The Staatstheater Braunschweig is set to captivate audiences with a diverse range of performances in 2025. From the comedic unraveling of 'The Broken Jug' to the introspective dance interpretation of 'Don Quixote,' these events promise to showcase the dynamic spectrum of art. The theater's lineup also includes tributes to iconic figures like Freddie Mercury, explorations of love and societal themes, and historic dramas, making it an unmissable cultural feast this season.

A Kaleidoscope of Artistry: Staatstheater Braunschweig's 2025 Event Lineup

Join us as we delve into a vibrant array of theatrical performances showcased at the Staatstheater Braunschweig. From the comedic entanglements in 'The Broken Jug', the psychological exploration in 'Don Quixote', to the poignant reflection on Freddie Mercury in 'Who Wants to Live Forever', each performance invites audiences into distinct worlds brimming with creativity. Discover the intricate storytelling, dynamic dance interpretations, and thought-provoking narratives orchestrated by talented artists and directors across these captivating events. Let’s explore the magic behind the curtains in Braunschweig.

A Kaleidoscope of Creativity: Exploring Braunschweig's Theatrical Offerings

Embark on an enthralling journey with Staatstheater Braunschweig's diverse lineup of theatrical performances. From courtroom dramas and historical tales to reinterpretations of literary classics and vibrant dance productions, each event offers a unique perspective on storytelling. Dive into the intriguing world of 'The Broken Jug', witness the dance rendition of 'Don Quixote', and explore the legacy of Freddie Mercury in 'Who Wants to Live Forever'. This season promises to captivate audiences, offering a blend of creativity, reflection, and artistry.

A Theatrical Odyssey: Exploring Drama, Dance, and History at Staatstheater Braunschweig

Staatstheater Braunschweig is hosting an eclectic lineup of theatrical performances that highlight themes of deception, self-discovery, and human destiny. From the perplexing court case of 'The Broken Jug' to the reinterpretation of 'Don Quixote' and the opera 'Sleepless', each production offers a unique narrative experience. The theater's 2025 schedule is packed with creativity, showcasing both classic tales reimagined and original works that challenge audiences to reflect on the complexities of life and art.

Exploring Themes of Deception, Discovery, and Destiny at Staatstheater Braunschweig

Staatstheater Braunschweig offers a captivating lineup of performances for 2025, exploring themes of self-discovery, memory, societal roles, and democracy. From the reimagined tale of 'Don Quixote' to the politically charged 'Mephisto', this season is packed with thought-provoking productions. Dive into the world of dance, drama, and music with artists like Giovanni Fumarola, Lea Sophie Salfeld, and the late Peter Eötvös, as they bring these stories to life on stage. Join us as we delve into each of these unique productions that promise to leave audiences reflecting long after the final curtain falls.

Exploring Boundaries: A Journey Through Staatstheater Braunschweig's 2025 Season

From the classic intrigue of 'Antigone' to the innovative children's narrative 'Little Kurt and the Turtle Erna,' Staatstheater Braunschweig is set to offer a wide range of performances in 2025. This cultural hub will feature celebrated operas, intriguing plays and engaging shows, each with a unique story to tell. Whether exploring age-old myths or contemporary societal themes, these productions promise to captivate audiences in Braunschweig and Mainz.

Staatstheater Braunschweig Unveils a Diverse Array of Performances for All Tastes

The Staatstheater Braunschweig is set to host a series of diverse and compelling artistic events in 2025, showcasing the rich cultural tapestry of theater, dance, opera, and orchestral music. From the evocative dance collages of 'Yesterday' to the timeless drama of 'Antigone,' this year's lineup promises a delightful exploration of creativity. Audiences will witness the fusion of history and modernity through performances that challenge, inspire, and entertain, set against the backdrop of Germany’s rich artistic heritage.

Exploring the Rich Tapestry of Art at Staatstheater Braunschweig

The Staatstheater Braunschweig is set to captivate audiences with a vibrant lineup of theatrical productions throughout 2025. From the intimate exploration of relationships in 'State of the Union' to the timeless fantasy of 'The Wizard of Oz,' each performance offers a unique narrative that promises to engage and inspire. With a variety of genres and themes, this season explores the depths of human experience and creativity, inviting audiences to journey alongside some of the most talented artists in the industry.

A Theatrical Odyssey: Unveiling Diverse Narratives at Staatstheater Braunschweig

Staatstheater Braunschweig offers a captivating line-up of performances that delve into deep narratives and explore human emotions. From the evocative plight of war veterans in 'Outside the Door' to the humorous yet poignant 'Minna von Barnhelm,' and the haunting world of 'Wozzeck,' these productions reflect the diverse spectrum of human experiences. Additionally, the innovative dance performance in 'The Noise of the City' and the touching monologue 'November' promise audiences an enriching theatrical experience.

Theatre Delights at Staatstheater Braunschweig: A Journey Through Narratives

Staatstheater Braunschweig invites you to explore a diverse lineup of theatrical performances, each offering a unique narrative and perspective. From the poignant musical 'Outside the Door,' which delves into the struggles of war veterans, to the comedic yet profound play 'Minna von Barnhelm,' and the heart-wrenching opera 'Wozzeck,' these events promise to captivate and engage audiences. Join us as we delve into the compelling stories and stellar performances that make these productions a must-see.

A Journey Through the Theatrical Performances at Staatstheater Braunschweig

Wockenfuß and Naughton, Müller-Donkel and Beyer, Schröder and Diem. And many heroes from the State Theater's large and talented pool on the vocal microphones. The motto of this edition is a highly political one, stolen from perhaps the most important record title in recent German music history: Monarchy and Everyday Life. [No kings!]

