Singer

The Prince of Homburg – a dreamer, nonconformist, hero?

Fehrbellin, 1675: Prince Friedrich dreams he’s an acclaimed victor in battle but is laughed at by everybody. The command goes out before the real fight begins that no-one’s to attack until the electoral prince explicitly orders it. But Homburg high-handedly leads a charge that could lead to victory and is sentenced to death for insubordination ...

EPSG:4326

The Prince of Homburg

Oper Frankfurt

Lulu's uniqueness challenges the norm. Is she real, a mythological figure or a figment of men's imagination? Innocent victim or a destructive demon? She's none of these things yet all of them. This feral, vulnerable, creature's struggle with the world, during which she's appropriated and exploited before being murdered, began when she was dragged out of her element.

Lulu

Doctor Krautmann and Stössel, the pharmacist, are deadly enemies. That their children have fallen in love, doesn’t help matters at all ...

These fathers are German counterparts to Cimarosa and Rossini’s funny old men, who steal the show with wit and situation comedy. Even more so than Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Dittersdorf’s Doctor and Pharmacist marks an important turning point in the history in German opera-cum-plays. It resulted in three further commissions for von Dittersdorf, who’s all but forgotten today. This composer, violin virtuoso and contemporary of Mozart was internationally admired, not just in Viennese circles. He combined elements of north German Singspiel in his works with the tradition, wit and vocal virtuosity of Italian opera seria and buffa. He composed light-hearted music which, married to his hearty sense of humour, went down well with audiences. This, his best known work, was commissioned by the Emperor and the manager of the Burgtheater in Vienna, the librettist Johann Gottlieb Stephanie.

Doctor & Pharmacist

Bockenheimer Depot

Amfortas, leader of the Knights of the Grail, was wounded when he lost the Holy Spear to Klingsor, a wound, that won’t close.

As long as he does his duty and reveals the Grail, Amfortas can’t die. Kundry, a two-faced individual, serves the knights; she procures medicine to alleviate his pain, but it has little effect. Then Parsifal appears, committing sacrilege by shooting down a swan in this hallowed region. Gurnemanz rebukes him, then starts wondering: Could the young hothead be the promised »innocent fool«, who could bring salvation to their community? If so Parsifal would have to become »knowing through compassion« first. He meets Kundry, now a seductive woman, in Klingsor’s magic realm. Can he beat Klingsor and take the speer from him, the only thing that can close Amfortas’ wound?

Božidar Smiljanić

Bass-baritone

Events

Upcoming events

Nov 28, 2024

Lulu · Oper Frankfurt

Mar 8, 2025

Doctor & Pharmacist · Oper Frankfurt

May 18, 2025

Parsifal · Oper Frankfurt

Past events

Sep 22, 2024

The Prince of Homburg · Oper Frankfurt

Future and recently performed repertoire

2nd Knight of the Grail in Parsifal by Wagner

Oper Frankfurt

Theatre Director / Servant in Lulu by Berg

Oper Frankfurt

Stössel, the Pharmacist in Doctor & Pharmacist by Dittersdorf

Oper Frankfurt

3 Officers in The Prince of Homburg by Henze

Oper Frankfurt

About

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