Frankfurt am Main
Engelbert Humperdinck’s "Hansel and Gretel" combines the familiar fairy-tale world of the Brothers Grimm with the lush sound of late Romanticism. The opera in three scenes tells of two siblings who get lost in the forest, meet the Sandman and the Dew Fairy, and finally come face to face with the dangerous Gingerbread Witch. Keith Warner’s production interprets the fairy tale as the memory of two adults of a difficult childhood in an orphanage. Imaginative images meet a psychologically finely drawn story about fear, solidarity, and growing up. Well-known melodies such as the Evening Blessing, the richly colored music of the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, and the children’s chorus shape the stage experience. It is sung in German; German and English surtitles make understanding easier. An introduction before the performance begins offers additional insights into the work and the production.
With “Ottone,” Oper Frankfurt is bringing a rarely performed work by Georg Friedrich Händel to the stage. The opera in three acts combines historical references with a fictional story of power, love, and political intrigue. At the center is the planned marriage of the German emperor Ottone to the Byzantine princess Teofane. But Gismonda pursues her own plans and tries to put her son Adelberto in the ruler’s place. From this constellation emerges a dense web of deception, rivalries, and shifting alliances. Teofane becomes the decisive figure between personal affection and dynastic interests. Händel’s music traces the characters’ emotional states in elegant, intimate, and expressive arias. The work is performed in Italian with German and English surtitles. With its blend of Baroque sonic splendor, psychological drama, and historical setting, “Ottone” opens up an appealing access to a lesser-known side of Händel’s operatic output.
When trumpets and timpani spread festive splendor, oboes launch into virtuosic dialogues, and Nordic string sounds paint wintry images, a musical journey through the Christmas season begins. “Christmas all over the World” brings the hr Symphony Orchestra to the stage of the Alte Oper Frankfurt with a varied program for children, adults, and all generations. Fairytale-like classical music meets instrumental Italian opera music, baroque sonic splendor, and dreamy film music. Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” is also among the concert’s familiar melodies. The finale becomes a special shared experience: the audience then sings Christmas carols and, together with the orchestra, turns the Great Hall into a many-voiced choir. In this way, the Christmas concert combines symphonic richness of sound with a warm, relaxed atmosphere and makes classical music immediately accessible even for young concertgoers.
Sixteen years ago, a special concert concept caused great enthusiasm among In Extremo fans. Under the title "Tranquilo", the band presented their songs for the first time in unusually quiet, acoustic arrangements, showing a completely different side to their work. The response was overwhelming, and since then many fans have wanted a continuation of this unusual format. Now the time has finally come. With "Tranquilo II", In Extremo are going on another acoustic tour. Sixteen years after the first chapter, a lot has happened. New albums have been released, numerous songs have found their way into the repertoire, and many of them are crying out to be brought to life in a new, acoustic guise. The fact that the band is taking this step fits in perfectly with their self-image. In Extremo have always been particularly keen to experiment and have earned a reputation for constantly surprising their fans with unusual concert ideas and special venues. From the early days at medieval markets to major festival and arena shows around the globe, they have proven time and again that they see musical boundaries not as a restriction, but as an invitation. "Tranquilo II" continues this tradition consistently. The tour will deliberately take place in selected, particularly atmospheric venues, including some of the most beautiful concert halls in German-speaking countries. Instead of large stages and pyrotechnical spectacles, this time the focus will be on atmosphere, closeness and musical subtleties. The audience can look forward to very special, intimate evenings. In Extremo pre
## Un ballo in maschera #### Giuseppe Verdi 1813-1901 Melodrama in three acts Text by Antonio Somma after Eugène Scribe First performed in 1859, Teatro Apollo, Rome In Italian with German and English surtitles A dance on the razor's edge: although there is a conspiracy against him, Count Riccardo throws himself into an affair with the wife of his best friend. The outcome? Deadly! After Giuseppe Verdi had laid the foundations for his worldwide success in the early 1850s with operas such as *Rigoletto, La traviata* and *Il trovatore*, he was looking for new musical challenges. Instead of the "monotony" of Italian melodrama, he was now drawn to material in which comedy and tragedy were closely intertwined. He found what he was looking for in Eugène Scribe's libretto *Gustave III ou Le bal masqué*, which is based on the assassination of the Swedish king in 1792. Together with the playwright Antonio Somma, Verdi set about adapting the subject, but promptly ran afoul of the Italian censors: The killing of a monarch on an open stage was anything but opportune at the time, which is why the setting of the opera had to be changed several times. At the premiere in Rome in 1859, the action was finally set in colonial Boston. However, more important to Verdi than the historical context was the "dramatic situation" of the characters, which he brings to life with great psychological sensitivity: Count Riccardo has a love affair with Amelia, the wife of his friend and advisor Renato. He ignores the fact that an attempt is being made on his life and prefers to focus on th
When the energy of rock fuses with the power of classical music, something extraordinary is created - and this is exactly what MONO INC. have stood for with their acclaimed symphonic concerts for years. After two completely sold-out tours in 2019 and 2024, the Hamburg quartet will return to the stage in 2027 with an exceptional orchestral program. The third Symphonic Tour once again promises special concert experiences. Together with a chamber orchestra, the band's great anthems unfold a new, epic dimension: powerful rock moments meet cinematic soundscapes, intimate passages alternate with monumental climaxes. The songs of MONO INC. - already known for their great melodies and emotional choruses - unfold their very own magic in an orchestral setting. With three #1 albums in a row, the band has long been one of the most successful rock acts in the country. Ever since their biggest tour to date in 2025, it has been clear that their fan base is constantly growing - and yet the symphonic concerts still hold a special place in the hearts of fans. They create an atmosphere that is rarely experienced in this way: impressive venues, seated halls, tense silence in the quieter moments and collective euphoria when the band and orchestra join forces for the grand finale. The Symphonic Tour 2027 will once again take MONO INC. to selected, extraordinary venues in Germany and Switzerland. An evening without an opening act, all about gripping soundscapes, emotional intensity and that special connection between band and audience that makes these concerts so unique. An epic returns
Giuseppe Verdi's “Aida” combines grand choral scenes and haunting arias with a tragic conflict between love, loyalty, and political power. At the center is the Ethiopian princess Aida, who lives as a captive at the Egyptian court. Her love for the commander Radamès is caught between the fronts of war, while the king's daughter Amneris also vies for his affection. Lydia Steier's Frankfurt production focuses less on exotic splendor than on the destructive consequences of violence. The action takes place in the oppressive interior of a bunker, outside whose walls the war rages. Even triumph and cries of victory thus appear in a bitter light. Verdi's monumental music meets a concentrated chamber drama about people searching for their own moral compass within ruthless power structures. The four-act opera is sung in Italian; German and English surtitles accompany the performance.
Commissioned by Oper Frankfurt Text by Maria Stepanova Translation from Russian by Olga Radetzkaja In German with German and English surtitles From the early 1970s to the 1990s, a bloody war raged in Palermo between rival gangs of the Cosa nostra. In addition to the criminals on the other side, a whole series of investigators, judges and high-ranking politicians were ruthlessly murdered. New murders made the headlines almost daily. As a press photographer, Letizia Battaglia (1935-2022) provided the images and became involved in the fight against the mafia. Her photographs, which have since been shown in numerous exhibitions all over the world, became famous because, in addition to their duty as a daily chronicler, they convey a picture of the society of the time, characterized by poverty and patriarchal structures, and make the suffering of the mothers, sisters and wives of those murdered tangible.