Direct music

Staatstheater Braunschweig

Two violins, a cello, a piano – and an abundance of creative energy: Salut Salon are "Hamburg's most charming cultural export" (Hamburger Abendblatt). For over 20 years, the four virtuosos have performed their "masterpieces of 'classical' comedy" (The New York Times) in the world's most prestigious concert halls, delighting their audiences with their madcap tour de force, ranging from Vivaldi to vocal acrobatics, tango to crime scene, rap to Rachmaninoff – "Wonderful!" (The Economic Times India).

Salut Salon

The 2nd Symphony Concert, entitled "Northern Lights," focuses on composers from Scandinavia: Sweden and Denmark are represented in the program with Wilhelm Stenhammar and Carl Nielsen.  


Stenhammar's overture "Excelsior" [German: sublimity, height] is brimming with optimism, never settling, but always striving higher, even to the point of ecstasy.


The first part of the concert begins with a work by this year's Louis Spohr Music Prize winner Carola Bauckholt. "Aus dem Geröll" is a work for percussion and orchestra. Premiered in 2023, Dirk Rothbrust will play the percussion solo today, as he did then.

2nd Symphony Concert: Northern Lights

Deep in the belly of a decommissioned ocean liner sits a man. He has spent his entire life on this ship. For Novecento, the transatlantic liner represents the world. Left behind on the ship as a foundling, he traveled the oceans as a fabulously gifted pianist, watching passengers come and go, and glimpsing dry land only from the railing. Together with the audience, actor Götz van Ooyen recreates the sea voyage of a lifetime in this monologue based on Alessandro Baricco's 1994 novella.

November

Following the resounding success of the Freddie Mercury evening "Who Wants to Live Forever," ensemble member Ana Yoffe has addressed the topic of motherhood and the desire to have children in her new piece. She has created a staged recital with Marina Antonova (director, concept) and Ante Sladoljev (music), offering a musical journey through time from Robert Schumann (1810-1856) to contemporary pop culture.

Mother's Earth

"First, man shapes space, then space shapes man." Winston Churchill's quote about the interaction between people and their environment describes how the designed space shapes the behavior, mindset, and even the culture of its inhabitants.


Drawing on their own experiences and explorations in urban spaces, as well as through conversations with the city's residents, the dance ensemble and the Braunschweig State Orchestra attempt to capture the spirit of a space in episodic scenes – the atmosphere of the city and the invisible threads that connect its inhabitants to it.

The Noise of the City

In a society that is numb, exploitative, and characterized by clear hierarchies, the soldier Wozzeck is a powerless outsider: living in the most humble and precarious circumstances, he finds himself at the very bottom of the social fabric. Someone like him has "only one corner of the world": his love for Marie and their illegitimate child. Oppressed by his captain and abused by a doctor for inhumane experiments, he is increasingly plagued by delusions. When Marie begins an affair with the drum major, Wozzeck loses his last grip. The hopelessness of his existence ultimately drives him to commit a violent act himself.

Wozzeck

Over three evenings, Daniele Szeredy and his team will interview activist groups from Braunschweig and the surrounding area about forms of resistance. The thematic focuses are: CRISIS – VIOLENCE – LOVE. How does civil society engagement take place, what challenges do they face? And how can change be achieved through political participation?

 

The first evening, on October 11, will focus on the topic of CRISIS. Drawing on quotes and ideas from sociology, political theory, and social media, Daniele Szeredy and his guests will explore the concept: What does "crisis" mean? Which "crises" shape our present, and how? Which "crises," in contrast, play no role in political decisions, and why?

Melancholy of resistance.

A single word creates images, colorful word chains, which in turn trigger melodies. The sound teases out a rhythm, elicits movement from the two dancers, and a choreography emerges. Together with a musician, the two explore the classroom and transform it into an imaginative space. What becomes of the sink in the corner, and does the table change when you lie under it?

Swirling words

Heinrichstraße 

Comprehensive school Querum

Heinrichstraße Primary School

One of the greatest icons of pop culture was Freddie Mercury. As co-founder of Queen, he captivated crowds. But even in his most stadium-worthy pose, he revealed an artist whose hunger for life struck an existential nerve. His art portrayed a human being's struggle for intoxication and fulfillment, conscious of the depths of life, of fall and transience. Mercury never shied away from asking the big questions about life and death.

 

Ana Yoffe will explore precisely these questions in her evening, exploring the person of Freddie Mercury and perhaps even transforming herself into him. When one senses death, how intensely does one burn for life? How unfairly does fate treat one, and when can one find peace? Mercury transformed his yearning into magnificent music. Ana Yoffe will interpret these songs, combining them with lyrics, fragments, perhaps even just snatches of thought on life's big questions.

Who Wants to Live Forever

The development of this piece began with "Schmidti's Children's Songs," which empower children, meet them at eye level, and engage them in conversation about the world. Director and artist Roscha A. Säidow selected nine songs from "Schmidti's Children's Songs" for Braunschweig's children. Philipp Rohmer arranged these songs for musicians from the Braunschweig State Theater, while Roscha continued to weave a story that connects these nine songs. The result is Wünsche and Feisel. As Wünsche, Juliane Dennert, with Rainer Mesecke as Feisel, follows Little Kurt and Erna the turtle through a very special day. It is, in fact, a day the other way around. What begins as a perfectly normal morning in the city park is suddenly turned upside down. Just as Erna the turtle sits down in the clover, waiting for her friend Little Kurt to turn the corner, everything falls silent. Little Kurt doesn't come. That's a good start.

Juliane Dennert has already performed "Knistern Knuspern Rauschen" for the youngest audiences at the Braunschweig State Theater. In the role of the Maestro, Philipp Rohmer incorporates the orchestra into the performance. The result is a musical theater for children that brings a generous dose of warmth to the world with humor and plenty of charm.

