The most famous lovers ever: virtually mythical figures, Romeo and Juliette from Shakespeare’s eponymous drama have dominated world literature ever since its premiere in 1597. Among the many musical settings of the work, Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette is one of the most performed. It was a triumphant success already at its premiere as part of the 1867 Paris Exposition. Gounod focuses particularly on the emotional life of the two lovers, for whom he composes no fewer than four love duets. At the same time, he also explores the social context of their forbidden love in the form of powerful choral tableaux and a large fight scene between the enemy families. In this production, director Mariame Clément will place the focus on the youth of the title characters, presenting them not as an exaggerated ideal of a couple, but as young people of today who find their way to another despite all odds.

Roméo et Juliette

Bebelplatz

Cavalleria rusticana: opera in one act, with a libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci. Premiered in Rome at the Teatro Costanzi on May 17, 1890 / Pagliacci: opera in two acts, with a libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. Premiered in Milan at the Teatro dal Verme on May 21, 1892.

Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci

Opéra Berlioz

Everything in Barrie Kosky’s production of The Magic Flute seems like a fairytale and each subsequent idea is a proof of the director’s enormous sense of humour: the composer must have had a lot of fun working with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s score. The red curtain opens to reveal nothing but a white screen where all the frolics will soon take place – the director will juggle elements of silent film, slapstick comedy and cartoon art. His collaborators, Suzanne Andrade and Paul Barritt, also known as “1927”, mixed film animation with live theatre. The effect is stunning. Papageno, the boisterous bumpkin portrayed here as a sad clown channelling Buster Keaton, gets drunk onstage in the company of pink elephants quaffing cocktails from flute glasses. The Queen of the Night is a huge spider, Monostatos appears as a pale vampire dressed as Count Dracula, while Pamina’s black wig with a fringe makes her look like Louise Brooks, the iconic silent film actress and dancer.

The Magic Flute

Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera

Pure joy! This is the musical program Mozart set for himself in his so-called "Coronation Mass," written in March 1779. In reality, it resounded in Salzburg Cathedral for Easter that same year, and it was only after the composer's death that it became the essential accompaniment for the weddings of crowned heads. The graceful vocal quartet clearly alternates with jubilant, swift choirs, the two concertante oboes adding a festive touch to the ensemble.

Maciej Kwaśnikowski

Events

Upcoming events

23 - 24 Jan, 2026

Coronation Mass · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Past events

Oct 26 - Nov 6, 2025

Roméo et Juliette · Staatsoper Berlin

Oct 3, 2025

Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Future and recently performed repertoire

Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette by Gounod

Staatsoper Berlin

Beppe in Pagliacci by Leoncavallo

Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

About

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