Wagner’s mystic masterpiece Parsifal at the Staatsoper Berlin, staged by Dmitri Tcherniakov and conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Wagner’s last opera, Parsifal is a medieval epic story marked by Christian, Buddhist and esoteric references. It is about redemption and renewal, but this new production by Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov adds a jarring note : revenge. This “Festival Play for the Consecration of the Stage” is similar to a Medieval epic, a blend of metaphysical dreams and esoteric battles with constant spiritual references. This new production is directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, conducted by Daniel Barenboim and sung by an international cast of excellent singers: Andreas Schager, Anja Kampe, Wolfgang Koch, René Pape, Tomas Tómasson and Matthias Hölle.

Robert Schumann’s secular oratorio Das Paradies und die Peri, created and first performed in 1843. The libretto derives from a German translation of a verse epic by the Irish writer Thomas More entitled Lalla Rookh, which in turn makes use of Persian mythology.

The inaugural season of Tobias Kratzer and Omer Meir Wellber's partnership at the Hamburg State Opera kicks off. The director and conductor present Schumann's rarely performed oratorio Paradise and the Peri. The Peri's quest for redemption, brilliantly interpreted by Vera-Lotte Boecker, illustrates many of today's issues, such as the need for empathy in a world shaken by crises.