Little Kurt and the turtle Erna

The escalation of violence in the Middle East is also evident here in polarizing discussions. "How can we connect in silence, grow closer through conversation?" ask Ana Yoffe and Ante Sladoljev. The question of speech and silence has preoccupied many musicians, authors, and thinkers. This evening, a journey through time from Brecht and Kreisler to popular culture, lends a voice to some.

Song recital about silence* and non-silence

"brand" looks into a future Europe that must live with the consequences of war and climate change. A scorched world opens up, a world in which rival sects fight over scarce resources, tightly controlled, devoid of any freedom. In the midst of this chaos: Maëlle, Koé, and Andrii, three flickering young people full of zest for life.


»brand« is a road movie: On the (forbidden) search for her childhood home, a place full of memories, Maëlle first encounters Koé, then Andrii. At night, as the earth cools, life explodes in the seemingly deserted city: the love between Maëlle, Koé, and Andrii is ecstatic, intoxicating, but also disturbing and tender. The approaching fires leave little time to process their feelings; catastrophe seems inevitable, until a fantastic, dramatic twist
conjures a glimmer of hope.

Fire

The Seven Years' War is over. Minna von Barnhelm is searching for her fiancé, Major Tellheim, from whom she hasn't heard in weeks. He is penniless because a bill of exchange he received for an advance payment is not recognized as his property by a Berlin court. Now he is stuck in an inn and has to vacate his room to a more affluent noblewoman. The fact that this woman is Minna, of all people, doesn't ensure a quick happy ending. Tellheim's wounded sense of honor stands in the way of a new relationship. Minna, a self-confident and self-determined woman, tries to circumvent the major's stubbornness, but although they love each other and both believe their intentions are always good, they constantly run into each other. This is what makes the play so comically charming. The great Enlightenment thinker, Lessing, does not overlook how war defines and changes social positions.

Minna von Barnhelm

"And he rolled, cantap, cantap, down the mountain." The fairy tale of the big, fat, delicious, talking pancake is known in many countries around the world. One of the earliest versions comes from the Braunschweig region.


The fairy tale tells of a pancake that has come to life and escapes into the forest, where it encounters various animals that want to eat it, from rabbits to horses. However, it eludes every animal on its way. Finally, it encounters three hungry children. What happens next?

The big fat pancake

Betrayed by his brother, Prospero, Duke of Milan, escapes to a remote island with his daughter. Years later, the political figures who once overthrew him are stranded on this island after a devastating storm. Can the old balance of power be restored now? And what if the storm hasn't abated, but is actually brewing?
Shakespeare's last play is about power and politics at all levels: top/bottom, Europe/Global South. And about the pursuit of justice. To explore the possibilities and contradictions of solidarity in times of political upheaval, Bachmann Prize winner Sharon Dodua Otoo expands the text with a previously untold critical perspective, challenging existing assumptions with empathy and humor. Dagmar Schlingmann stages one of her favorite authors at the end of her tenure at the State Theater. All of her productions are also about taking a clear stance in the face of adverse conditions.

Storm

This "Chocolat" is a beguiling fairytale for adults, a classic swirl comedy, with rousing live music in the style of Django Reinhardt. The story: A young, single mother opens a patisserie, a small temple for the finest chocolates, on the church square of a small village in the South of France. This kind of "seduction" is absolutely unacceptable to the village priest. He strictly forbids the members of his congregation from having any contact with the young woman – and becomes her great antagonist. In a highly amusing way, two attitudes to life collide that couldn't be more different: aversion to anything foreign on the one hand, and openness and enjoyment on the other.

Chocolate

Don Giovanni is constantly searching for new erotic adventures, seducing one woman after another and leaving a trail of ruined relationships in his wake. He is indifferent to the damage others suffer. With false promises, he rushes from one conquest to the next, without any real goal in mind, until his own actions ultimately catch up with him. His unconditional desire for freedom is both appealing and fascinating, thus becoming a projection screen for various female characters and their desires.

Don Giovanni

Turbovolk3000 is dedicated to this music genre and explores the structures that define identity. In a live radio show, a host guides the listener through an evening full of kitsch, nostalgia, and excess. He actually works as an integration officer at the radio station. His mission: to establish a new people—the Turbovolk. How do you create a sense of belonging? The production, featuring Braunschweig ensemble member Ivan Marković, was originally developed at HochX Munich with funding from the City of Munich's 2021 debut grant and with the kind support of the City of Munich's Department of Culture and the Richard Stury Foundation.

EPSG:4326

Turbovolk3000

"A man comes to Germany. One of those who come home and then don't come home after all, because there's no home for them anymore. And their home is then outside the door." Wolfgang Borchert uses simple words to describe the fate of Beckmann, a war veteran who no longer has a place to live. He visits his wife, who has found another partner; he goes to see his former colonel, who denies all responsibility; and he introduces himself to a cabaret director who finds his songs too dark. Wherever Beckmann turns, no one listens to him; he has been undermined by the war, his existence destroyed. He feels alone with his trauma, yet he is one of countless others – and it could have happened to anyone.

Outside the door

When the door to courtroom 700 of the Berlin Moabit jury court opened on November 12, 1992, an old man stepped into the dock. His name was Erich Honecker – former Chairman of the State Council of the GDR. The charge was manslaughter. But Honecker had cancer. The case was dropped. A verdict was never reached. There were no verbatim transcripts of the trial. All that remained were absurd anecdotes and a 12-
page statement by the defendant in court. krügerXweiss created a touching and stirring play based on this. They let the perpetrator speak, making him the protagonist of his own story.

The Trial III – Honecker

St. Marienberg monastery church, Helmstedt

When Greta Samsa wakes up from her dreams one morning, she feels strange. She discovers that she is a giant beetle.
But how could this happen, and why does no one notice that she is now a beetle? Only her best friend notices immediately and shows her what superpowers beetles can possess. But where did all these other beetles suddenly come from? 

