A REDISCOVERY - NATIONAL EPIC OR FAIRYTALE OPERA ABOUT THE FIGHT AGAINST EVIL?

Who is good and who is evil in this fairytale opera - and why? The nucleus of Pushkin's setting of Ruslan and Lyudmila by Mikhail Glinka is the abduction of the princess's daughter Lyudmila from Kiev, the center of both the Russian and Ukrainian founding myths. For Ruslan, the warrior promised to her, this marks the beginning of an adventurous journey through the magical realm of a powerful dwarf. The rescue operation escalates into a showdown between the men fighting for Lyudmila. But she herself increasingly becomes a distant vision of love - the longed-for prize for heroism. In 1842, in the midst of the awakening Russian national sentiment, Glinka conceived the idea of a culturally united tsarist empire, in which he merged Slavic, Finnish and Arabic melos with the bel canto fashion of his time.

Ruslan und Ljudmila

Hamburg State Opera

When the 100-year-old MDR Symphony Orchestra teams up with a young, yet already distinguished, conductor and a young, enchanting soprano, the best entertainment is guaranteed! Vilmantas Kaliunas and Leonor Amaral are among the rising stars of the international classical music scene. The versatile Portuguese soprano and the Lithuanian conductor delight with a cheerful program full of classical hits – a truly stimulating mix!

EPSG:4326

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Stadthalle Stern Riesa

Congress Centrum Suhl

Just as every new year has its January 1st, (almost) every opera has an overture: sometimes as a turbulent introduction to a comedy full of intrigue and passion, as in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Figaro", sometimes as a departure into an adventure fairy tale full of magic, as in Mikhail Glinka's "Ruslan and Ludmilla". The Duisburg Philharmonic's salon orchestra welcomes the year 2025 with a selection of overtures that is as varied as it is virtuoso, mixing lively sounds in three-quarter time. "Everything is a waltz" is not only the motto of Johann Strauss and his brother Josef, but also in Carl Maria von Weber's "Invitation to the Dance" from 1819 - the epitome of Biedermeier waltz bliss.

Michail Glinka

Events

Upcoming events

Jun 1, 2026

Chamber Concerto 9 »A three« · Oper Graz

Past events

Nov 9 - Dec 19, 2025

Ruslan und Ljudmila · Staatsoper Hamburg

23 - 24 Aug, 2025

A Midsummer Night's Dream · MDR-Sinfonieorchester

About

Michail Glinka hasn't added a bio