Germany's Most Talked-About Opera House Creating Stir
In the heart of Germany, the Hamburg State Opera, one of the country's top three opera houses, is preparing for a new era. Tobias Kratzer, a renowned stage director, has been appointed as its leader, marking a significant shift in the institution's artistic direction.
Kratzer, who has gained prominence in the world of opera, takes over from Georges Delnon, who held the post for a decade. His appointment, however, has raised eyebrows due to his lack of administrative experience.
Kratzer's artistic career peaked with his 2019 Bayreuth staging of Wagner's Tannhaüser, and his first season at the Hamburg State Opera promises to be a mix of the old and the new. The season opens with a staged version of Schumann's secular oratorio Das Paradies und die Peri, followed by a triple bill of Schumann's song cycle Frauenliebe und -leben, Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle, and Alexander Zemlinsky's A Florentine Tragedy. The lone repertory staple is Rossini's Barbiere di Siviglia.
Kratzer believes he can bring a "spirit of renewal" to Hamburg and make it "the most interesting house in Germany". His five-year term includes a "Pop-up La bohème" and a celebration of the house's 350th anniversary, with the revival of historic Hamburg premieres.
Meanwhile, the Hamburg State Opera is also planning for a new opera house in the HafenCity district, a move that has sparked controversy primarily about the costs and funding sources. The new opera house is expected to cost €340mn and is funded privately by the Kühne Foundation. However, there are rumblings in Hamburg over the source of the funding, as the family wealth of the Kühne family can be traced back to dealings with the Nazi regime.
Omer Meir Wellber, the incoming general music director of the Hamburg State Opera and Philharmonic State Orchestra, shares Kratzer's vision for renewal. Wellber, who was most recently music director at Vienna's Volksoper, has a strategy that includes raising the orchestra's concert profile in the Elbphilharmonie, with programs that mix classical and modern music and sometimes require playing from memory.
Despite the controversies, both Kratzer and Wellber remain optimistic about the future of the Hamburg State Opera. Kratzer expresses that he believes opera has the capacity to reflect on moral questions in a nuanced way, while Wellber is cautious about the idea of music as a political force, stating that everything becomes political when it has to do with people.
As the Hamburg State Opera steps into a new era, the stage is set for a fascinating journey of art, culture, and controversy. The coming years promise to be an exciting time for opera lovers and cultural enthusiasts alike.
Tobias Kratzer's first season at the Hamburg State Opera will consist of a mix of classical and modern music, including Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri, and Alexander Zemlinsky's A Florentine Tragedy, which showcases Kratzer's interest in both entertainment and music. Omer Meir Wellber, the incoming general music director, also shares this vision, planning to raise the orchestra's concert profile with programs that blend traditional and contemporary music.