A production about individual turning points, friendship and unique beetle powers. 

As part of their elective theater class for 6th and 7th graders at Habenhausen High School, and in the dance project "Whirlschool" with choreographer Alexandra Benthin, the students explored the themes of transformation and "feeling different." They developed their own adaptation of Kafka's beetle motif, using biographical elements, choral techniques, and choreography. 

School Theatre Festival of the States 2025

School Theatre of the States - Bavaria

School Theatre of the States - Bremen

School Theatre of the States - Hesse

School Theatre of the States - Saxony

School Theatre of the States - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

»tanzwärts!« has been creating a creative space in our city since 2015. A place that enables exchange and thus creates diverse encounters between very different people of all ages: people who would probably never have met in a different context, in their everyday lives.

dance! Together.Flow

Staatstheater Mainz

The 00s show »Geile Zeit« is the latest Jazzkantinen cooperation project with the Staatstheater Braunschweig. It is the conclusion of the trilogy after the great successes of the previous shows »Da Da Da« in the 80s and »Hyper! Hyper!« in the 90s, which attracted over 35,000 visitors.

Great time

Dora Pejačević (1885 - 1923) was not only a pianist and violinist, but also the first Croatian composer to write orchestral works. Due to her late romantic, harmonically and instrumentally sophisticated sound language, she is considered a representative of the fin de siècle on the threshold of modernity. Since her rediscovery, she has been the central figure in Croatian music history, a "trademark" with a perfume named after her, Dora sparkling wine and a documentary film about her life. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of her death in 2023 at the latest, her orchestral works are now also anchored in the programs of German concert halls: above all her Symphony in F sharp major, which Arthur Nikisch put on the program of the Leipzig Gewandhaus after its great success in Dresden, and her Overture for large orchestra from 1919, which will be heard in this concert.

10th Symphony Concert

"Many hoped that fascism could bring order back to society." "But that is long gone. What does that have to do with me today? As if something like that could happen again! ... or could it?"

The wave

The development of this piece idea began with "Schmidti's Children's Songs", which strengthen children, meet them at eye level and start a conversation with them about the world. For Braunschweig's children, director and overall artist Roscha A. Säidow selected nine songs from "Schmidti's Children's Songs". Philipp Rohmer arranged these songs for musicians from the Braunschweig State Theater while Roscha continued to spin a story that connects these nine songs. The result is Wünsche and Feisel. As Wünsche, Juliane Dennert with Rainer Mesecke as Feisel follows Little Kurt and the turtle Erna through a very special day. It is the other way around. What starts out as a completely normal morning in the city park is suddenly turned upside down. Just as the turtle Erna sits down in the clover and waits for her friend Little Kurt to come around the corner, everything remains quiet. Little Kurt doesn't come. That's a good start.

Little Kurt and the Turtle Erna

Composer and conductor Gregor A. Mayrhofer has taken a musical approach to the increasing environmental destruction caused by the littering of the planet. He composed a concerto for recycled percussion and orchestra: the "Recycling Concerto".

JUNGES! Recycling Concert

The increasing destruction of the environment and the burden on the planet through waste and garbage is a dominant theme of our time. The composer and conductor Gregor A. Mayrhofer, already well-known in Braunschweig, took this as an opportunity to address the problem musically and composed a concerto for recycled percussion and orchestra - the "Recycling Concerto", dedicated to the young percussionist Vivi Vassileva.

Climate concert

Weeds, wild herbs, crop plant companions... These are all other terms for weeds and they not only refer to the plants themselves, but also indicate the position of weeds: a subordinate one, an accompanying one. They are often overlooked, not allowed, removed, considered annoying or even poisoned. Yet weeds are a vital part of our ecosystem. And who actually decided that weeds are not beautiful and wanted? In the dance club under the direction of dancer and dramaturge Miriam Beike, the young people explore the resilience and potential of weeds. In weekly rehearsals, they discover their own bodies as a means of perception and expression. Together, they explore in movement where weeds break open surfaces and allow them to bloom and how intertwined they are. What does this mean when applied to the dancers and the entire group? Scenes and movement sequences are developed together, from which a dance piece is created over the course of the season, which is then performed on stage.

Wild growth

The Don Juan myth has been firmly anchored in European cultural history since the 17th century. It was given a new boost in 1787 by Mozart and Da Ponte's opera adaptation. It was not without reason that ETA Hoffmann called "Don Giovanni" the "opera of all operas": to this day, the work is one of the most frequently performed and staged works in the repertoire. The story of the restless and restless seducer fascinates audiences all over the world.

Before the soloists can shine in the 9th symphony concert, the evening opens with Franz Schubert's Overture in C major in the Italian style. He wrote this in 1817 after a performance of Rossini's "Tancredi" and bet with friends that he too could write such music.

9th Symphony Concert

Betrayed by his brother, Prospero, Duke of Milan, escapes to a remote island with his daughter and devotes himself to his books. Years later, the political figures who once overthrew him are stranded on Prospero's island after a devastating storm. Can the old balance of power now be restored and can Prospero return as a rightful, good ruler?

The storm

At the Carnival of Animals, the State Orchestra plays the leading role on the big stage. From its ranks, the calls of the king of the animals and his lion-like family can be heard first, shortly afterwards wild horses race across the stage and the donkeys practice their "Eee-Ah!" in front of the entire audience. The forest is full of eagle owls, whose calls are almost countless, and the pianists need two large grand pianos to play their concert with four hands. The aquarium then becomes colorful and almost spherical, and the fossils make the xylophone bones dance. But not as elegantly as the elephants, then the turtle and finally the swan perfect.

