The weekend kicks off with numerous companies performing some of Verdi’s timeless classics. There will also be Mozart, Wagner and some rare gems by Weill and Heggie. Check out what’s playing near you!

Austria

At the Vienna State Opera Puccini’s “Tosca” kicks off with Sae-Kyung Rim in the title role alongside Aleksandrs Antonenko and Marco Vratogna. On Saturday the company will present Verdi’s “Nabucco” starring legendary baritone Leo Nucci and Anna Smirnova.

The weekend concludes with Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” in a new production by Danielle Abbado. Marco Armiliato conducts Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna in the first new production of Verdi’s great opera since 2001. The opera also stars Luciana D’Intino and Ludovic Tezier.

Belgium

At La Monnaie audiences are in for a treat with two different Cio-Cio Sans in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Amanda Echalaz will alternate with Alexia Voulgaridou. Marcelo Puente and Leonardo Caimi will alternate in the role of Pinkerton while Roberto Rizzi Brignoli will conduct both weekend performances of the opera.

At the Opera Royal d’Walloine the company concludes its run of Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” with a stellar cast that includes Paul Groves, Nino Surguladze and  Ildebrando D’Arcangelo.

Denmark

At the Royal Danish Opera Puccini’s “La Boheme” returns to the repertoire as well as Weill’s “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogonny. Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking” will concludes the weekend.

France

At the Opera National de Paris audiences in are in for a treat with two different casts of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute. ” Stanislas de Barbeyrac  and Pavol Breslik alternate the role of Tamino while Nadine Sierra and Kate Royal will alternate Pamina. Rene Pape returns to Sarastro after a heralded appearance in Wagner’s “Lohengrin” while Michael Volle and Florian Sempey will both sing Papageno. Albina Shagimuratova and Sabine Devieilhe will rotate the Queen of the Night.

“Lohengrin will return with a new cast that includes Stuart Skelton in the title role and Edith Haller  as Elsa. Michaela Schuster sings the role of Ortrud and the opera will be conducted by Philippe Jordan.

Germany

At the Bayerische Staatsoper the company will show Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” with Anne Schwanewilms as the Marschallin, Günther Groissböck as  Baron Ochs and Angela Brower as Octavian. The opera is sold out but ticket holders should be in for a treat with this all star cast.

At the Semperoper Dresden “The Magic Flute” will be the only offering and it will include Barbara Senator in the role of Pamina and  Steve Davislim as Tamino. Michael Eder and  Christina Poulitsi round out the cast.

Meanwhile at the Deutsche Berlin Meyerbeer’s “The Huguenots ” will continue its run. The company will also show Wagner’s “Lohengrin” with Klaus Florian Vogt in the title role and Manuela Uhl in the role of Elsa.

Italy

Two Verdi works dominate the Teatro alla Scala’s weekend. First Francesco Meli continues his run in the role of “Don Carlo” alongside Krassimira Stoyanova, Simone Piazzola and Ferruccio Furlanetto. Then on Sunday Ambrogio Maestri takes on his signature role in “Falstaff” with Carmen Giannattasio, Francesco Demuro, Massimo Cavalleti.

Monaco

At the Opera de Monte Carlo Cecilia Bartoli sings the title role in Rossini’s virtuosic opera “La Cenerentola.” The cast also includes Edgardo Rocha as the Prince, Alessandro Corbelli as Dandini and Carlos Chausson as her evil stepfather.

Spain 

At the Teatro Real de Madrid Deborah Warner’s production of “Billy Budd” continues with an outstanding male cast that includes Jacques Imbrailo, Toby Spence and Brindley Sherratt. Ivor Bolton conducts the single performance for the weekend.   

Switzerland

The Zurich Opera will open its revival of Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” Venera Gimadieva stars in the title role with Oleksiy Palchykov as her lover Edgardo. The company will also show Charpentier’s “Medee” with Stéphanie D’Oustrac in the title role.

United Kingdom 

Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” continues its acclaimed run with Anita Rachvelshvili, Lianna Haroutounian, Gregory Kunde and Vitaliy Bilyy at the Royal Opera.