Name: Ernani
Start: 2026-05-02T19:30:00
Location: Cologne Opera

Marta Torbidoni

Wesley Harrison

Young Woo Kim

Ferhat Baday

Alina König Rannenberg

John Heuzenroeder

Insik Choi

Giuliano Carella

Adrian Sâmpetrean

Oper Köln

Professor Beelzebub Irrwitzer is a dreadful sorcerer and poisoner, who takes pleasure in causing a lot of destruction in nature. But his devilish client is not at all satisfied with him this year, far too few Evil deeds, finds Maledictus Made, the devilish messenger. Therefore, at midnight, Irrwitzer's time will run out, unless he quickly manages to secure a few more disasters in the world. Now only the satan-archaeo-lying-alcoholic Wish Punch can help him, which at the stroke of midnight turns all good wishes into their opposite. However, Irrwitzer only has half of the parcel containing the recipe; the other half is with his aunt, Tyrannja Vamperl, who happens to be visiting. She has exactly the same problem, and so both are now brewing the highly dangerous Wish Punch. Fortunately, Tomcat Maurizio and Crow Krista recognizes the danger and they jointly take up the fight against the two villains, even though they initially do not like each other at all. But time is running out and the task is difficult...

The Wishing Punch

Cologne Opera

In our WHOOSH, you slip into the roles of the opera characters and reenact the plot of an opera in 30 minutes. This activity is aimed at all family members and takes place approximately 60 minutes before the performance.

Introduction for families: WHOOSH

Envy and hatred reign in Saul's heart. For he perceives in David a rival for the throne: After David's victory over the giant Goliath, King Saul finds himself compelled to welcome David into his house and to honour him as a hero. When his son Jonathan and his daughter Michal side with David, and eventually even his daughter Merab acknowledges the universally celebrated hero, Saul finally decides to remove David from his path. However, David enjoys divine protection. Instead, it is Saul whose star threatens to set. With SAUL, George Frideric Handel turned to a biblical subject from the Old Testament. The subject matter was certainly controversial, as around twenty years before Handel’s arrival in London, Parliament, during the “Glorious Revolution” of 1689, had offered the British crown to William III of Orange and Mary II in order to put an end to the rule of the absolutist King James II. Georg Friedrich Handel had so far achieved one box office hit after another in London, primarily with his serious operas. However, the audience gradually seemed to be tiring of Italian opera. Thus, Händel set out in search of new paths in musical theatre. The genre of the oratorio, which he had become acquainted with during his time in Rome from 1706 to 1709, seemed suitable for this purpose. And indeed, the premiere of SAUL on 16 January 1739 at the Haymarket Theatre in London was a success, not least due to the gigantic choral numbers and the English national language in which it was sung. That SAUL is also dramatic, stage-effective musical theatre is demonstrated by the numerous musical effects with which Handel brings the story of the tormented King Saul to life. From triumphal choruses to whispers of witches to the funeral march that is still played today at state funerals worldwide. The acclaimed production from the Glyndebourne Festival, in Barrie Kosky’s opulent and profound direction, presents the Old Testament fable of envy and resentment set in London during the Georgian era, when indulgence and misery, popular entertainment and humiliation existed side by side. At the podium of the Gürzenich Orchestra stands Rubén Dubrovsky, who has already demonstrated his flair for Baroque music in Cologne with GIULIO CESARE IN EGITTO and ORLANDO.

Saul

A colorful gingerbread house in the middle of the forest, in which two hungry children seek refuge. But there lives an evil witch with gruesome baking recipes. Engelbert Humperdinck's most famous opera is full of contrasts, both on stage and in the music. It combines traditional children's songs with Wagnerian orchestral sound, creating a magical soundscape that captivates both young and adult audiences alike. The fairy-tale opera, in which the siblings successfully overcome danger together, returns to the stage in the 2005 production by Jürgen Rose. It is conducted by the new Cologne General Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada.

