Last opera performance of this festival was a concert performance of Verdi's first big success Nabucco in an all Italian cast. Maestro Muti brought along his orchestra and chorus of the Teatro dell`Opera di Roma. And one could feel the close relation of the musicians with the music of Verdi and Nabucco in particular. He made them play sensible, clear with Italian pathos and melodic sense. The choir showed Italien feeling for singing and "va pensiero" made...

The Nationaltheater Mannheim once again offers a very special opera production. German director Achim Freyer realizes one of his black and white illusion theater spectacles and shows his creativity. For the Nationaltheater Mannheim he has created a new production of Wagners the Ring of the Nibelung. The performance of the Prologue to the tetralogy - Rheingold - offers a good glance on Freyer´s concept.He is known for his perfection, - so he takes care of everything - direction,...

"The largely straight forward dramaturgical structure enabled me to relate Don Carlo´s story in a telling and plausible way" so Peter Stein, director of this new production of Verdi' s Don Carlo. Originally it was composed as a grand opera in the tradition of Meyerbeer for the Paris Opera with a French libretto. This production of the Salzburg festival used the French Original in its Italian translation by de Lauzieres, Zanardini and Faggioni including all 5 acts...

This year the opening of the Munich Opera Festival is consecrated to Verdi celebrating his 200 birthday with a new production of Il Trovatore directed by the French  Olivier Py. As expected we had a lot of action or better movement on stage. Everything is turning - the whole stage with monstrous building of no clear significance, small metal constructions being turned by stage workers and single wheels hanging around. All is black fitting to the dark content of the story....

This year, Salzburg has chosen Harrison Birtwistle´s opera Gawain as their contemporary opera production. And it fits to the bicentennial anniversaries of Verdi and Wagner as well as 100 birthday of Benjamin Britten. Harrison Birtwistle´s Gawain is Englands version of mediaval mystery tales and legendary heroes next to Wagner´s German historical affections. Gawain is a redeemer and hero as Parsifal. We find ourselves at King Arthurs Court at Christmastime, Gawain...

The festival Alte Musik in the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck has built up its reputation for their presentation of operas in traditional but elaborated and well balanced interpretations played on original instruments and sung by young promising singers. This year Mozart ´s la clemenza di Tito was selected in the version of the Kaerntnertortheater (1804) created by Johann Simon Mayr and Joseph Weigl. They wanted tó " italianize" this opera seria and added further...