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Opera
Deutsche Oper Berlin, Main Stage
1 May 2025, Thu
•
4 PM
Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE is the most frequently performed opera in the German-speaking world.
Cast:
Friedrich Praetorius,
Artur Garbas,
.... + 6
The Magic Flute
Premiere of this production:
30 September 1791,
Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna
The opera begins with the overture, which Mozart composed last.
Act 1
Scene 1: A rough, rocky landscape
Tamino, a handsome prince lost in a distant land, is pursued by a serpent and asks the gods to save him (aria: "Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!" segued into trio: "Stirb, Ungeheuer, durch uns're Macht!"). He faints, and three ladies, attendants of the Queen of the Night, appear an ... Read More
Opera
Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), Main Stage
1 May 2025, Thu
•
4:30 PM
Gods and mortals battle in the second chapter of Wagner’s Ring cycle.
Composer:
Richard Wagner
Cast:
Sir Antonio Pappano,
Lise Davidsen,
.... + 5
Die Walküre
Premiere of this production:
26 June 1870,
Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich
Prior history
During the lengthy time that has passed since the gods entered Valhalla at the end of Das Rheingold, Fafner has used the Tarnhelm to assume the form of a dragon, and guards the gold and the ring in the depths of the forest. Wotan has visited Erda seeking wisdom, and by her has fathered a daughter, Brünnhilde; he has fathered eight other daughters, possibly also by Erda. These, ... Read More
Opera
Semperoper Dresden, Semperoper Dresden
1 May 2025, Thu
•
7 PM
Pure drama: a life dedicated to art is destroyed by jealousy and greed.
Composer:
Giacomo Puccini
Cast:
Marco Armiliato,
Erwin Schrott,
.... + 5
Tosca
Premiere of this production:
14 January 1900,
Teatro Costanzi, Rome
Act 1
In the church, in the morning Cesare Angelotti, the former consul of the Roman Republic, has escaped from imprisonment by the new rulers. His first place of refuge is the family chapel of his sister, the Marchesa Attavanti. The Marchesa has hidden clothing there so that he can continue his flight unrecognised. The Sacristan is giving the painter Mario Cavaradossi a meal. Looking at the pain ... Read More
Opera
Metropolitan Opera, Metropolitan Opera
1 May 2025, Thu
•
7:30 PM
This grandest of grand operas features an epic backdrop for what is in essence an intimate love story.
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi
Cast:
Elīna Garanča,
Yannick Nézet-Séguin,
.... + 4
Aida
Premiere of this production:
24 December 1871,
Khedivial Opera House in Cairo
ACT I
Egypt, during the reign of the pharaohs. At the royal palace in Memphis, the high priest Ramfis tells the warrior Radamès that Ethiopia is preparing another attack against Egypt. Radamès hopes to command his army. He is in love with Aida, the Ethiopian slave of Princess Amneris, the king’s daughter, and he believes that victory in the war would enable him to free her and ... Read More
Opera
Vienna State Opera, Main Stage
2 May 2025, Fri
•
7 PM
The young Prince Tamino is commissioned by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina - with whom he falls in love at the sight of a portrait - from the hands of Sarastro.
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Cast:
Ádám Fischer,
Cyrille Dubois,
.... + 4
Die Zauberflöte
Premiere of this production:
30 September 1791,
Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna
The opera begins with the overture, which Mozart composed last.
Act 1
Scene 1: A rough, rocky landscape
Tamino, a handsome prince lost in a distant land, is pursued by a serpent and asks the gods to save him (aria: "Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!" segued into trio: "Stirb, Ungeheuer, durch uns're Macht!"). He faints, and three ladies, attendants of the Queen of the Night, appear an ... Read More
Opera
Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin State Opera), Staatsoper Unter den Linden
2 May 2025, Fri
•
7:30 PM
When the revolutionary and painter Mario Cavaradossi secretly attempts to help a political fugitive to escape the city of Rome, his lover, the famed singer Floria Tosca, believes he is cheating on her...
