Performer: Vera Nemirova

A five-hour operatic marathon as the full, five-act French version of Verdi's epic Don Carlos returns to the Staatsoper after a seven-year hiatus. 

Realism elbows aside romanticism in this dark departure from a star-studded tradition.

Frankfurt Opera's 2012 production of Götterdämmerung with its emphasis on the contemporary human issues was a successful conclusion of the revived Ring.

The third installament of the Ring in Frankfurt took full advantage of the architecturally ingenius set to complement great music making by the orchestra and singers.

Day two of Frankfurt Ring featured impressive stage work and some superior musical performances, but it was not enough to create a perfect evening of opera.

Sebastian Weigle leads a somewhat light-footed but satisfying account with a fine orchestra and good ensemble of singers in an architecturally stunning production.