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David Bösch directs a creative and thoughtful new production of Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Semperoper in Christian Thielemann's final opera as Principal Conductor. 

Katharina Thalbach offers a traditional staging at the Semperoper, with fine vocal performances led by Krassimira Stoyanova, Francesco Meli and Oksana Volkova. 

John Osborn leads a very successful premiere of Peter Konwitschny's new production of Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots in Dresden

Saioa Hernández leads a solid cast in Dresden in a somewhat disappointing new production by David Bösch.

What brought real distinction and authenticity to the evening, as so often in this house, was the outstanding playing of the Staatskapelle conducted by Tomaš Netopil. From the start of the overture with its rapidly scurrying fugato for strings and pointed phrasing from the woodwind one felt the true sense of Smetana’s Czech inflected rhythms and harmonies

With a plethora of theatre seats, stools and benches it was as if Willy Decker and Wolfgang Gussman had been elected ‘Chair-men of the bored”.

In a score that can be a Technicolor wallow, Jurowski’s sure sense of dramatic pulse and balance, encompassed the brash dance rhythms, religious grandeur, vivid tone painting and the extremes of dissonance.

An exceptional musical performance was enhanced by a streamlined but ultimately moving staging in an evening of near perfection in Dresden.

Anna Netreboko chose to perform her first Elsa in Dresden with Christian Thielemann conducting.  It was a remarkable performance never to be forgotten.

Dating from 2008, the Semperoper’s current production of Rigoletto is quite intriguing. It’s set in what appears to be a swanky 21st-century Berlin apartment – industrial, sparse and effortlessly cool – and in many ways this is an interesting choice.

In the early years of the 20th century Puccini was a very happy man. His most recent opera, Tosca, was proving as successful as La Bohème, and the lucky composer was being summoned to opera houses throughout Europe for its premières. In the summer of 1900 Puccini attended the première performance of Tosca in London, and soaked in the atmosphere of Europe’s largest city.

„Hier wird’s Ereignis – das Unbeschreibliche, hier ist‘s getan“ – mit diesen Worten endet Goethes Faust II, Mahlers Symphonie und damit auch die Amtszeit von Christian Thielemann als Chefdirigent der Sächsischen Staatskapelle.

Christian Thielemann leitet mit seiner letzten Wagner-Oper seinen Abschied als Chefdirigent der Staatskapelle Dresden ein.

Mit einer festspielwürdigen Besetzung führt Christian Thielemann die Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden zur der Wiederaufnahme der Meistersinger von Nürnberg an.

Erschöpft aber glücklich beendet Herbert Blomstedt Bruckners Sechste Symphonie, die wohl niemand so schnell vergessen wird...

Christian Thielemann und die Staatskapelle Dresden geben bei den Osterfestspielen einen gebührenden Abschied.

Anna Netrebkos und Piotr Beczalas Lohengrin-Debüt unter Christian Thielemann an der Semperoper bringt das Haus zum Beben.

Minimalistisch im Bühnenbild aber groß im Klang: Die Salzburger Osterfestspiele wurden mit einem gemischt aufgenommem Otello begonnen, wobei Röschmann als Desdemona durchweg überzeugte.