The Oper Leipzig’s Children’s and Youth Chorus, under the direction of Sophie Bauer, are full of Christmas spirit and in top form, appearing in multiple productions at the same time (not unlike Harry Potter’s friend Hermione and her Time-Turner). Despite understanding it was for their own protection, their hearts were heavy when their exciting performances at the Opera House and the Musikalische Komödie had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. For these young singers, Christmastime means performing on stage or making music with the Gewandhausorchester in the orchestra pit. A new radio play of the well-known fairytale opera »Hänsel und Gretel« and the story of the Nutcracker have provided considerable consolation and joy for them this winter. After taking part in a Zoom coaching with actress Verena Noll, 16 children from the chorus recited passages from the text, which were then mixed with musical excerpts from previous performances. Sophie Bauer says about the production, »Their hearts were aglow working on this project, and it gave them a taste of theater magic and allowed them to reminisce.«

»Hänsel und Gretel« for ears

The latest episode of »Fermate«, theOper Leipzig’s podcast series, is available now for little listeners, and includes two Christmas classics with music: Humperdinck’s »Hänsel und Gretel« and Tchaikovsky’s »Der Nussknacker«, recited by members of the Oper Leipzig Children’s Chorus. A fermata is a moment in music when everything pauses: it is a moment when we can look ahead full of anticipation and excitement about what comes next. This eagerness rings especially true at this moment in time, all the more so for cultural creators. It’s the perfect reason for the »Fermate« podcast to make its return. And for fans of detective thrillers, we’ve got a series of »Untrue Crime« planned. Dramaturges Anna Diepold and Nele Winter will come together to discuss crimes in opera, musicals, and ballet.

www.oper-leipzig.de/de/fermate