It’s a rambunctious tale: an old curmudgeon is set on marrying his own ward of court with a view to snapping up her considerable inheritance. He leaves no stone unturned in his efforts to keep the fair Rosina cloistered from the outside world and thus from any potential young suitors. A pity, then, that Count Almaviva has fallen head over heels for her. Assisted by Figaro, an enterprising barber, he plans to outwit the old man, win over Rosina – and ensure that it’s love that attracts her to him rather than his rank and wealth. Not an easy job for Figaro, seeing as the opposite camp is scheming with equal tenacity … Love wins out in the end, and it turns out that all precautions were useless!

The Barber of Seville

Deutsche Oper Berlin

As in all operas by Puccini, TOSCA is an illustration of how human attentiveness and pleasures of the palate can be mutually dependent if the composer’s artistic intentions become a benchmark for directorial interpretation. Puccini’s humane attentiveness is essentially dependent on an outcry and/or a sense of resignation. The pity inherent in his music does not content itself with abstract gestures; it wants to unsettle, to bring about change. Out of the “small things” named by Puccini as the source of his inspiration and the focus of his music “big things” grow – as long as we want them. Puccini’s choice of material owes something, directly or indirectly, to the spirit of Zola, Gorki and Hauptmann, and the link between that material and his compositional style places him likewise as a direct descendant of Verdi and an exponent of verismo. He was also known as an admirer of Wagner, although a Wagner imitator he assuredly was not.

Tosca

It’s the most performed opera in the German-speaking region, an unusual – and masterly – blend of Viennese folk theatre and fairy tale, mythology and freemasonry mystique: Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE remains a puzzle to this day. Did Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder switch horses from the Queen of the Night to Sarastro half way through? Is the message not one of distrust towards a supposedly infallible priesthood and its simplistic good-versus-evil ideology? Are some Mozart experts right when they talk of a disconnect between text and music? Whatever the answer, it’s the music that allows us to relate to the story’s contradictions. Far from denouncing the characters, it confers an existentiality on their conflicts.

The Magic Flute

With The Magic Flute, Mozart wanted to write a piece for everyone – the blend of Viennese folk theater, Singspiel, and Italian opera makes it a favourite with audiences to this day. There's something for every taste, from catchy songs and arias to humorous spoken dialogue and fairytale elements. Günter Krämer’s production creates two contrasting worlds: the realm of the Queen of the Night and the temple of the Sun King. Between them travels Prince Tamino, accompanied by the bird catcher Papageno. On their adventurous journey, they traverse primeval forests inhabited by lions, rhinoceroses and snakes. Mozart’s opera imaginatively invites reflection on good and evil, dreams, fears and love. The lovingly crafted, partly mechanical set design creates stage magic. Renowned Mozart interpreter Tomáš Netopil conducts the Deutsche Oper Berlin orchestra. Our ensemble of soloists will enchant with their joy in acting and singing.

Sounds like those Richard Strauss unleashed in Elektra with a gigantic orchestra were unprecedented until the opera’s premiere in 1909. And the radicalism and expressive ferocity of Elektra have lost none of their power to this day. The archaic subject matter both terrifies and fascinates: Elektra, an infinitely lonely young woman, is kept alive solely by the thought of avenging her mother’s murder of her father, Agamemnon. When her father is avenged and her brother Orestes has killed their mother and her lover, Elektra dances an ecstatic dance, at the climax of which she collapses dead. This is a roller coaster of an opera. Ricarda Merbeth, one of the most important Wagner and Strauss interpreters of our time, takes on the title role, while the charismatic Okka von der Damerau makes her debut as Clytemnestra. The Slovak conductor Juraj Valčuha, for years one of the most influential guest conductors at Deutsche Oper Berlin, conducts the monumental work.

Elektra

At its premiere in Turin in 1896, La bohème was met with scepticism. Only after further performances in several Italian cities did it achieve the success that quickly brought Puccini and his librettist international fame. With their first collaboration, based on Henri Murger’s novel Scènes de la vie de bohème, the trio created the epitome of the romantic love story on the operatic stage. Puccini gave the story of a group of young people, their joys and tragically ending passions, a richly coloured score that includes some of the most famous arias and duets in music history. Götz Friedrich’s production, set against a timeless backdrop, spans from the intimate artist’s apartment to the expansive spectacle in the Latin Quarter. The perfect accompaniment to the festive season! With the very young Juliana Grigoryan and later the charismatic Corinne Winters, two of the most heartfelt Puccini singers appear in the role of Mimì. Don't forget your tissues!

