LOHENGRIN
Celebrating the public premiere of Wagner's LOHENGRIN
directed by Calixto Bieito, with Andreas Schager in the title role and Elza Van den Heever as Elsa von Brabant
On Tuesday, just two days after the world premiere of Peter Eötvös' SLEEPLESS, Calixto Bieito's production of Wagner's LOHENGRIN had its public premiere.
The new production, with which the director made his in-house debut at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, was shown via a television broadcast and streaming due to pandemic restrictions in December 2020, and can now be experienced live for the first time at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
"The Spaniard Calixto Bieito is considered a scandalous director ... he tells Lohengrin completely differently, in terms of depth psychology as a parable on the foreign." - BR Klassik
The young conductor Thomas Guggeis led the audience premiere as well as the shows on December 4th and 12th. Guggeis, the Staatskapellmeister of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and designated General Music Director of the Frankfurt Opera from the 2023/24 season, makes his debut with this opera.
Andreas Schager can be seen in the title role, the South African soprano Elza Van den Heever takes on the role of Elsa von Brabant. The other ensemble includes Gábor Bretz (Heinrich der Vogler), Martin Gantner (Friedrich von Telramund), Ekaterina Gubanova (Ortrud), and Adam Kutny (Heerrufer des König), who already sang the TV and online premieres.
On the occasion of the live public premiere, Calixto Bieito was back at the house for a rehearsal phase to rehearse the production with the new cast and with the now-full State Opera Choir. The Staatskapelle Berlin, which played with a reduced cast at the premiere in 2020, will also be able to engage a large cast. The set was designed by Rebecca Ringst and the costumes are by Ingo Krügler. The State Opera Choir, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, was musically rehearsed by Martin Wright.
Artistic director Matthias Schulz says, “LOHENGRIN, with Calixto Bieito, was one of the planned highlights of last season - so we were extremely grateful to our partner ZDF/ARTE that the premiere could take place on television and online. We had a goal in mind, were able to rehearse the production and make it ready and, above all, let the audience at least participate from home. But opera is created in a space and therefore the public premiere is now something very special for everyone involved - it is very moving to know that this is finally being played for the public!”
The action begins in a courtroom: Elsa von Brabant has been charged with fratricide. Nobody dares to prove the innocence of the young woman in this inexplicable case. For them, Lohengrin's appearance is the belief in a utopian alternative to reality beyond social standards. He promises to fight for her - on one condition: Elsa has to trust him blindly and is not allowed to ask him his name or where he comes from.