Performer: Ballet of Deutsche Oper Berlin

Meyerbeer's tale of the Anabaptist rebellion in the 16th-century religious wars proves to be a powerful thriller, with Clémentine Margaine and Gregory Kunde leading a very strong singing cast.

Conductor Ivan Repušić leads a successful revival of Verdi’s playful masterpiece, with a solid cast.

Staging the story of the Italian political figure Rienzi as that of a dictator in 20th-century Germany was an inspired idea. This revival was a rare occasion to experience Wagner's early opera.