Hansel and Gretel

“Sing Hallelujah!” is the annual motto at Oper Köln during Advent, when the traditional Kölner Jugendchor St. Stephan takes to the stage and gets everyone in the Christmas spirit. The family and Christmas concert has become a special highlight of the pre-Christmas season in Cologne and inspires audiences of all ages. With around 80 members, under the direction of Michael Kokott, the choir is one of the largest and most successful youth choirs in Germany. The varied repertoire of the choir ranges from gospel, pop, comedy and Cologne favorites to classical music and jazz. And that is reflected in the “Sing Hallelujah!” programs! The young singers have German, international and Cologne Christmas carols up their sleeves and create a festive atmosphere for young and old alike.

"Sing Hallelujah!"

The Red Cross Benefit Matinee, with its captivating program and popular raffle, is an annual crowd-puller. The approximately two-hour concert is themed around the upcoming Christmas holidays and is presented voluntarily by members of the opera ensemble – from soloists to the opera choir.

DRK Gala

"Take me to the ball!" pleads Cinderella Angelina. However, her wish meets with rejection by her stepfather Don Magnifico and the selfish stepsisters Instead, she is treated like a maid, while the spoiled amily dreams of wealth - although everything is on the brink of ruin. But behind this false world lies a more beautiful one: A prince awaits Angelina and true values ​​triumph over false appearances. In the end, justice prevails: Angelina forgives her family and becomes not only a princess but also as a wise-hearted regent. In LA CENERENTOLA, Gioacchino Rossini combines virtuosic bel canto with the dream of a fairer world. Cecilia Ligorio's enthusiastically received production from the year 2022 returns to the schedule, under the musical direction by Matteo Beltrami.

La Cenerentola

Sharon Eyal and her dance aesthetic have been triumphant on European stages for almost two decades. CORPS DE WALK is a piece from the time before the Israeli choreographer's major international breakthrough. Commissioned by the contemporary Norwegian dance company Carte Blanche, it premiered in 2011 and explores the dangerous eroticism of the masses. The dancers resemble androgynous-looking aliens in their beige bodysuits, white contact lenses, and identical hairstyles. These aliens move precisely in geometric marching formations, oscillating between robotic parades and ecstatic pagan fertility rites. Together with her partner and techno artist Gai Behar and DJ Ori Lichtik, Eyal parodies, not least, the large group scenes of classical ballet, contrasting them with a contemporary counterpart that seems to have come directly from the dance floor of a futuristic techno club. Fifteen years after its premiere, CORPS DE WALK is being revived by the Hessian State Ballet, the company whose director, Bruno Heynderickx – who held the same position at Carte Blanche at the time – originally commissioned Sharon Eyal to create the piece. Sharon Eyal danced with the Batsheva Dance Company from 1990 to 2008, where she choreographed her first pieces. From 2003 to 2004, she served as the company's Associate Artistic Director and as resident choreographer until 2012. In 2009, Eyal began working internationally for other companies. Together with her long-time artistic partner Gai Behar and Ori Lichtik, she founded her own ensemble, LEV, in 2013. From 1999 to 2005, Gai Behar produced live music and underground events in Israel, combined with large-scale techno raves. Since its founding, the company has performed on all major stages and dance festivals. Sharon Eyal has received numerous awards, including the prestigious "Fedora Prize" and the "Der Faust" theater prize.

Body of Walk

"E LEVVE FÖR KÖLLE," the divertissement for Konrad Adenauer's 150th birthday, is a matter close to the heart of the Cäcilia Wolkenburg stage ensemble of the Cologne Men's Choir. After all, the celebrant was an honorary member of the association and regularly sang his birthday hymns by "his KMGV." His son, Dr. Max Adenauer, served as KMGV president for 13 years; his grandson, Konrad Adenauer, is a member of the board of trustees. The choir will kick off the Adenauer Year 2026 with the musical accompaniment for the memorial service on January 4th in Cologne Cathedral, before the divertissement "E LEVVE FÖR KÖLLE" premieres on January 18th, 2026.

