Petrenko and Serebrennikov forge a new Ring in Salzburg

Brenton Ryan (Loge) and Christian Gerhaher (Wotan)

Das Rheingold

Yajie Zhang (Wellgunde), Jess Dandy (Floßhilde) and Louise Foor (Woglinde)

Leigh Melrose (Alberich)

Catriona Morison (Fricka) and Christian Gerhaher (Wotan)

Sarah Brady (Freia)

Le Bu (Fasolt) and Patrick Guetti (Fafner)

Brenton Ryan (Loge), Georgy Kudrenko (Performer) and Leigh Melrose (Alberich)

Thomas Cilluffo (Mime) and Brenton Ryan (Loge)

Jasmin White (Erda) and Christian Gerhaher (Wotan)

By Phillip Richter, 05 April 2026

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“Gerhaher succeeded in portraying Wotan, father of the gods, as a unique, self-contained work of art”

Reviewed at Felsenreitschule, Salzburg on 1 April 2026

Wagner, Das Rheingold

Kirill Petrenko, Conductor

Kirill Serebrennikov, Director, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Sergey Kucher, Lighting Designer

Berliner Philharmoniker

Yurii Karikh, Video

Christian Gerhaher, Wotan

Brenton Ryan, Loge

Leigh Melrose, Alberich

Gihoon Kim, Donner

Thomas Atkins, Froh

Thomas Cilluffo, Mime

Le Bu, Fasolt

Patrick Guetti, Fafner

Catriona Morison, Fricka

Sarah Brady, Freia

Jasmin White, Erda

Louise Foor, Woglinde

Yajie Zhang, Wellgunde

Jess Dandy, Flosshilde

Ivan Estegneev, Choreography

Perception-altering Shostakovich from Serebrennikov and Petrenko

Mark Pullinger, 27th April

As part of the Southbank Centre's Multitudes festival, Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony is given a stunning visual direction by Kirill Serebrennikov to match the RPO's gripping playing.

*****

Kirill Serebrennikov’s Marriage of Figaro challenges Edinburgh

David Smythe, 16th August

Komische Oper Berlin's The Marriage of Figaro is staged at the Edinburgh International Festival with a strong cast headed by Penny Sofroniadou and Peter Kellner.

****1

Neither hope nor salvation: a sombre Parsifal with much to say

Orsolya Gyárfás, 1st April

Elīna Garanča's Kundry proves the star of Kirill Serebrennikov's prison staging of Parsifal, a powerful exploration of religion and violence.

***11

Jailbird Parsifal: stellar cast transcends a problematic staging

Mark Valencia, 18th April

Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov relives his own arrest in 2017 in his new production of Wagner's Bühnenweihfestspiel at the Wiener Staatsoper.

***11

Context: Diana Vishneva's tour de force

Alexandra Desvignes, 12th March

Under the artistic leadership of ballerina extraordinaire Diana Vishneva, Context, a showcase of Russian contemporary choreography, sees it UK premiere at London Sadler's Wells.

*****

Sensuality and solidarity in Zurich's new Così

Sarah Batschelet, 8th November

If ever a new production of a Mozart opera had a riveting backstory, this one is it.

*****

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Phillip Richter

Phillip fokussiert sich auf die Klassiker der Konzert- und Opernwerke aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum: Wagner, Beethoven, Strauss, Bruckner, Mozart und Schubert sind seine Obsession. Neben Live-Erfahrungen im Konzerthaus schätzt und sammelt er Musik-Einspielungen auch ganz klassisch auf CD.