La bohème

Isolation and loneliness have become part of our collective experience, especially since the coronavirus pandemic. Violetta, the young courtesan, suffers them on her deathbed, forced by societal demand to reject her lover. Verdi’s only opera set in the bourgeois world of his time demonstrates the hypocrisy of a society that first fawns over a young woman and then abandons her. Götz Friedrich’s production amplifies the emotional impact of Verdi’s music by telling Violetta’s story as a flashback: The premonition of death is present from the beginning, hanging like a shadow over the Parisian party. Thus, a timeless drama with a requiem-like quality unfolds. We eagerly anticipate the Violetta debut of Federica Lombardi, a favourite with audiences at Deutsche Oper Berlin. She will later be succeeded by Martina Russomanno, new in our ensemble. Michele Spotti, the new Principal Guest Conductor, promises a sophisticated musical interpretation.

La traviata

If he were to approve this play, he might as well tear down the Bastille – so said King Louis XVI when he was presented with Le mariage de Figaro by the Enlightenment thinker Beaumarchais. Prophetic words just a few years before the French Revolution. Yet no ban could prevent the highly topical work from spreading rapidly. The story, in which everyone rebels against the tyrannical rule of a patriarch, struck a chord with the times. With Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo da Ponte created a timeless social study in which humour and social criticism are perfectly balanced. Götz Friedrich’s production focuses on the turbulent interpersonal dynamics, thus creating the ideal platform to showcase the enthusiastic performances of the ensemble members and guest artists. As a preview to his new production of Così fan tutte, Riccardo Minasi is conducting this revival with Maria Bengtsson as the Countess and the two young French performers Florian Sempey as the Count and Adèle Charvet as Cherubino.

Le nozze di Figaro

E. T. A. Hoffmann called Don Giovanni «the opera of all operas.» The philosopher Søren Kierkegaard even included the piece in his major work, where the title character is described as „the incarnation of the genius of all that is sensual.” Don Giovanni is variously seen as an erotic womanizer or a ruthless lecher, as Dionysus incarnate or a contemptible sex offender. In Roland Schwab’s production, too, he appears fragmented. Driven by an insatiable desire for more, he staggers between revelry, orgies of violence and ascetic withdrawal. After great success with this production, Davide Luciano returns as Don Giovanni and Tommaso Barea as his cynical servant Leporello. Olga Peretyatko makes her debut at our theatre as Donna Elvira. Stefano Montanari will conduct this revival in his usual field, before presenting himself from a completely different perspective with the premiere of Otello.

Don Giovanni

Anyone in Seville who needs help goes to Figaro – the barber has a solution for every problem, because he knows everyone in the city, is well-informed about all the gossip and many owe him a favour. This time, he is to help Count Almaviva free Rosina, who has been imprisoned by her guardian, and win her heart. The then 23-year-old Gioachino Rossini is said to have composed Il barbiere di Siviglia in just three weeks – an opera full of rousing bel canto arias, fast-paced ensembles and dizzying situational comedy. Director Katharina Thalbach skilfully captures the humour of the original work: She relocates the action to a seaside resort where one morning a theatre wagon arrives, carrying characters from the Commedia dell’Arte. Tourists become the audience of a spectacle that blurs the lines between large and small stages, offers many surprising twists and turns and, thanks to Guido Maria Kretschmer's costumes, delights the funny bone and the eyes. Our young Italian conductor, Giovanni Conti, takes to the podium, accompanied by numerous new virtuoso ensemble members.

Thomas Richter

Events

Upcoming events

Sep 2, 2026 - Jan 15, 2027

The Magic Flute · Deutsche Oper Berlin

6 - 17 Nov, 2026

Elektra · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Dec 11, 2026 - May 26, 2027

La bohème · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Dec 26, 2026 - Jun 20, 2027

La traviata · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Jan 28 - Feb 9, 2027

Le nozze di Figaro · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Past events

Dec 22, 2025 - Mar 27, 2026

The Barber of Seville · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Nov 5, 2025 - Apr 23, 2026

Tosca · Deutsche Oper Berlin

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