A woman was once burned at the stake for being a witch - an event whose dark shadows extend to present times. A thrilling drama begins to unfold: Azucena, the daughter of the executed woman, swears to avenge her mother's death. In return, she kidnaps one of the sons of the old Count Luna, who is responsible for the execution. In the glistening madness of revenge, however, she no longer recognizes whether she is killing her own child or the son of the despised count. Years later, Azucena's now grown-up son, the titular troubadour Manrico, and the young Count Luna not only face each other in the civil war, they are also rivals for Leonora's love... Giuseppe Verdi stages the emotional extremes of his characters in a gripping and melodic way in this work, which, along with “Rigoletto” and “La traviata”, is part of his 'Trilogia popolare'.

Il trovatore

German Oper am Rhein

In 1857, Verdi was called on to write an opera for the San Carlo Theatre in Naples, and he immediately began his search for the perfect story. His initial idea was King Lear by Shakespeare, but the lack of time available forced him to fall back on a libretto by Scribe, Gustave III ou Le bal masqué, which had already been set to music by Auber and by Mercadante. The story was inspired by actual events from 1792; the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden by one of his officers during a ball. The subject was undoubtedly controversial, the on-stage murder of a monarch would not pass unnoticed by the Neapolitan censors, who in fact imposed numerous cuts and modifications. But the writer was too fond of the 18th-century traits and the lively French-influenced style of his new opera to be able to accept, among the many requests, the moving of the action to the 12th century, where it would have been impossible “to find a princeling, a duke, a devil, even from the North, who had seen a little of the world and experienced the atmosphere of Louis XIV”. With its Neapolitan debut thus grounded, Un ballo in maschera was staged at the Apollo Theatre in Rome, where it was performed on 17 February 1859.

Un ballo in maschera

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Theatre

The king dies. Amfortas, leader of the Grail Brotherhood, is tormented by a wound that will not heal - struck by his arch-enemy Klingsor, to whom he also lost the Holy Spear of Christ that was guarded by the Brotherhood. Day after day, the Knights of the Grail are forced to watch helplessly as Amfortas dies of pain and guilt. Only a prophecy gives them hope: a “pure fool” will one day redeem the suffering king through his compassion and win back the Holy Spear, which the fallen Grail knight Klingsor guards in his magic garden. And then Parsifal knocks on the gates of the Grail Castle...

Parsifal

Count Almaviva walks on suitor's feet. The object of his latest desire: Susanna, his wife's chambermaid and fiancée of his valet Figaro. Shortly before the wedding, the young couple has to use all their ingenuity to avoid Susanna's erotic advances from her aristocratic employer - turbulence is inevitable!

The Marriage of Figaro

Theater Duisburg

A deliberate misinterpretation seals Beatrice di Tenda's miserable fate: an intimate conversation with Orombello comes at just the right time for her heartless and unfaithful husband Filippo. Because he does not love his Beatrice and wants to get rid of her as quickly as possible, the Duke of Milan puts all his eggs in one basket - and demands her death for the adultery that did not take place.

Beatrice di Tenda

A bohemian flat share in Parisian artist and student circles: the poet Rodolfo and his friends struggle through life between freedom, independence, art and financial hardship. When Rodolfo falls in love with the neighbor Mimì everything seems to be going for the better at first, but poverty and Mimì's illness overshadow the relationship. The two grow closer, separate again and finally only find each other when it is already too late. At the time of its premiere in 1896, what is probably Puccini's best-known opera offered a novelty in Italian opera thanks to its intimate scenery and everyday subject. In the production by director Christine Mielitz, Puccini's fourth opera is one of the most popular repertoire classics at the Semperoper Dresden.

Bogdan Baciu

Events

Past events

Jun 23 - Jul 19, 2026

Il trovatore · Deutsche Oper am Rhein

12 - 24 May, 2026

Un ballo in maschera · Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Future and recently performed repertoire

Graf von Luna in Il trovatore by Verdi

Deutsche Oper am Rhein

Renato in Un ballo in maschera by Verdi

Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart

Deutsche Oper am Rhein

Amfortas in Parsifal by Wagner

Deutsche Oper am Rhein

Marcello in La Bohème by Puccini

Semperoper Dresden

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