In June and July 2025, the Deutsche Oper Berlin is presenting a series of different productions: LASH – ACTS OF LOVE by Rebecca Saunders will celebrate its premiere on 20 June. The production WAGNER WELTWEIT by the music theatre collective Sounding Situations will premiere in the Tischlerei on 13 June. The repertoire programme includes Andrea Chénier from 4 June, Tosca from 15 June and Pique Dame from 21 June. Two accompanying events for LASH will take place on 26 May and 2 June in the foyer of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Above: Composer Rebecca, Saunders and Enno Poppe © Ruth Tromboukis
LASH – ACTS OF LOVE is the first opera by the German-British composer Rebecca Saunders, based on the texts of the video artist and writer Ed Atkins. The world premiere will take place on 20 June 2025 at 6 pm at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Under the musical direction of Enno Poppe, singers Anna Prohaska, Sarah Maria Sun and Noa Frenkel and actress Katja Kolm will interpret the four facets of the central female character.
A woman finds herself in a state of limbo after a death. She speaks of fantasies and memories in search of meaning and consolation in order to stop death in its senselessness. Through the experience of her body and her mortality, she recognises loss as a prerequisite for experiencing and loving the world.
LASH – ACTS OF LOVE is being staged by the Irish directing collective Dead Centre with directors Ben Kidd and Bush Moukarzel, set and costume designer Nina Wetzel and video artist Sébastien Dupouey. In 2023, Dead Centre staged the world premiere of Giorgio Battistelli’s IL TEOREMA DI PASOLINI here. With LASH, the opera aesthetic continues to develop between concrete narration and abstract spaces of perception and experience. Further performances will take place on 27 June and 1 July 2025.
On 26 May, the event Unterwegs zu einer neuen Oper: Mit Haut und Haaren? A portrait of Rebecca Saunders. The musical cosmos of Rebecca Saunders will be presented in dialogue with the composer and with music by long-time artistic companions such as the soprano Sarah Maria Sun and the pianists Ernst Surberg and Christoph Grund, who will also take part in the world premiere of LASH.
On 2 June at 8 pm, the event Wimper oder Peitsche? Reading and discussion on the libretto text of LASH and its translation. The language of Ed Atkins’ libretto is poetic, visually powerful and plays with double meanings and different levels of language. The poet and translator Odile Kenne, who translated the text into German, will take part.
Berlin premiere WAGNER WELTWEIT on 13 June at the Tischlerei
With WAGNER WELTWEIT, the Hamburg-Berlin music theatre collective Sounding Situations (Jens Dietrich, Milena Kipfmüller, Klaus Janek) creates a multi-perspective music theatre production about the activities of the Russian mercenary group ‘Wagner’. Social media heroes meet an uncertain present in which mercenaries refer to themselves as musicians, their weapons as instruments and war as opera. Together with an opera singer, an actor and musicians from the ‘Echtzeit’ movement, the Sounding Situations collective explores the populism, propaganda and mythologies of the Wagner group – and what all this has to do with Richard Wagner’s RING OF THE NIBELUNG.
The co-production by Kampnagel, Deutsche Oper Berlin and the HfBK Hamburg will celebrate its premiere on 13 June in the Tischlerei, to which we cordially invite you. Further performances on 14 and 15 June.
Cast highlights ANDREA CHENIER, TOSCA and PIQUE DAME
In the performances of ANDREA CHENIER on 4 and 7 June, Gregory Kunde sings the title role. Sondra Radvanovsky takes on the role of Maddalena di Coigny, Arianna Manganello can be heard as Bersi, Nicole Piccolomini as Contessa di Coigny and Jennifer Larmore as Madelon. Axel Kober is the musical director.
The TOSCA performances on 15 and 19 June also feature an outstanding cast with Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role, Fabio Sartori as Cavaradossi and the Mongolian baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar as Scarpia, who is making his house debut.
Tchaikovsky’s PIQUE DAME returns to the repertoire of the Deutsche Oper Berlin for three performances on 21, 26 and 29 June under the musical direction of Juraj Valčuha. The role of Lisa will be interpreted by Maria Motolygina, Hermann by Brian Jagde, Tomsky by Lucio Gallo and we can look forward to Jennifer Larmore as the Countess.
WHEN?
LASH – ACTS OF LOVE
World premiere: Thursday, 20th June 2025, 6 pm
Playingtime: Friday, 20 20th June – Friday, 18 July 2025
On the way to a new opera: With skin and hair? A portrait of Rebecca Saunders
Event: Sunday, 26th May 2025
Eyelash or whip? Reading and discussion on the libretto text of LASH
Event: Monday, 2 20th June 2025, 8 pm
WAGNER WORLDWIDE
Premiere: Thursday, 13th June 2025
Playingtime: Friday, 13th June – Sunday, 15th June 2025
ANDREA CHENIER
Performances: Wednesday, 4th June 2025
Playtime: Wednesday, 4th June – Saturday, 7 th June 2025
TOSCA
Performances: Sunday, 15th June 2025
Playtime: Sunday, 15th June – Thursday, 19th June 2025
PIQUE DAME
Performances: Saturday, 21st June 2025
Playtime: Saturday, 21st June – Sunday, 29th June 2025
WHERE?
Deutsche Oper Berlin
Bismarckstraße 35
10627 Berlin
