Alongside Richard Wagner, Strauss is one of two central pillars of the Oper Leipzig’s programming under the artistic direction of Ulf Schirmer. Recent years have seen highly regarded productions of Strauss’ operas, including Die Frau ohne Schatten, Arabella, and Salome. The Oper Leipzig’s Strauss series was meant to be capped by a new staged production of Capriccio, the composer’s final opera, in June of last year. The pandemic unfortunately didn’t allow for that production to be realized. But as the work is rarely heard – even less so with a world-class orchestra like the Gewandhausorchester, under the musical direction of an internationally sought-after Strauss conductor like Ulf Schirmer – the Oper Leipzig has decided to broadcast a live concert performance on 20 March 2021, starting at 6:00pm. The performance is free of charge and will be available online for 48 hours. It features a top-notch cast of singers guaranteed to continue the Oper Leipzig’s vibrant tradition of excellent Strauss performances, with luminaries such as Camila Nylund as the Countess and Roman Trekel as the Count. This concert premiere offers the work largely unabridged, with the exception of a few traditional cuts, as well as minimal cuts to the opera’s dance interludes. In doing so, a nearly complete version of Capriccio will be available to all:  from aficionados of this rarely performed work to audience members keen to discover Strauss’ Capriccio for the first time.

The Oper Leipzig’s facilities probably remain closed for the month of March, but thanks to tried-and-true safety protocols and measures, it has been possible to continue rehearsals – and to offer three livestreams. In addition to the performance of Capriccio on 20 March 2021, the Oper Leipzig will make a performance of the abridged version of Lohengrin available on 14 March 2021. That performance was highly regarded at its known week-early premiere in November. The production was staged by Patrick Bialdyga, with Jennifer Holloway as Elsa and Michael Weinius as Lohengrin. A third performance, the second concert premiere awaits audiences on 28 March 2021: Vincenzo Bellini’s tragic opera Norma. All three performances will commence at 6:00pm, will be streamed live, and are available online via the Oper Leipzig’s website free of charge for 48 hours.

www.oper-leipzig.de