The Carnival of Animals

After a heated argument at home, a powerful storm whirls Dorothy into the land beyond the rainbow. There she meets her friends, the Tin Man, the Lion and the Straw Doll. All three are looking for a superpower that they desperately need. The Tin Man wants a heart, the Lion lacks courage and the Straw Doll wishes for brains. On their way through the land beyond the rainbow, they all realize that all these powers are already within them and Dorothy finds her way home.

The Wizard of Oz

Mozart's only clarinet concerto is one of his late works and is always associated with his enthusiasm for the warm sound of the clarinet and its adaptability. He composed the concerto for his friend Anton Stadler, through whom he was well informed about the possibilities and peculiarities of the instrument. The melodies cover the entire possible sound spectrum, even in the lower registers. To this day, it is a calling card and one of the highlights in the repertoire of clarinet literature.

8th Symphony Concert

A world in pink, life in dreary carelessness and ever-burning sun, beautiful, identical bodies and doll-like relationships everywhere. But suddenly there's a crack. Something is different. The world shifts and suddenly the focus is on those who were previously only allowed to stand on the edge, who were not seen, heard or even discarded. Together they discover their supernormal superpower. Will they be able to change the world in pink, make it more colorful and ultimately make the edge where they had to stand for so long disappear completely?

Supernormal Superpower

Walter Braunfels' opera "The Birds" was a huge success in 1920 - in Munich alone, there were 50 further performances after the premiere, all of which were sold out. This long-standing success came to an abrupt end in 1933: while his contribution to "German culture" was still being appreciated in 1921, the Nazi regime banned his works without further ado: Braunfels was a so-called "half-Jew".

The birds

The politician Rex Osterwald, a T-Rex, wants to become Chancellor. He is defending himself against the infamous claim of the "lying press" that he is a T-Rex. Rex prefers to trust the voters. Especially in times of a tough election campaign, they should not allow themselves to be taken in by lousy left-wing propaganda... Together with his supporters, he wants to achieve a new beginning. Towards a new, great, better Germany. This constant admonition and warning about ghosts of history must come to an end. And the paternalists (ohhh... this constant gendering... Rex would never think of using genders, that's what the editor of this announcement text does, who probably thinks he's up to date with the times), i.e. this paternalism in Brussels must also be put in its place.

Rex Osterwald

In a dispute over the rule of Thebes, the brothers Eteocles and Polynices killed each other. With Creon, power is now taken over by a man who believes he is only accountable to himself and who is convinced that the state belongs to the ruler.

Antigone

Ludwig van Beethoven received a commission from the Vienna Court Theatre to compose incidental music for Goethe's tragedy "Egmont" in the autumn of 1809. This not only brought him the urgently needed fee: Beethoven was able to use this music to set his experiences in French-occupied Austria to music. In Goethe's tragedy, the Dutch Count Egmont defends himself against Spanish rule, while Beethoven's adopted home of Vienna groaned under Napoleonic occupation. Goethe's piece precisely reflected Beethoven's political sentiments: after initially placing his hopes in Napoleon's reforms, he had become enraged by his unscrupulous methods.

7th Symphony Concert

This children's and family concert gives an insight into the world of the "Magic Flute": to Prince Tamino and his brave Princess Pamina, without whom he would never pass his tests, to the funny bird catcher Papageno, whose famous song is sung by all listeners together. And also to the star-flaming Queen of the Night and her opponent Sarastro. The focus is on Mozart's music. As in the opera, the melodies, performed in love, anger or jubilation, give the somewhat confusing story its magic.

Magic Flutes and Glockenspiel

When the actor Hendrik Höfgen had his first successes in Hamburg, the "province" had long been too small for him. He wanted to be seen at any price. And he did manage to make the leap: in Berlin, where people were celebrating and dancing ecstatically in the last days of the Weimar Republic, he soon began to shine, both on stage and in the salons. He was politically left-wing and planned a "revolutionary theater." In 1933, it all seemed to be over. But he made arrangements and, as a celebrated star of the new regime, soon rose to the position of director of the state theater. He accepted that this meant betraying old friends. He demanded to be allowed to be apolitical in a time that made that impossible: "I'm just a completely ordinary actor."

Mephisto

When you imagine where the big, important decisions are made, I immediately think of this big table and that's where they sit. The powerful, the decision-makers, the voters. JUNGE! together with TURBO PASCAL is using the 2025 federal election as an opportunity to look at children's participation and voting rights. How do they get to this table, as laid down in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? So get to the table, grab a seat, cast your votes, loudly or quietly, with slips of paper, hands and feet, we are now bringing democracy to life, or making it new again.

The Super Election

The French composer Lili Boulanger was the first (female) winner of the Prix de Rome in 1913. In her short life she created numerous works and is considered one of the main figures of French Impressionism. The orchestral version of her composition "D'un matin de printemps" was her last major work. "From a Spring Morning" describes the late romantic intensity of the depiction of nature in its title and goes far beyond contemporary Impressionism.

6th Symphony Concert

In "Trilogy," Nobel Prize winner for literature Jon Fosse tells the story of a love on the fringes of society. The gripping and sonorous musical theater adaptation was named "World Premiere of the Year 2021" and is the penultimate opera by composer Peter Eötvös, who died in March 2024.

Sleepless

Having just been guided through a calming breathing exercise by a narrator, we suddenly find ourselves on a train. Without a ticket. Without a destination. We travel quietly through the night. We set out to find the conductor and encounter constantly changing characters: a lost conductor, a woman who runs an abandoned kiosk, a soldier with a parachute and a mother who is hiding from her child.

Hope is in the final stages

The agora was the centre of social life in ancient Athens; it was where people discussed, drank together, traded and invented democracy. This place of public encounter was certainly also a place for arguing, but arguing and listening were inseparably linked.