Cast:
Aleksandra Kurzak,
Nicola Luisotti,
.... + 5
Tosca
Premiere of this production:
14 January 1900,
Teatro Costanzi, Rome
Act 1
Inside the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle
Scene depicting a church interior with high stained-glass windows and heavy ornamental columns. The central figure is a high dignatory around whom several figures are kneeling, while in the background can be seen the tall pikes of the Swiss Guard.
Cesare Angelotti, former consul of the Roman Republic and now an escaped political prisoner, ru ... Read More
Opera
2 May 2025, Fri
•
8 PM
Opera classic by Rossini in a new take. Il barbiere di Siviglia ia back at the Royal Swedish Opera.
Cast:
Tobias Ringborg,
César Cortés,
.... + 5
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Premiere of this production:
20 February 1816,
Teatro Argentina, Rome
Place: Seville, Spain
Time: 18th century
Act 1
The square in front of Bartolo's house
In a public square outside Bartolo's house a band of musicians and a poor student named Lindoro are serenading, to no avail, the window of Rosina ("Ecco, ridente in cielo"; "There, laughing in the sky"). Lindoro, who is really the young Count Almaviva in disguise, hopes to make the b ... Read More
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Opera
Metropolitan Opera, Metropolitan Opera
3 May 2025, Sat
•
1 PM
Rossini’s effervescent comedy retakes the stage in Bartlett Sher’s madcap production.
Composer:
Gioachino Rossini
Cast:
Lawrence Brownlee,
Isabel Leonard,
.... + 4
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Premiere of this production:
20 February 1816,
Teatro Argentina, Rome
Place: Seville, Spain
Time: 18th century
Act 1
The square in front of Bartolo's house
In a public square outside Bartolo's house a band of musicians and a poor student named Lindoro are serenading, to no avail, the window of Rosina ("Ecco, ridente in cielo"; "There, laughing in the sky"). Lindoro, who is really the young Count Almaviva in disguise, hopes to make the b ... Read More
Opera
3 May 2025, Sat
•
3 PM
La Bohème - beloved Puccini opera back on stage.
Cast:
Tobias Ringborg,
Bror Magnus Tødenes,
.... + 5
La Bohème
Premiere of this production:
01 February 1896,
Teatro Regio, Turin
Place: Paris
Time: Around 1830.
Act 1
In the four bohemians' garret (Christmas Eve)
Marcello is painting while Rodolfo gazes out of the window. They complain of the cold. In order to keep warm, they burn the manuscript of Rodolfo's drama. Colline, the philosopher, enters shivering and disgruntled at not having been able to pawn some books. Schaunard, the musician of the group, arrives w ... Read More
La Bohème
Opera
Hungarian State Opera House, Opera House
3 May 2025, Sat
•
6 PM
The tale of Cio-Cio san and Pinkerton stands out as one of the finest romantic tragedies ever written. Convinced that her 'temporary marriage' is not only legally binding, but also founded on ...
Cast:
István Dénes,
Csaba Szegedi,
.... + 5
Madama Butterfly - Concert Performance
Premiere of this production:
17 February 1904,
La Scala, Milan
Act 1
1. A short orchestral prelude with a busy, fugal opening theme, followed by a second theme of more overtly Japanese character, leads straight into the opening scene.
2. E soffitto e pareti ("And ceiling and walls"). Pinkerton and Goro are inspecting a small house which sits on a hill and overlooks the bay. Goro has found the house for Pinkerton and his bride, and is showing him t ... Read More
Opera
3 May 2025, Sat
•
7 PM
Tatjana Gürbaca’s staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s classic Rigoletto is one of the most successful productions to originate under Andreas Homoki’s artistic directorship.
