Singer

The final part of the tetralogy sees another broadening of the horizon. Siegfried sallies forth »to new glories«, encountering people driven by a desire for power and riches and without scruple in their determination to acquire them. Without Brünnhilde on hand to help him, the hero succumbs to a conspiracy at the Gibichung hall, also triggering the beginning of the end of the old world, which is still beset by the curse placed by Alberich in THE RHINEGOLD on the ring, which confers great power on its wearer. With Brünnhilde realising what has happened, she sees self-sacrifice as the only path to redemption: by eradicating herself through immolation and returning the stolen gold to the Rhine, she will be clearing the way for a new beginning for all. From Brünnhilde’s ashes Wagner rekindles the love theme, which until then has only been played in Act 3 of THE VALKYRIE. This charges the final moments of TWILIGHT OF THE GODS with an atmosphere of hope rather than simply the gloom of destruction. The game can begin again; will it take a different course next time?

Der Ring des Nibelungen – Götterdämmerung

Deutsche Oper Berlin

The two middle sections of the tetralogy set out two ways of experiencing life. On the one hand we are presented in THE VALKYRIE with Brünnhilde, whose maturation process takes her from her discovery of sorrow and empathy to a conscious reflection on what it is to be human. By contrast, Siegfried’s path is mapped out solely as a function of his sensory experience. Where initially the young man’s self-image stems only from his exploration of his own boundless strength, other senses and sensibilities soon come to bear, along with an awakening sexuality. SIEGFRIED presents an encounter not only between man and woman but between two principles – Siegfried’s innate, unquestioned vigour on one side and Brünnhilde’s wisdom born of observation on the other. And as these two diametrical forces unite in a love clinch, the end of the opera seems to be presenting the basis for a renewal of human society.

Der Ring des Nibelungen – Siegfried

With the hegemony of the gods at its zenith at the close of THE RHINEGOLD and the gods ensconced in the castle of Valhalla, trouble is brewing in THE VALKYRIE. The mortals are power-crazed, mistrust and materialism rule and all that the gods can think about is enforcing the old codes rather than questioning their raison d’être. Siblings Siegmund and Sieglinde are condemned to death because there is no place for their special brand of love in society. Brünnhilde, a Valkyrie, is charmed by them and dares to defy her father Wotan’s sentence by taking the pair under her wing. In THE VALKYRIE Wagner makes it plain whose side he is on: in the big love scene between Siegmund and Sieglinde, in which the elemental force of love outpunches all social mores, and in the evolution of Brünnhilde’s character, whose conduct is at first motivated by intuitive sympathy but morphs into deliberate action as a protest against inhumanity and injustice.

Der Ring des Nibelungen – Die Walküre

Richard Wagner considered RHEINGOLD a "pre-evening" to his stage play DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN, a label that certainly deliberately refers to the prologues of the Baroque operas. Because here, as well as there, the gods are in control and create the conditions under which the fates of man will be decided. And just like the ancient deities of Monteverdi, their northern counterparts of Wagner are beings who embody the drives of human existence. All of the feelings, urges and thoughts that determine our own existence also appear in the two and a half hours of RHEINGOLD. Starting with the innocent games played by the Rheinmaidens whom the Nibelung Alberich robs of their gold, to this dwarf's unbridled lust for power and the scornful nihilism of the fire god Loge, to the father of the gods Wotan's attempt to create something that will last with his palace of Valhalla. And not lastly, the gold itself is a mute lead character: an item of gleaming fascination, it is simultaneously a touchstone by which each character is manifest and which divides gods and man alike into good and evil.

Der Ring des Nibelungen – Das Rheingold

No other work reflects Puccini's search for new forms of musical theatre like his three-act trilogy IL TRITTICO, which premiered in 1918. In three pieces with different colours and temperatures, he once again brought to the stage what Italian opera could be in those years. In a condensed version, the second and third parts of the triptych now return to the stage of the Deutsche Oper in Karabulut's colourful production: SUOR ANGELICA, a piece with an all-female cast, is unique in opera history and revolves around questions of life and death and the possibilities in between. In her feminist interpretation, Karabulut explores the possibilities of (female) self-determination within a closed system. GIANNI SCHICCHI, on the other hand, follows the tradition of commedia dell'arte, placing humans at the centre as players and greedy deceivers. With her keen sense of timing and a captivating ensemble, Karabulut reveals the bizarre depths of a hypocritical family gathering once again around the deathbed of their patriarch.

Suor Angelica / Gianni Schicchi

This duo of passionate one-act operas explores the depths of spurned lovers’ grief and the lengths they’ll go to in avenging betrayal. Deadly love triangles unfold against starkly contrasted backdrops of an idyllic Sicilian countryside and a chaotic urban center.

Music Director Enrique Mazzola leads a a world-class cast that includes Lyric favorites Russell Thomas, Quinn Kelsey, and Gabriella Reyes in Elijah Moshinsky’s original production.

