Singer

Who are we, who do we want to be? How far will longing for more power, wealth and a more elevated position in society make peope go? Triggered by a curious encounter, which he thinks is a prophesy, Macbeth’s wife goads him into murdering King Duncan. The throne falls to him, but remorse and hallucinations throw him deeper and deeper into turmoil, while Lady Macbeth urges him to carry out more atrocious deeds. But her feelings of guilt ending up destroying her too. R.B. Schlather’s production traces the extraordinary actuality of the protagonists, just as Verdi was fascinated by Shakespeare’s King and Queen. The Director studied the gruesome events surrounding a childless couple in an elegant but cheerless atmosphere of an imposing residence: global politics mirrored in private lives. In the end the oppressed put a violent end to the Macbeth’s autocratic regime.

EPSG:4326

Macbeth

Oper Frankfurt

The relationship between Cio-Cio-San, called »Butterfly«, and US American marine officer Benjamin F. Pinkerton begins as a proforma wedding – with unexpected consequences: the young Japanese woman cuts herself off from her family, hoping to leave her impoverished origins behind; Pinkerton, on the other hand, despite his overwhelming desires, doesn’t feel committed to this »provisional marriage«. When he’s ordered home Cio-Cio-San’s left behind, expecting his baby. She waits unwaveringly for his return; her only rock is her faithful servant Suzuki. But when Pinkerton’s ship re-docks in Nagasaki, the illusion shatters: He married another woman in America. When Butterfly realises they intend to take her child as well, she sees no other way out; she commits ritual suicide, as her father before her. Doing away with superficial clichés, the director R.B. Schlather focuses on the human tragedy, for which Puccini, Master of Melody found such heart-rending music.

Madama Butterfly

Jacques Offenbach carries us off to a world of bandits in his wonderful operetta. Falsacappa, their chief, is having trouble keeping his men’s moral up: recent forays raked in next to nothing. Now he’s planning an outrageous coup. Taking advantage of complicated events concerning an envoy from Granada, wanting to claim a debt from the court of Mantua, and sneaking into Mantua, is disguise, to swipe the money for themselves. The carabinieri, in their heavy boots, always arrive too late. But Falsacappa's gang ends up empty-handed: the Duke of Mantua's coffers are empty … criminal activity at court far outclasses the bandits’.

The Bandits

Manon Lescaut flees to Europe, dreaming of a better life, where she enters into a passionate relationship with a student, Des Grieux. But their happiness is short-lived: fed up with living in penury she takes up with Geronte, working in his nightclub as a dancer. Des Grieux reappears and they rekindle their love. Geronte finds them and words are exchanged, he calls for the police, and Manon, unable to escape in time, is arrested. After fleeing to America together their journey ends in a desert.

Manon Lescaut

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?

Parsifal

What Macbeth thinks are prophesies are expressions of his own suppressed dreams and fears. Goaded on by his wife, who’s no less ambitious, he commits murder, which leads to more murders, creating a gruesome system of oppression. But the tyrant Macbeth and his wife are plagued by pangs of conscience. They’re both psychologically shattered - in different ways. In the end, the oppressed populace rebel, putting an end to an unjust regime.

In a domestic setting surrounding this childless, murderous couple, mechanisms of violent rule become apparent that can be found on a larger scale: World politics are reflected in a private sphere. From this perspective the story of a medieval Scottish despot seems frighteningly relevant today.

Tenor

Kudaibergen Abildin

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 18 - Jun 13, 2026

Macbeth · Oper Frankfurt

Past events

Apr 18 - Jun 13, 2026

Macbeth · Oper Frankfurt

Feb 6 - Mar 20, 2026

Madama Butterfly · Oper Frankfurt

Future and recently performed repertoire

Macduff in Macbeth by Verdi

Oper Frankfurt

Malcolm in Macbeth by Verdi

Oper Frankfurt

Edmondo in Manon Lescaut by Puccini

Oper Frankfurt

Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly by Puccini

Oper Frankfurt

1st Knight of the Grail in Parsifal by Wagner

Oper Frankfurt

Pipo in Les brigands by Offenbach

Oper Frankfurt

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