E Levve för Kölle (A Life for Cologne)

"Oh, what one often has to hear or read about naughty children!" So begins the famous story by Wilhelm Busch about the naughty brothers Max and Moritz and their pranks. Against impudence and schadenfreude, there seems to be basically no remedy, as Wilhelm Busch already lamented, and in times of social media there are plenty of opportunities to harass others and to get attention for it. The Norwegian composer Gisle Kverndokk and librettist Øystein Wiik look with today's perspective and a great treasure trove of musical quotations on the old story and recount seven equally common and amusing pranks, with which Max and Moritz, in cartoon style, annoy the descendants of Widow Bolte, Teacher Lämpel and Tailor Böck. The last prank of the naughty boys is just one too many as today. But: He who laughs last, laughs loudest.

Max and Moritz

Dream Team

Today marks a joyous day at the castle. Finally, the wedding of Figaro and Susanna is set to take place, both of whom are in the service of Count Almaviva and are being supported by him. Everything seems perfect - and is, of course, only half the truth. In fact, the Count is after Susanna and tries to play his employees off against each other wherever possible. At the same time, he believes he must keep an eye on his lonely wife, as well as his pubescent nephew Cherubino, who continuously puts him in compromising situations. The longer the crazy day lasts, the less the Count seems to be master in his own house. Only when everyone unites against him are the rules of the game changed. But until that moment arrives, until Figaro and Susanna are finally wed, until the Count and Countess are reconciled, until a genuine plea for forgiveness for wrongful actions is spoken, the most beautiful and profound human comedy in opera unfolds: Mozart’s LE NOZZE DI FIGARO. Here, reason, intrigue, and emotional desire are perfectly balanced when it comes to bringing order to the emotional chaos that has always connected people. For his first Mozart libretto, the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte took on a brand-new and quite delicate drama in 1786, Beaumarchais' French comedy "La folle journée ou Le mariage de Figaro," a critical reflection of the conditions in the Ancien Régime. Mozart embraced the revolutionary idea, after all, he had just settled in Vienna as a free artist, and had a clear vision of how he wanted to live as a citizen in a still feudal world. Far more important, however, are the love and respect that his music shows to every single character on stage, as Mozart ensures that each and every one - whether young or old, privileged or less privileged - receives their due. Mozart's masterful ensemble piece conducted by General Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Katharina Thoma, already known in Cologne for DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN, directs this musical comedy that never goes out of style

Le Nozze di Figaro

Three men vie for the love of Elvira: her lover Ernani, Don Carlo, the King of Spain, and Silva, Elvira's wealthy guardian to whom she is betrothed. When Carlo is to be elected as Emperor in Aachen, Silva and Ernani are also among the conspirators. However, the assassination attempt fails, Carlo is elected Emperor Charles V, and wants to punish the conspirators. At Elvira's request, however, he pardons both and ultimately accepts the love between her and Ernani. But the happy ending does not last long, as Silva seeks revenge on Ernani... With ERNANI, Verdi created a gripping drama of power, love, and jealousy based on Victor Hugo's model, using a historical event as the occasion: the coronation of Charles V as Emperor in Aachen Cathedral in 1520. For Verdi, the shocking impact of the plot took precedence over its dramaturgical credibility. The world premiere of ERNANI on 9 March 1844 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice was an immediate triumph for Verdi. After the successes of NABUCCO and I LOMBARDI, this was to be Verdi's definitive breakthrough as a composer. The work quickly spread across Italian stages and was soon performed in London, Paris and Berlin. In the 19th century, ERNANI was one of the most frequently performed operas by Giuseppe Verdi. While the work is still largely bound to convention in its formal structure, the music possesses a previously unheard dramatic force - with choruses that already foreshadow IL TROVATORE, with finely crafted ensembles, with arias full of exceptional cantabile quality, and with gripping, dramatic finales. The conspirators’ chorus from Act III, incidentally, became - even more than “Va pensiero” - the leitmotif of the Italian “Risorgimento”, the national unification movement of Italy. This early work of Verdi, rarely performed today, is now experiencing a concert performance in Cologne under the baton of Giuliano Carella.