EPSG:4326

Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci

Lyric Opera House

Join the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra with Music Director Jun Märkl and the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir as we dare to dream of peace. Beethoven’s 9th Symphony stands as humanity’s greatest monument to universal love. The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir opens this program with Schoenberg’s contemplative plea for world harmony, Peace on Earth. Experience the joy of fellowship with our season finale.

Peace on Earth: Beethoven's 9th Symphony

The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts

Enjoy the outstanding musical artistry of Camerata Chicago and its wonderful choir performing the Messiah (Part I – Christmas) by Handel with the Hallalujah Chorus and Zadok the Priest. At the heart of our elite choir are some of the top choristers in Chicago.

The Messiah by Handel

Fourth Presbyterian Church Chicago

New Covenant Church Naperville

St. Michael Catholic Church Wheaton

The 75th anniversary season comes to an overpowering conclusion with one of the most spectacular and moving acts in all of opera, the finale of Wagner’s Die Walküre. You’ll immediately recognize the iconic Ride of the Valkyries which opens the act. The eight Valkyries are the products of the god Wotan’s affair with the earth’s wisdom goddess Erda. Their job is to carry slain heroes to the afterlife in Valhalla on their flying horses. At the beginning of the act, Wotan’s favorite daughter Brünnhilde is missing. She finally appears, but not with a fallen warrior. Instead, it’s Sieglinde, whom Wotan had fathered with a wolf along with her twin brother Siegmund. The twins committed incest back in Act One, and now Sieglinde is pregnant with the future hero Siegfried. Wotan’s wife Fricka, goddess of marriage, didn’t approve of the situation, and pressured Wotan to arrange for Siegmund to die in Act Two. Brünnhilde tried to intervene to save Siegmund, enraging Wotan. To punish her defiance, Wotan strips Brünnhilde of her godhood and plans to put her into a magical sleep to be available to the first man who finds her. Horrified by this prospect, Brünnhilde convinces Wotan to surround her by fire so that only a brave hero can awaken her.

Festival Orchestra: Spano Conducts Wagner, Ohlsson Plays Liszt

Michael Klein Music Tent

Join us at the Grant Park Music Festival for a captivating evening as acclaimed violinist Christian Tetzlaff takes the stage at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. This special performance, "Tetzlaff Plays Elgar," is set to enchant audiences on Friday, June 14, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, and again on Saturday, June 15, 2024, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm.

Christian Tetzlaff, a longtime friend of the Festival, will showcase his exceptional talent with a rendition of Sir Edward Elgar's poignant and technically challenging Violin Concerto. This masterpiece is renowned for its emotional depth and virtuosic demands, promising a performance of breathtaking intensity and beauty.

The evening will also feature "The Cloud Messenger" by Gustav Holst, performed by the Grant Park Chorus under the baton of Carlos Kalmar. This rarely performed work is celebrated for its ravishing beauty, offering a perfect complement to Elgar's concerto.

The concert will be under the musical direction of Carlos Kalmar, with Christopher Bell leading the Grant Park Chorus. The event will also highlight performances by mezzo-soprano Lauren Decker, alongside the talented musicians of the Grant Park Orchestra.

Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to experience the brilliance of Christian Tetzlaff and the combined forces of the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus in a stunning setting. Learn more about free seating options at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and make plans to immerse yourself in a night of unforgettable music.

Tetzlaff Plays Elgar

Millennium Park

Torn between love and duty, Aida stands at the center of a tempest of passion, loyalty, and impossible choices. Captive in ancient Egypt, the Ethiopian Princess must navigate her love for the heroic Radamès, her devotion to her homeland, and the schemes of the jealous Princess Amneris. Toledo Opera’s original production brings Verdi’s unforgettable arias, soaring duets, and breathtaking choruses to life, immersing audiences in a story of desire, sacrifice, and destiny. Returning to Toledo Opera for the first time in over a decade, Aida is a monumental opera experience not to be missed.

Aida

Valentine Theatre

Welcome to the Buoso ranch, Texas, where the patriarch has just died and everyone suddenly has very strong opinions about his will. With only a small window of time to scheme, the family spirals into greed, chaos, and some extremely bad behavior—complicated further by a case of inconvenient young love. Enter Gianni Schicchi, whose clever plan might save the day or blow it all up. 

Contralto

Lauren Decker

Events

Upcoming events

16 - 18 Oct, 2026

Aida · Toledo Opera

5 - 7 Mar, 2027

Gianni Schicchi 2026 · The Florentine Opera

Past events

25 - 31 May, 2026

Der Ring des Nibelungen – Götterdämmerung · Deutsche Oper Berlin

23 - 29 May, 2026

Der Ring des Nibelungen – Siegfried · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Future and recently performed repertoire

Zita in Gianni Schicchi by Puccini

Deutsche Oper Berlin

La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica by Puccini

Deutsche Oper Berlin

1st Norn in Götterdämmerung by Wagner

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Schwertleite in Die Walküre by Wagner

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Erda in Das Rheingold by Wagner

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Erda in Siegfried by Wagner

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Amneris in Aida by Verdi

Toledo Opera

Zita in Gianni Schicchi by Puccini

The Florentine Opera

About

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