The Trio of Giants 2

Basil is an artist and Dorian Gray is his model. Lord Henry, the third in the studio, is a friend of the painter and of decadence. While one paints him, the other corrupts Dorian's pure soul with immoral, cynical speeches. In the same (unnoticed) magical moment in which a special portrait is created, soul and purity separate. One moves into the picture, the other remains with the model.

Dorian G.

A minor character is at the center of this play. We know him, if at all, only as a murder victim. As the man killed by his own son, Oedipus. His widow, Jocasta, unknowingly fathers more children incestuous with that son. Among them is Antigone. As the great-grandson of the man who founded Thebes - not without first sowing an army from dragon's teeth - Laius does everything to escape his role (in the family, the city, the myth). Appointed heir to the throne as a child and therefore represented as ruler for a long time, the young man leads a queer life in Olympia, with no interest in power. But the city, born of bloody battle, catches up with him: As the last survivor of the ruling clan, he is the only one who can ensure peace in the civil war-torn country. So Laius finally accepts his leadership role - and fate takes its course.

Laius

In contrast to the First Symphony, Ludwig van Beethoven clearly sharpened his own profile with his "Second": the more mature Mozart and no longer the antiquated Haydn shines through here as a source of inspiration. With this work, Beethoven finally marked the turning point from the cheerful and carefree Classical period to the emotional and melancholy early Romanticism. His contemporaries initially reacted with irritation to this transitional work, because this "wild colossus" only partially met their expectations. In view of the work's premiere on April 5, 1803 at the Theater an der Wien, which clearly captivated the audience, people spoke of "true breath of fire".

5th Symphony Concert

Count Orlok wants to buy a property in Wismar and in order to clarify the purchase agreement, the estate agent Knock sends his young employee Hutter to Transylvania. There he is received in Orlok's castle and bitten. Orlok sees a medallion with the portrait of Hutter's wife Ellen - and immediately signs the purchase agreement. He packs his travel coffins full of contaminated soil and sets off for Wismar. None of the sailors survive Orlok's passage on the ship, but plenty of rats do, bringing the plague to Wismar. While the city gradually becomes depopulated, Hutter's wife learns that only she - and only by sacrificing herself - can put an end to Orlok's haunting.

Nosferatu

"Yesterday", a meditation on memory, is a dance and textually intelligent collage of selected choreographies from Jasmin Vardimon's extensive dance repertoire. The choreographer redesigns the evening, which consists of highlights from past works and premiered in London in 2008, for the 16-member ensemble of the Braunschweig Dance Theater and places it in a new context. The dancers interweave scenes of intimate and vulnerable tenderness with provocative and playful movement.

Yesterday

"There's no point in fooling yourself into thinking that a relationship has a chance if your respective record collections only create dissonance and your personal favorite films have nothing to say to each other, even at a party."

State of the Union

Ernst Jandl was an Austrian poet (1925-2000) who, with passion and curiosity, constantly struggled to overcome boundaries and seek new forms. In addition to his experimental poetry in the tradition of concrete poetry, he also wrote two plays from the mid-1970s onwards - "The Humanists" and "From Foreign Lands", which won the Mülheim Dramatists' Prize in 1980. Director Christoph Diem and his team are now bringing this literary gem about a writer's creative crises to the stage for the first time in Braunschweig.

From Abroad

The tragic opera in three acts by Francis Poulenc, premiered in 1957 at La Scala in Milan, is one of the most important works of musical theater of the 20th century. Based on the true story of the Carmelites of Compiègne, "Dialogues des Carmélites" tells of social abysses and the importance of the basic values ​​of democratic coexistence - and culminates in a finale that is musically one of the most emotional that opera has to offer.

Dialogues des Carmélites

"At the White Horse Inn on Lake Wolfgangsee, happiness is at your doorstep" - in the popular inn, all kinds of different characters meet each other, all looking for happiness (in love): waiter Leopold loves his boss, the landlady of the "Rössl", Josepha Vogelhuber, but is constantly rejected because Josepha is interested in her regular guest Dr. Siedler. But he has his eye on the factory owner's daughter Ottilie, who in turn is to marry Sigismund, the son of her father's greatest competitor. Sigismund, however... in short: Lake Wolfgangsee is not just an Alpine Salzkammergut idyll, but also a tangle of love and competition. And then the emperor comes.

Im weissen Rössl

After returning from exile, he began his work in Braunschweig until 1956. In a sensational trial, he achieved the rehabilitation of the resistance fighters of July 20, 1944. His work in Frankfurt until 1968 was associated with the kidnapping of Adolf Eichmann and the Auschwitz trials. The controversial lawyer encountered a wide range of rejections, and as a Jew, also openly anti-Semitic hostility. He campaigned for the consistent criminal prosecution of Nazi injustice and thus made a significant contribution to the democratization of West German society.

Fritz Bauer Ultras

Momo is a child who lives in the ruins of an amphitheater and doesn't have much except one special ability: Momo is particularly good at listening and can help people rediscover their imagination. When the Grey Lords appear and start stealing people's time, Momo does everything she can to save her friends. Together with the turtle Cassiopeia and Master Hora, the guardian of time, she faces the Grey Lords and fights for the importance of time, friendship and enjoying the finer things in life.

Momo

One of the greatest icons of pop culture was Freddie Mercury. As co-founder of "Queen," he thrilled the masses. But even in the biggest pose suitable for a stadium, he revealed an artist whose hunger for life struck an existential nerve. His art showed a person's struggle for intoxication and fulfillment in the knowledge of the abysses, of fall and transience. Mercury never shied away from asking the big questions about life and death.

