The Staatsoper Unter den Linden is entering the Christmas season with opera classics and atmospheric concerts: Richard Wagner’s festive opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg can be seen on all four Sundays in Advent – in the production by Andrea Moses, who was praised by the Berliner Morgenpost for this production as a “master of personal direction”. August Everding’s production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute with the famous Schinkel stage sets – one of the great classics in the state opera repertoire – will also be back on the program in the coming weeks. In addition, the children’s choir and Apollo Choir will be getting into the festive spirit with pre-Christmas concerts.
Image above: Photo: Bernd Uhlig.
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg returns to the Staatsoper after five years as a revival with an outstanding cast: Christopher Maltman makes his debut in the role of Hans Sachs, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller and Klaus Florian Vogt sing Eva and Walther von Stolzing. Siyabonga Maqungo can be seen as David and Siegfried Jerusalem, Olaf Bär, Christof Fischesser and Martin Gantner as the Master. Ensemble member Katharina Kammerloher also appears as Magdalene. The Staatskapelle Berlin and the large Staatsopernchor will perform under the musical direction of Alexander Soddy.
August Everding’s Die Zauberflöte has been one of the Staatsoper’s most popular and recurring opera productions for 30 years. What makes it unique is the reconstruction of Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s decorations from 1816 – including the famous starry sky of the Queen of the Night, an icon of stage design that has fascinated audiences then and now. Conducted by Eva Ollikainen, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Staatsopernchor and the children’s choir perform with great soloists such as René Pape as Sarastro, coloratura soprano Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night, Serena Sáenz (former Opera Studio member) as Pamina, Bogdan Volkov as Tamino and Carles Pachon as Papageno.
Under the direction of Vinzenz Weissenburger, the State Opera’s award-winning children’s choir rehearses programs for its own concerts and guest performances in addition to the opera repertoire. On December 11, Christmas choral music by Dan Forrest, John Rutter, Gabriel Fauré and other composers will be performed in the Apollosaal. Justine Eckhaut will accompany the concert on the piano, which is sold out weeks in advance.
The Apollo Choir of the Staatsoper and musicians from the Staatskapelle, conducted by Artur Just, will perform the first three cantatas from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on the fourth weekend of Advent. The soloists will be Narine Yeghiyan, Rebecka Wallroth, Thoma Jaron-Wutz and Dionysios Avgerinos. This year’s concert will take place in St. Matthew’s Church at the Kulturforum Tiergarten.
Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the State Opera invites you to an opera and ballet programme for the festive season: The popular classics The Magic Flute and Carmen are on the programme with five performances. The Staatsballett Berlin will also be performing Swan Lake on the Staatsoper stage.
The Staatskapelle Berlin traditionally leads into the new year with concerts from the old one: the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day concert will be conducted by General Music Director Christian Thielemann for the first time in 2024/25. To mark the occasion, the orchestra and singers Diana Damrau, Pavol Breslik and Mauro Peter will revisit the fascinating culture of the Weimar era with music from operettas, sound films and theatre plays by Paul Lincke, Eduard Künneke, Paul Abraham, Ralph Benatzky, Kurt Weill, Werner Richard Heymann and Friedrich Hollaender, among others. The Staatskapelle performs not only in symphonic formations, but also alternately as an agile salon orchestra under the direction of Elias Corrinth.
In addition to the stage programme, the State Opera is getting into the Christmas spirit with an online Advent calendar: From 1 December, you can open one door after the other on the Staatsoper website, behind which small and large surprises are hidden.
WHEN?
The Mastersingers of Nuremberg
Performances on 1, 8, 15 and 22 December | Staatsoper Unter den Linden
An introduction to the work takes place 45 minutes before each performance in the Apollosaal. im Apollosaal statt.
The Magic Flute (Everding)
Performances on 3, 12, 20, 23, 25, 29 December and on 3 and 4 January | Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Advent concert children’s choir of the State Opera
Concert on 11 December at 7.00 pm | Apollosaal
Christmas concert Apollo Choir of the State Opera
Concert on 20 December at 20.00 hrs | St. Matthew’s Church
Concert at the turn of the year
Concerts on 31 December at 17:00 and on 1 January at 16:00 | Staatsoper Unter den Linden
WHERE?
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden 7
10117 Berlin
