Name: The Last Days of Mankind
Start: 2025-07-09T18:00:00
Location: Staatenhaus Köln

Dive into the rich tapestry of performances set to grace the stage at Oper Köln in 2025, where timeless classics and innovative narratives offer a captivating journey through the intricacies of human nature and cultural discourse. From the vibrant streets of 1920s Cologne in 'De Kölsche Fledermaus' to the philosophical depths of 'Simone's Passion', each production promises not only a display of unparalleled artistry but a dialogue across time and space. Join us as we explore the creativity, emotion, and imagination that define these remarkable productions.

A Spectacle of Theatrical Elegance: Oper Köln’s 2025 Line-up

Oper Köln's 2025 season promises a captivating blend of drama, humor, and historical intrigue with performances spanning from the comedic 'De Kölsche Fledermaus' to the haunting 'The Last Days of Mankind.' Each event offers a unique perspective, brought to life by talented performers and innovative productions. Whether you're drawn to the timeless allure of 'Don Giovanni' or the modern exploration of identity in 'Superhero Normalos,' this season has something for every opera enthusiast.

A Journey Through Oper Köln's 2025 Season: From Carnival Comedy to Historical Drama

Oper Köln's 2025 calendar promises a thrilling lineup of performances that explore timeless themes through fresh perspectives. Spanning from legendary tales of passion and intrigue to contemporary narratives that resonate with today's audiences, the season features a diverse range of operas, from the classic 'Don Giovanni' and 'Carmen' to the innovative 'Superhero Normalos'. With a roster of talented performers and visionary directors, each event is set to captivate audiences at the Staatenhaus Köln in Germering, Germany.

Oper Köln's 2025 Season: A Diverse Ensemble of Stories and Sounds

Oper Köln is set to captivate audiences with a diverse lineup of performances this spring and summer. From timeless operatic tales like 'Don Giovanni' and 'Carmen' to innovative productions such as 'Superhero Normalos' and 'Simone's Passion', the program promises a rich tapestry of cultural and artistic experiences. With a blend of classic and contemporary pieces, Oper Köln offers a stage for exploring themes of identity, power, and societal norms, while showcasing remarkable talent from around the globe.

Oper Köln's Spring and Summer Theater Extravaganza: A Journey Through Music and Drama

Oper Köln takes audiences on a captivating journey through historical and dramatic narratives with its latest lineup. From gender role reversals in 'Eine Frau von Format,' to philosophical explorations in 'Simone's Passion,' a critique of war in 'The Last Days of Mankind,' and ancient power struggles in 'Julius Caesar in Egypt,' these performances offer a rich blend of intrigue, philosophy, and historical insights. Set against the backdrop of the Staatenhaus Köln, these operas promise a unique theatrical experience for all attendees.

Oper Köln's Complex Tapestry: A Celebration of Drama and History

In a tapestry of emotions and stories, Oper Köln brings forth a vibrant array of productions that delve into the profound depths of human experience. From community-driven initiatives like 'Superhero Normalos' to the philosophical musings in 'Simone's Passion', each event promises to captivate and resonate with audiences of all ages. With a rich blend of storytelling, music, and culture, these performances invite attendees to explore themes of identity, power, love, and the human condition.

Exploring Humanity Through Opera: A Journey at Oper Köln

Olivia Vermeulen

Tamara Bounazou

Anne  Sofie Von Otter

KS Miljenko Turk

John Heuzenroeder

Dmitry Ivanchey

Sebastian Rudolph

Emily Hindrichs

Katrin Nottrodt

Tina Kloempken

Rainer Casper

Oper Köln

This is a gripping operatic thriller of emotions, with which the then 21-year-old Gioacchino Rossini catapulted himself to the forefront of Italian composers from Venice in 1813: Amenaide is to obey her father's will and marry a man she does not love. In doing so, she contributes to ending the power struggle between two rival families in her hometown. Amenaide, in the meantime suspected of being a traitor and threatened with death, loves Tancredi, who returns to his hometown incognito, learns of the forced betrothal and kills his rival. But the trusting relationship with Amenaide is gone, Tancredi is desperate and wants to find death. Although an early work, TANCREDI with its lively melodies and resounding finales testifies to Rossini's musical inventiveness. It is above all the solo scenes in which the work builds up to its highlights. With the catchy cabaletta of the eponymous hero "Di tanti palpiti", the work contains a veritable opera hit, which in Italy effectively has the status of a folk song. The male main character Tancredi is in this case cast with a mezzo-soprano, a "trouser role" characteristic of the early 19th century. Musically, however, TANCREDI has much more to offer than this one big hit. Rossini developed new ways for the romantic Italian opera with his so-called "Rossini Code" also in terms of form - often a tempo d’attacco, an adagio, a tempo di mezzo and a cabaletta follow one another. The successful production of the Bregenz Festival from the year 2024, directed by Jan Philipp Gloger, is now being presented in Cologne. Jan Philipp Gloger, most recently in Cologne for the direction of EIN MASKENBALL, focuses his production on the love between two women who have little chance of self-fulfilment in a clan and macho world. The musical direction is held by George Petrou.

