Mozart’s most popular opera is a deeply humane story of adventure with heavenly music.

The Magic Flute

Semperoper Dresden

Richard Wagner’s »Lohengrin«, which premiered in Weimar in 1850, is closely associated with Dresden: Inspired by the charming landscape around the nearby village of Graupa, Wagner began the opera in 1846 when employed as Kapellmeister to the royal court, completing the work in the Saxon capital in 1849. Since its first performance in Dresden ten years later, the work has been heard over 850 times at the Semperoper. This production from 1983 is a true classic, thrilling audiences year after year. Retaining the work’s roots in both the 19th century and the Middle Ages, director Christine Mielitz tells the story of Elsa, unlawfully accused of murder and at the mercy of her adversaries in the duchy of Brabant, who is rescued by the mysterious Swan Knight. This is a tragic tale of a woman fighting for recognition but also for knowledge. At the end comes the bitter realization that her justifiable wish to know the name of the person to whom she owes her happiness will result in his downfall.

Lohengrin

Can the past be denied and memories erased? After a mass shooting at an international school, pupils, parents and teachers are left horrified and traumatised. The teenage perpetrator is committed to a psychiatric ward. Ten years later, Stela is celebrating her wedding to Tuomas, who she met in her home country of Romania, together with his parents and a priest. She is so happy that she doesn’t ask why there are so few guests. But the waitress hints that there is something Stela doesn’t know – that her groom has another brother.

Innocence

Johann Strauss’s »Die Fledermaus« from 1874 is a masterpiece of Viennese operetta: In order to take revenge on his friend Eisenstein, Dr. Falke (alias Die Fledermaus) stages a game of mistaken identities at Prince Orlofsky’s ball, where the guests include a Marquis and a Chevalier, a Hungarian countess and budding artists. However, nobody is who they claim to be. The masquerade and trickery end with the entire group of partygoers in prison. When the masks finally fall and extramarital shenanigans come to light, Falke’s revenge is complete. This production by Günter Krämer has been delighting Semperoper audiences since 2003 with classic numbers such as the Watch Duet, the Czárdás or Adele’s »Mein Herr Marquis« as well as the witty dialogue, updated with some amusing contemporary references. With diamond-sharp irony amidst the champagne glasses, »Die Fledermaus« is a great evening’s entertainment… and not just at the New Year!

Die Fledermaus

Kay and Gerta's journey to the Snow Queen and into the depths of the human soul.

The Snow Queen

A story fizzing with irony and champagne, all danced to the sounds of the waltz.

Did Richard Wagner already know when, in The Flying Dutchman, he first explored the notion of redemption, that this would end up being the central concern of his art? In his final opera, Parsifal, which was first performed in Bayreuth in 1882, it is not just a single person but society as a whole that awaits a saviour – buoyed by the hope of one day meeting the One who will fulfil this role. Parsifal’s qualification for this tremendous task is that he has become “knowing through compassion” – a process that takes many years, perhaps an entire lifetime. But there are forces trying to hinder him on his path. Will Parsifal be willing to place himself at the service of the community? Parsifal, which has been called a “stage consecration festival”, is still an overwhelming experience today. Can art truly help us find redemption?

Mario Lerchenberger

Events

Upcoming events

Aug 30, 2025 - Jul 4, 2026

The Magic Flute · Semperoper Dresden

Dec 7, 2025 - Jan 8, 2026

The Snow Queen · Semperoper Dresden

Dec 27, 2025 - Jan 16, 2026

Die Fledermaus · Semperoper Dresden

Mar 22 - Apr 6, 2026

Parsifal · Semperoper Dresden

Past events

Aug 30, 2025 - Jul 4, 2026

The Magic Flute · Semperoper Dresden

Mar 30 - Apr 6, 2025

Lohengrin · Semperoper Dresden

Future and recently performed repertoire

Alfred in Die Fledermaus by Strauss

Semperoper Dresden

Tamino in The Magic Flute by Mozart

Semperoper Dresden

1st Gralsritter in Parsifal by Wagner

Semperoper Dresden

Prince in The Snow Queen by Abrahamsen

Semperoper Dresden

About

Mario Lerchenberger hasn't added a bio