Three Cio-Cio-Sans in Bremen’s intriguing new Madama Butterfly

GermanyGermany Puccini, Madama Butterfly: Soloists, Chorus and Extra Chorus of Bremen Theatre, Bremen Philharmonic / Sasha Yankevych (conductor). Bremen Theatre, 11.10.2025. (DM-D)

[l-r] Michal Partyka (Sharpless), Sarah-Jane Brandon (Cio-Cio-San II), Oliver Sewell (Pinkerton) and Brigitte Hahn (Cio-Cio-San III) © Jörg Landsberg

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Auspicious start to the Kratzer and Wellber Hamburg tenure with Robert Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri

GermanyGermany Robert Schumann, Das Paradies und die Peri: Soloists, Hamburg State Opera Chorus, Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra / Omer Meir Wellber (conductor). Hamburg State Opera, 30.9.2025. (DM-D)

Vera-Lotte Boecker (Peri, centre front) and chorus of Hamburg State Opera © Monika Ritterhaus

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Movingly engaging – if orgiastic – Oldenburg State Theatre’s La traviata

GermanyGermany Verdi, La traviata: Soloists, Chorus, Extra Chorus and Extras of Oldenburg State Theatre, Oldenburg State Orchestra / Carlo Goldstein (conductor). Oldenburg State Theatre, 27.9.2025. (DM-D)

Laura Pisani (Violetta Valéry) and Jason Kim (Alfredo Germont) © Stephan Walzl

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Tarmo Peltokoski works magic in witty semi-staged production of Die Zauberflöte in Bremen

GermanyGermany Musikfest Bremen 2025 [1] – Mozart, Die Zauberflöte(The Magic Flute): Soloists, Chorwerk Ruhr, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen / Tarmo Peltokoski (conductor). Die Glocke, Bremen, 27.8.2025. (DM-D)

[front l-r] Andreas Conrad (Monostatos), Chorwerk Ruhr, Elsa Dreisig (Pamina) and Äneas Humm (Papageno) © Patric Leo

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Compelling directorial craftsmanship and musical excellence come together in Bayreuth’s new Die Meistersinger

GermanyGermany Bayreuth Festival 2025 [4] – Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nϋrnberg: Soloists, Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra / Daniele Gatti (conductor). 11.8.2025. (DM-D)

Die Meistersinger Act I © Bayreuther Festspiele/Enrico Nawrath

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In Bayreuth, Semyon Bychkov explores the primordial depths of the Tristan und Isolde score

GermanyGermany Bayreuth Festival 2025 [3] – Wagner, Tristan und Isolde: Soloists, Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra / Semyon Bychkov (conductor). Bayreuther Festspielhaus, 10.8.2025. (DM-D)

Tristan und Isolde Act I: [l-r] Ekaterina Gubanova (Brangäne), Andreas Schager (Tristan), Jordan Shanahan (Kurwenal),  Camilla Nylund (Isolde) and Günther Groissböck (King Marke) © Bayreuther Festspiele/Enrico Nawrath

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