Cast:
Liparit Avetisyan,
Andrea Sanguineti,
.... + 5
Rigoletto
Premiere of this production:
11 March 1851,
Teatro La Fenice, Venice
Place: Mantua
Time: the sixteenth century
Act 1
Scene 1: Mantua. A magnificent hall in the ducal palace. Doors at the back open into other rooms, splendidly lit up. A crowd of lords and ladies in grand costumes are seen walking about in the rear rooms; page boys come and go. The festivities are at their height. Music is heard from offstage. The Duke and Borsa enter from a door in the back.
At a ... Read More
Ballet
Bavarian State Opera, National Theatre
3 May 2025, Sat
•
7:30 PM
The story of a cosmopolitan, educated, yet excessively arrogant outsider. He antagonizes the women who love and desire him, just as he does his friend, whom he ultimately kills in a duel. Is it Onegin...
Composer:
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Cast:
Bavarian State Orchestra, Myron Romanul
Onegin
Premiere of this production:
29 March 1879,
Maly Theatre, Moscow
FIRST TABLEAU
An evening in the country, (almost) like any other
Everyone is gathered together. The sisters Tatiana and Olga are singing a duet; their widowed mother, Larina, and Filipievna are listening to them. The girls‘ song awakens memories of their own youth. A neighbour starts singing a different song which they all know and join in. Larina finds this all a little bit too much melan ... Read More
Onegin
Opera
Deutsche Oper Berlin, Main Stage
3 May 2025, Sat
•
7:30 PM
Director Benedikt von Peter sees Verdi’s grand opéra AIDA as a fragile and intimate play about love, a work that is tracked by countless pairs of eyes, and he delivers a production that d...
Cast:
Paolo Arrivabeni,
Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin,
.... + 6
Aida
Premiere of this production:
24 December 1871,
Khedivial Opera House in Cairo
Backstory: The Egyptians have captured and enslaved Aida, an Ethiopian princess. An Egyptian military commander, Radamès, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the King of Egypt. To complicate the story further, the King's daughter Amneris is in love with Radamès, although he does not return her feelings.
Act 1
Scene 1: A hall in the King's palace; ... Read More
Opera
Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), Main Stage
4 May 2025, Sun
•
3 PM
Gods and mortals battle in the second chapter of Wagner’s Ring cycle.
Cast:
Sir Antonio Pappano,
Lise Davidsen,
.... + 5
Die Walküre
Premiere of this production:
26 June 1870,
Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich
Prior history
During the lengthy time that has passed since the gods entered Valhalla at the end of Das Rheingold, Fafner has used the Tarnhelm to assume the form of a dragon, and guards the gold and the ring in the depths of the forest. Wotan has visited Erda seeking wisdom, and by her has fathered a daughter, Brünnhilde; he has fathered eight other daughters, possibly also by Erda. These, ... Read More
Opera
Bavarian State Opera, National Theatre
4 May 2025, Sun
•
5 PM
Spain in 1560: life on the brink of the abyss. A land ruled by church and state! Will the mighty – the grand inquisitor and the king – succeed in killing love? Will they manage to extingui...
Cast:
Zubin Mehta,
Bavarian State Orchestra,
.... + 5
Don Carlo
Premiere of this production:
11 March 1867,
Opéra National de Paris
Act 1
This act was omitted in the 1883 revision
The Forest of Fontainebleau, France in winter
A prelude and chorus of woodcutters and their wives is heard. They complain of their hard life, made worse by war with Spain. Elisabeth, daughter of the King of France, arrives with her attendants. She reassures the people that her impending marriage to Don Carlos, Infante and son of Philip II, King of ... Read More
Opera
Vienna State Opera, Main Stage
5 May 2025, Mon
•
7 PM
The young Prince Tamino is commissioned by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina - with whom he falls in love at the sight of a portrait - from the hands of Sarastro.
Cast:
Ádám Fischer,
Cyrille Dubois,
.... + 4
Die Zauberflöte
Premiere of this production:
30 September 1791,
Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna
The opera begins with the overture, which Mozart composed last.
