The weekend is upon us and that means many operas will be presented around the world. Many theaters will offer holiday presentations while some of the greatest singers return to the stage such as Renee Fleming, Simon Keenlyside, Rolando Villazon, Anna Netrebko, Rene Pape and Nina Stemme.

Austria 

Simon Keenlyside returns to the Vienna State Opera for Verdi’s “Macbeth” with the dramatic soprano Martina Serafin. Jorge de Leon also joins the cast that is conducted by Evelino Pido.

Peter Grimes also returns to the company with Stephen Gould in the title role and Elza van den Heever as Ellen Orford.

France 

This weekend the Paris National Opera will continue its run of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Poulenc’s “Sancta Susanna.” The performances will see a new cast in the roles of Santuzza and Turiddu. Marco Berti and Elena Zhidova will take over the run while Anna Caterina Antonacci will continue in Poulenc’s work.

The weekend will also see Rolando Villazon in recital. The recital will include music by Verdi, Bellini and Rossini. Carrie-Ann Matheson will accompany him at the piano.

Germany 

Anna Netrebko returns to the  stage of the Bayerische Staatsoper for a sold out performance of Verdi’s “Macbeth” She sings Lady Macbeth alongside an all-star cast that includes Yusif Eyvazov, Franco Vassallo and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo.

The weekend also sees Nina Stemme continue her run as “Turandot” in Munich. The sold-out performance is the final one in the run and the Swedish diva is joined by Stefano da Colla in the role of Calaf.

Munich also kicks off its Holiday presentations of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” and they run through Dec. 26.

At the Deutsche Berlin Oper, Verdi’s Aida opens with Tatiana Serjan in the title role. She is joined by Anna Smirnova and Alfred Kim. The famed theater will also present Wagner’s Lohengrin” with Peter Seiffert, Annette Dasch and Elisabete Matos. The weekend performance marks the final one in the December run.

Finally the weekend concludes with the opening night of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel.” Like Munich, the company will celebrate the holiday season with the classic tale based on the Grimm brothers.

Anna Nechaeva and Riccardo Massi continue the run of Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” at the Berlin State Opera. The cast also includes Roman Trekel.

The company will also perform Puccini’s “La Boheme with Aleksandra Kurzak in the title role and Anna Samuil in the role of Musetta and concludes its weekend with Mozart’s “Die Zauberflaute” with Rene Pape and Anna Prohaska.

In Hamburg the company celebrates the holiday season with a production of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel.” The company’s production by Peter Beauvais stars Dorottya Láng in the role of Hansel and Christina Gansch as Gretel.