Gregor Zöllig, director of the Braunschweig Dance Theater, is reinterpreting the most famous book in Spanish literature, "Don Quixote," in a world premiere with his dance ensemble and the Braunschweig State Orchestra under the direction of Alexis Agrafiotis. The production and choreography are designed as a psychological balancing act between self-discovery and self-deception. The sound backdrop of dreamlike images is provided by compositions by Louis Andriessen, Michael Gordon, Henryk Górecki, Jon Hopkins, Charles Ives, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Rolf Liebermann, Léon Minkus and Steve Reich. The premiere of the world premiere is on November 2nd in the main hall of the Braunschweig State Theater.

Don Quixote or The Incredible Story of Sancho Panza

It is court day in Huisum. Village judge Adam, however, is badly injured. He says he "stumbled over himself" when he got up early in the morning. His official wig is also missing. It was given away for reworking, and caught fire on a candle - or did the cat have kittens in it during the night? While there is at least a grain of truth in Adam's report of the fall - which took place at night rather than early in the morning - as an "Adam's fall", the web of lies that the judge presents to explain his condition is becoming increasingly confusing.

The Broken Jug

In the 4th symphony concert, the State Orchestra presents itself in a Christmassy way: Josef Strauss' Polka puts the hall in a holiday mood right at the beginning of the concert. The following suite from Erich Wolfgang Korngold's pantomime "The Snowman" tells the story of Colombine and Pierrot, who disguises himself as a snowman in order to win over his lover. Korngold composed "The Snowman" when he was just 11 years old and was described as a musical prodigy by Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss, among others. The orchestration was carried out by his teacher Alexander von Zemlinsky.

4th Symphony Concert

In the main story, two Inuit children, Jonah and Enuki, argue about who is bigger. And since the Inuits still listen to the voice of the elders, Grandmother Leah has to step in. She tells the arguing couple the old story of the arrogant moon, who thought he was the biggest until he was taught otherwise by a puddle of water. The argument seems to be settled after that. But now each of the boys insists that they are not the biggest, but at least the strongest. Luckily, Leah also knows the story of the Mouse King, and the friends are amazed.

Of Mouse and Moon or: Who is the Greatest?

From an evolutionary perspective, being part of a group is vital for survival and gives us a feeling of security. But every society also needs a certain degree of non-conformity: people who stand up against the masses and group pressure; people who fight against windmills, who question values ​​and perspectives, who dare to try new things, who offend others, who go their own way, often outside the norm. Outsiders. Losers. Pioneers. Dreamers.

dance! Against the current

What makes us who we are? How did we get there? The young author Emel Aydoğdu writes for a young audience. She writes about life from her perspective and addresses the question of what language does to people, how people are shaped by society and how sometimes what is left unsaid weighs more heavily than what is said. Using a personal story, something bigger than one's own experience unfolds; written for a classroom, it also takes place there. Here, different native languages ​​come together and at the front stands a person who teaches, reports, represents something and discovers something for themselves. The writing and rehearsal process takes place together with the 9th grade of the Sally Perel Comprehensive School.

The Substitute Lesson (Sur)Living

In the third symphony concert we welcome our "Artist in Residence" Daniel Ottensamer (brother of conductor Andreas Ottensamer) for the first time. With Johannes Brahms' Second Symphony, the Braunschweig State Orchestra presents one of the pieces with which the Braunschweig State Theater resumed its performances in 1945. With its song-like melodies, this work exudes a happy atmosphere that finds its calming point at the end.

3rd Symphony Concert

Two names are on the program for the 2nd Symphony Concert: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Alexander Sinan Binder. As the new first conductor, Binder is working with the Braunschweig State Orchestra on a program all about Mozart - the starting signal for various formats in which the old master's music will be heard. From children's concerts to the great opera "Don Giovanni".

2nd Symphony Concert

Berlin 2025: Leyla comes across the diary of her dying mother Zeina. We delve into the biography of the Syrian archaeologist who once researched Palmyra and the history of the ancient Queen Zenobia before she was forced by the war to leave Syria and seek refuge in Germany. Here her thoughts keep wandering back to her homeland. Above all, she is accompanied by the imagined presence of Zenobia, with whom she enters into an intimate dialogue. In her composition, Ronchetti combines fragments from Albinoni's Venetian opera of the same name with traditional Syrian music.

Searching for Zenobia

The second period in Gustav Mahler's work began with the Fifth Symphony, composed between 1901 and 1903. This and the two following works were often referred to by experts as "world symphonies". Although Mahler himself did not base his Fifth on any program, it was repeatedly interpreted as programmatic, for example by the conductor, music critic and Mahler contemporary Paul Bekker, who described it as "a redesign of the world from one's own self". At its premiere in Cologne in 1904, the work was not initially a success, with Gustav Mahler himself declaring: "My Fifth Symphony is a cursed work. Nobody understands it."

1st Symphony Concert

Azucena swears revenge. Her mother was burned as a witch by the old Count Luna. She kidnaps one of his sons, but in her madness kills her own son. She then raises the kidnapped Manrico - but his true origins remain a secret. In the later civil war for the succession to the throne of Aragon, Manrico not only faces the young Count Luna on the battlefield, they also vie for the love of the lady-in-waiting Leonora. Neither of them knows that they are actually brothers... In "Il trovatore", Giuseppe Verdi tells a story full of twists and turns, driven by love, jealousy and revenge. His music is just as varied as the emotions of his characters and gives the opera, which takes place almost entirely at night, its dark mood. With its wealth of melodies, the opera has been a mainstay of the musical theater repertoire since its premiere in 1853.