Act 1
Scene 1: A rough, rocky landscape
Tamino, a handsome prince lost in a distant land, is pursued by a serpent and asks the gods to save him (aria: "Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!" segued into trio: "Stirb, Ungeheuer, durch uns're Macht!"). He faints, and three ladies, attendants of the Queen of the Night, appear an ... Read More
Opera
5 May 2025, Mon
•
7 PM
La Bohème - beloved Puccini opera back on stage.
Cast:
Tobias Ringborg,
Bror Magnus Tødenes,
.... + 5
La Bohème
Premiere of this production:
01 February 1896,
Teatro Regio, Turin
Place: Paris
Time: Around 1830.
Act 1
In the four bohemians' garret (Christmas Eve)
Marcello is painting while Rodolfo gazes out of the window. They complain of the cold. In order to keep warm, they burn the manuscript of Rodolfo's drama. Colline, the philosopher, enters shivering and disgruntled at not having been able to pawn some books. Schaunard, the musician of the group, arrives w ... Read More
La Bohème
Opera
Metropolitan Opera, Metropolitan Opera
5 May 2025, Mon
•
8 PM
This grandest of grand operas features an epic backdrop for what is in essence an intimate love story.
Cast:
Elīna Garanča,
Yannick Nézet-Séguin,
.... + 4
Aida
Premiere of this production:
24 December 1871,
Khedivial Opera House in Cairo
ACT I
Egypt, during the reign of the pharaohs. At the royal palace in Memphis, the high priest Ramfis tells the warrior Radamès that Ethiopia is preparing another attack against Egypt. Radamès hopes to command his army. He is in love with Aida, the Ethiopian slave of Princess Amneris, the king’s daughter, and he believes that victory in the war would enable him to free her and ... Read More
Ballet
Bavarian State Opera, National Theatre
6 May 2025, Tue
•
7:30 PM
The story of a cosmopolitan, educated, yet excessively arrogant outsider. He antagonizes the women who love and desire him, just as he does his friend, whom he ultimately kills in a duel. Is it Onegin...
Cast:
Bavarian State Orchestra, Myron Romanul
Onegin
Premiere of this production:
29 March 1879,
Maly Theatre, Moscow
FIRST TABLEAU
An evening in the country, (almost) like any other
Everyone is gathered together. The sisters Tatiana and Olga are singing a duet; their widowed mother, Larina, and Filipievna are listening to them. The girls‘ song awakens memories of their own youth. A neighbour starts singing a different song which they all know and join in. Larina finds this all a little bit too much melan ... Read More
Opera
Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin State Opera), Staatsoper Unter den Linden
6 May 2025, Tue
•
7:30 PM
When the revolutionary and painter Mario Cavaradossi secretly attempts to help a political fugitive to escape the city of Rome, his lover, the famed singer Floria Tosca, believes he is cheating on her...
Cast:
Aleksandra Kurzak,
Nicola Luisotti,
.... + 5
Tosca
Premiere of this production:
14 January 1900,
Teatro Costanzi, Rome
Act 1
Inside the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle
Scene depicting a church interior with high stained-glass windows and heavy ornamental columns. The central figure is a high dignatory around whom several figures are kneeling, while in the background can be seen the tall pikes of the Swiss Guard.
Cesare Angelotti, former consul of the Roman Republic and now an escaped political prisoner, ru ... Read More
First time at Opera?
Discover the world of opera for the first time?
How to choose an opera? Mozart or Verdi? Love tragedy or comedy?
Marriage of Figaro or Aida?
First of all, choose a storyline that you like. It is better to choose a light theatrical plot and a modern production, so as not to burden yourself with love intrigues lasting 3 hours.
Be open-minded and don't chase big names. Today, contemporary directors create exciting contemporary productions.
The Gocomgo team has collected for you the best, in our opinion, works for your acquaintance with the delightful world of opera.
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