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.

Created in 1971, John Neumeier's ballet set to Tchaikovsky's music is now a classic performed all over the world. In his reinterpretation of The Nutcracker, the American choreographer transposes young Marie's initiation into the world of dance under the tutelage of ballet master Drosselmeier.