Il trovatore

We all have them. Secrets. For different reasons, we sometimes decide to keep something to ourselves. Most of the time, it's about our interpersonal relationships. Secrets can tear us apart, stand between us and those around us. We often keep quiet about something out of fear, shame or to avoid conflict. Sharing secrets with someone, on the other hand, makes us allies. A matter of trust? "A friend is someone who knows everything about you and who loves you anyway."

dance! Very mysterious

In 1800, Beethoven was commissioned to compose by the celebrated dancer and choreographer Salvatore Viganò of the Vienna Ballet Company. His third Viennese production was entitled "The Creatures of Prometheus." In the story of the creation and spiritual awakening of the first human couple, Viganò found ideal material for the pantomimic performance on the dance stage that was common at the time. Beethoven was expected to produce the "musique qui parle," or speaking music, that was necessary for this. However, some numbers of Beethoven's ballet music also contain explosive symphonic pieces. For example, the beginning of the overture, which has survived in the repertoire to this day as an independent concert piece, independent of the ballet, is a clear echo of the beginning of the First Symphony: there, as there, Beethoven opens with a second chord, with an unresolved signal that increases the tension for what is to come. Beethoven's penchant for metric irregularities through syncopation increases the dynamics in this overture, which culminates in a virtuoso coda.

10th Symphony Concert 2024

I never wanted to wear your shoes. But I still dream of how we go for a walk, you and I, and just for once to the kiosk and back you lend me your sneakers and slip into my old boots yourself. Do you remember? Yours never fit me, but I was able to stand in them and feel where they pinched. Why can't I do that anymore? We used to understand each other, really understand each other, or did I just dream that? Today I can hardly hear your words because of all the emotions, they shout like market criers just before the end of the day, and often I just leave and slam the door or you sigh and laugh at me. At some point we give up, "what a pity", we simply don't know how we could still recognize the other person in their difference, even if we wanted to. When did we forget how to speak?

Elektra, we need to talk.

Climate change and natural disasters have always been phenomena that composers have processed in music. The Braunschweig climate group "Orchester des Wandels eV" is committed to climate protection with its music, weatherman Sven Plöger is developing a presentation with the youth climate group of the Braunschweig State Theater, and two great weather pieces will be played: Alexander Glazunov's "The Seasons" and Ludwig van Beethoven's "The Creatures of Prometheus".

YOUNG! Climate Concert: »Dress warmly!«

Stefan Dohr, this year's Artist in Residence of the State Orchestra, is an icon of the international horn landscape as a celebrated soloist, chamber musician and principal horn player of the Berlin Philharmonic. In addition to this work, he also plays and leads various chamber music ensembles.

9th Symphony Concert 2024

In her husband's sprawling castle, Judith comes across seven locked doors. Despite Bluebeard's warnings, she is determined to find out what is hidden behind them. She makes deeply moving but also disturbing discoveries - and her curiosity has fatal consequences for herself and for Bluebeard.

Body Fortress / Duke Bluebeard's Castle

A spark jumps over, enthusiasm ignites and a flame blazes, the heart beats for music. Careers in musical theater usually begin very early, the soundtrack is often created in childhood. It drives you on so that boundaries can be overcome. It comforts you when you experience setbacks or losses. It gives expression to anger when everything seems to be going wrong.

Do you feel

Extraordinary creatures find themselves in a surreal space in which the imperfections, insecurities and ambiguities of a personality are allowed to unfold. What does it mean to face the unknown and unpleasantness of the self? Can we overcome the fears of ourselves?

The Rabbit Hole

The symphonic poem "A Night on Bald Mountain" is the only major orchestral work by the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, although it was never performed publicly during his lifetime. The piece describes the dance of the witches on Midsummer Night on Lyssaja gora ("Bald Mountain"), a place in Slavic mythology that, like Blocksberg, is considered a meeting place for witches. Walt Disney, among others, used the music of this work in Leopold Stokowski's adaptation as part of his animated film "Fantasia" in concise scenes.

8th Symphony Concert 2024

Hardly any other piece of music has ever achieved such a high level of fame as Sergei Prokofiev's musical fairy tale with its characteristic melodies for the brave Peter, his friend, the bird (flute), the velvet-pawed cat (clarinet), the excited duck (oboe), the thoughtful, grumpy grandfather (bassoon) and of course for the big gray wolf (French horn). In the chamber music version for five wind instruments and narrator, the old story is brought to life and the five musicians of the State Orchestra can be admired and heard up close. A bird that can't fly and one that can't swim... and in the end the cat is happy? What happens if you don't close the garden gate behind you? What does the mouthpiece of an oboe sound like? How do you get a sound out of the French horn? These questions are answered casually for all concertgoers in the family atmosphere of the Little House. In addition, you can try out musical instruments yourself after the concert.

Peter and the Wolf

Sita Ostheimer and Dunja Jocić are two aspiring choreographers who use their own movement languages ​​to search for the existential in dance.

Existential

I'm angry. I have been for months. We need courage, again and again. In its new play, the youth club is negotiating the I in the we. Who am I? Who are we? What unites us and what separates us? In our overwhelming, far too fast-paced world, self-discovery is almost impossible. Will others accept me as I am? Can I be me? And how individual am I really? The constant negotiation of individuality in interaction with the group was the starting point for the young people. Since the start of the season, their own texts and scenes have been created in weekly rehearsals, which are now being performed in the play "More me."

More me.

"The beggars beg, the thieves steal, the whores whore. And the shark has teeth, and it wears them on its face..." Brecht's sharp-tongued travesty, in which the beggars and crooks act more bourgeois than good society, seems to have lost a few of its sharp teeth today, so natural has Brecht's critique of capitalism become to us. Here, crime is subject to the ice-cold laws of the market and love has a precisely calculated price. And so greed and profiteering are the determining principles that neither an old male friendship nor a tender romance can withstand. Doesn't that still sound familiar?

The Threepenny Opera

The play club for seniors »Owl Games« invites you to develop a play about growing older and the associated (generational) conflicts.

golden!

This comparatively young concert programme features not only the works by Charles Ives and Kurt Weill, which are now firmly established in the classical repertoire, but also pieces by Florence Price and Caroline Shaw.

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Oct 29, 2025

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