Royal Opera House 2023/24: Das Rheingold

When a precious hoard of gold is stolen from the river Rhine, it unleashes a chain of destructive events, pitting gods and mortals against one another for generations. Wagner’s Ring cycle boasts some of the greatest music ever written for the opera stage. Join us as we embark on a spectacular journey into the world of myth, dream and memory, with the figure of Erda – Mother Earth herself – at its centre.

La Bohème

John Copley's enduring production of one of the most famously melodious and popular of all operas is a classic of the Royal Opera repertory. With historically accurate designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman and an excellent cast headed by Hibla Gerzmava and Teodor Ilincai, this 2009 revival, in which conductor Andris Nelsons makes a distinguished Royal Opera House debut, does full justice to Puccini's masterpiece. Recorded 2009.

Pirosmani, Pirosmani...

About the last days of the great Niko Pirosmanishvili, who died alone. And his only interlocutors were the heroes of the paintings...

Who's Stronger Than Him

Follows the events of August 1918 in Tsarevokokshaisk (Yoshkar-Ola), when the White Guards, led by local princes, were preparing a coup.

Carmen

This ever-popular opera is given a fresh point of view in Barrie Kosky’s highly physical production, originally created for Frankfurt Opera. The Australian director is one of the world’s most sought-after opera directors, whose Royal Opera debut with Shostakovich’s The Nose in 2016 was greeted with delight. For Carmen he has devised a far-from-traditional version, incorporating music written by Bizet for the score but not usually heard, and giving a new voice to the opera’s endlessly fascinating central character.

The Devil's Seed

In the Lithuanian village of Lietuvos, a farmer brings his sheltered nephew, Joni, to the rich Bani. By biting the prospective host's hand, the teenager gains the nickname of "the devil's seed."