Tancredi

Cologne Opera

The opera DER ROSENKAVALIER leads into the bedroom of a princess and straight into the intimate conversation with her youthful lover. Inspired by the ancient tragedy ELEKTRA, Richard Strauss and the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal envisioned something entirely new: a comedy for music. Cheerful, light, and elegant, conciliatory yet profound in its emotions and thoughts – and, of course, Austrian in its burlesque wit while at the same time touched by melancholy reflection. Thus the authors created the famous figure of the Field Marshal's wife, Princess Werdenberg who bears the first name Marie-Thérèse for good reason and entrusted her with the leading role in the opera DER ROSENKAVALIER, premiered in 1911.

Der Rosenkavalier

As the court jester to the Duke of Mantua, Rigoletto is no less scrupulous than his absolutist master, who seduces women at will and has men killed on a whim. Rigoletto seeks to protect his daughter Gilda from this world, but the Duke has already set his sights on the innocent young woman. When Gilda gives herself to the seducer driven by love and idealism, Rigoletto's carefully constructed wall of protection collapses, and he himself is made a fool: his belief that he could strictly separate the corruption of court society from his private happiness proves to be a fatal illusion.

Rigoletto

Once upon a time... there was a king who had three children. In the kingdom, the crown had always been passed on to the son or daughter deemed most suitable to rule. A ring served as the symbol of power, which the king must hand over before his death.

The king gives something away

Jiří Kylián is one of the legendary figures of the international dance scene. For over three decades, he shaped the artistic profile of the Nederlands Dans Theater, which under his direction developed into one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies. What unites Kylián’s choreographies is their poignant beauty and a lightness of movement that goes hand in hand with deep musicality, expressive emotionality, and profound introspection. In BELLA FIGURA (1995), Kylián embarks on a fascinating journey through time and thought, once again engaging with fundamental questions of human existence and seeking to transcend the rigid boundaries between dream and reality, illusion and truth. Set to a blend of early and contemporary music – Vivaldi, Pergolesi, Lucas Foss – this work, now part of the international repertoire, brings together breathtaking duets, trios, and quartets.

Three masterpieces

It is the first murder in human history, yet, as we know, not the last. For according to biblical tradition, we are all descended from a murderer: Cain, the first human to be born on earth. Together with his younger brother Abel, he is raised by his parents Adam and Eve in reverence for God. But when Abel’s ritual offerings are favored one day, dark impulses break through: Cain kills Abel, thereby incurring the wrath of God.

Cain and Abel

Contemporary avant-garde and Caribbean sensuality – a ballet company full of surprises – this is the label under which Cuba’s largest dance company performs. Danza Contemporánea de Cuba looks back on a history spanning more than 50 years. It was founded in the very year of Fidel Castro’s revolution. All of its dancers are trained in Cuba’s great ballet tradition, which they continually expand by incorporating modern European and Latin American styles. Their repertoire is not limited to Cuban traditions; it ranges from choreographer George Céspedes from within the company to Spain’s Rafael Bonachela and Sweden’s Mats Ek. In Cologne, they present themselves for the first time with three very different works.

Reversible / Things 3XXI

Marla the mayfly has only one day to live. And she wants to discover and learn as much about the world as possible! She sets off on a journey and meets a variety of insects along the way: a beautiful dragonfly, a poetry-writing rhinoceros beetle, a tiny tardigrade with superpowers, and finally a species that does not yet have a name. Marla learns something from every insect. When she returns to the other mayflies, she can look back on a rich and fulfilling life.

Marla, The May Fly

What do we long for when we love? And can another person ever truly recognize our deepest desires – let alone fulfill them?

Hoffmann's Tales

“Such a little fat dachshund has never been seen here before,” Goethe’s mother wrote to her son in 1793 about a performance of DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE (The Magic Flute) – a remark that reflects how Mozart’s Singspiel quickly captivated a wide audience. At once entertaining and sophisticated, the story follows Prince Tamino and Papageno who face a series of trials to rescue the princess Pamina from the clutches of Sarastro. It journey full of dangers, at the end of which lies the hope for a self-determined future together.

The Magic Flute

Every year, Cäcilia Wolkenburg presents the world premiere of a truly Cologne-style musical. More than one hundred singers and dancers – all volunteers who perform not for a living but purely out of a love for singing on stage – bring to life rousing music, large-scale choral arrangements, and ballet choreography, woven into a story that touches the “Kölsche Hätz” (the Cologne heart).

Wat e Thiater

The composer Hans Werner Henze traveled to Cuba ten years after the end of the revolution. He met composers, writers, and artists, performed one of his own works with the Havana Symphony Orchestra, and was full of curiosity about what music and art might mean to people in this new world. For Henze, his artistic work was always concerned with nothing other than human beings and their pursuit of happiness.

The Little Cuban

An heir to the throne is murdered. Shortly afterwards, the world is in flames, the “last days of mankind” have begun. Over 100 years ago, the Austrian writer Karl Kraus documented the developments of the First World War and transformed them into a megalomaniac drama for a “Martian theatre”: “Theatre-goers of this world will not be able to withstand it”, he prophesied. How the world can suddenly slide into war is something Karl Kraus tries to capture in the 220 scenes of his monumental tragedy, along with the interaction of propaganda, media, religion, education and corporate greed that fuels the global conflagration. Street conversations, newspaper reports, advertising posters, slogans and discussions are unleashed by Kraus as satirical bullets.

The Last Days of Mankind

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