It’s Christmas in the Ukrainian village of Dikanka and the blacksmith Wakula is unhappily in love with Oksana, daughter of a landowner. She only wants to marry him on the condition that he gets her the Tsarina's golden shoes. In desperation, Wakula turns to the devil to fly him to the capital and help him procure the shoes. Will this be enough to win the hand of Oksana?

When a sharp-tongued court jester Rigoletto is cursed for his spiteful words, he is forced to hide his unworldly daughter Gilda from his own licentious master the Duke. For Verdi’s wonderful ambivalent hunchback, paradise is the peaceful home and family that he struggles to protect. Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie’s production of Verdi’s opera confronts the two faces of Rigoletto: that of the loving father-monster who locks up his daughter from the very first scene, and his alter ego, the modern-day buffoon. While the latter, like a comedian alone on stage, sneers at power and the elite, the former reveals his darkest fears and persecution complex.

Jonathan Tetelman and Vida Miknevičiūtė lead the cast in the Deutsche Oper's highly anticipated new production of Giordano's Fedora – a verismo gem that mixes elements of international espionage and intrigue with grand romance, all set to music of irresistible melodic power. Continuing his series of acclaimed stagings of early 20th-century Italian operas at Deutsche Oper, Christof Loy promises to bring a characteristic mixture of intelligence and style to Giordano's work, while the world-class cast – conducted by John Fiore – guarantees a feast for lovers of great singing. A gripping operatic treat for aficionados and newcomers alike.