: © Monika Rittershaus “Così Fan Tutte” has become the most uncomfortable of the three Mozart-Da Ponte operas. “Le Nozze di Figaro” has secured itself as a revolutionary and anti-establishment opera. “Don Giovanni” is unavoidable and unforgettable. “Così,” on the other hand, struggled to find its public for most of the nineteenth century. Its plot is often seen as both {…}
The English National Opera has announced its 2023-24 season. Gwyn Hughes Jones, Elizabeth Llewellyn, and Simon Bailey star in Britten’s “Peter Grimes” with Martyn Brabbins conducting David Alden’s production. Performance Dates: Sept. 21–Oct. 11, 2023 Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Iolanthe” returns to the company with Chris Hopkins conducting the production by Cal McCrystal. Samantha Price, Ellie Laugharne, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Marcus Farnsworth, John Savournin, {…}
Photo: © CLIVE BARDA/ArenaPAL; What a season it has been for English National Opera. Threatened by Arts Council England with swingeing cuts and hare-brained, uncosted plans for relocation, the company has become one of the most prominent symbols for classical music’s ongoing struggle for survival in UK public culture. But the season has seen the company’s artistic and institutional resolve {…}