New Season 2014-2015 at the Semperoper in Dresden

During the 2014-2015 season, the Semperoper in Dresden will perform 30 operas of 19 different composers, in 5 languages (German, Italian, French, English and Czech).

There will be 8 new productions (including 1 world première and 1 German première) :

- Peter Ronnefeld (1935-1965) : Nachtausgabe, conducted by Ekkehard Klemm, directed by Manfred Weiß. The opera was first performed in Salzburg in 1956 and had a second production in Vienna in 1987). This will be the German première ;
- Leos Janacek : The Cunning Little Vixen, conducted by Tomas Netopil and directed by Frank Hilbrich ;
- Richard Strauss : Arabella, conducted by Christian Thielemann, directed by Florentine Klepper ;
- Engelbert Humperdinck : Königskinder, conducted by Lothar Koenigs, directed by Jetske Mijnssen ;
- Claude Debussy : Pelléas et Mélisande, conducted by Mikko Franck, directed by Alex Ollé ;
- Lucia Ronchetti : Mise en abyme / Widerspiegelung, conducted by Felice Venanzoni, directed by Axel Köhler (world première) ;
- Carl Maria von Weber : Der Freischütz, conducted by Christian Thielemann, directed by Axel Köhler ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Le Nozze di Figaro, conducted by Omer Meir Wellber, directed by Johannes Erath.

The new production of Arabella was just performed at the Easter Festival in Salzburg, with the ensemble of the Semperoper, for only 2 performances.

The revivals are :

- Giacomo Puccini : La Bohème and Tosca ;
- Georges Bizet : Carmen ;
- Gioachino Rossini : Il Barbiere di Siviglia ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Cosi fan tutte and Die Zauberflöte ;
- Gaetano Donizetti : L'Elisir d'amore ;
- Richard Strauss : Daphne, Capriccio, Elektra and Der Rosenkavalier ;
- Richard Wagner : Tannhäuser and Der fliegende Holländer ;
- Ludwig van Beethoven : Fidelio ;
- Henry Purcell : King Arthur ;
- Engelbert Humperdinck : Hänsel und Gretel ;
- Johann Strauß : Die Fledermaus ;
- Georg Friedrich Haendel : Giulio Cesare and Orlando ;
- Franz Lehar : Die lustige Witwe ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : Simon Boccanegra ;

One has to remember that 9 of the 15 operas composed by Richard Strauss have been first performed in Dresden, and that in 2014 we celebrate the composer's 150th birthday.

Among all these operas, 6 were composed in the last 100 years.

Three operas for children will also be performed, including 1 world première :

- Stefan Johannes Hanke : Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren, conducted by Ekkehard Klemm, directed by Manfred Weiß ;
- Johannes Wulff-Woesten : Prinz Bussel, conducted by the composer, directed by Valentina Simeonova ;
- Helmut Oehring : Die Brüder Löwenherz (world première), directed by Manfred Weiß.

Seven operas have received their first performance in Dresden since 2007 :

- Martin Hecker : Der Narr im Waisenhaus and Dinner for One in March 2010 ;
- Hans Werner Henze : Gisela ! in November 2010 (two months after first performance during the Ruhrtriennale Festival) ;
- Miroslav Srnka : Jakub Flügelbunt, in December 2011;
- Alexander Strauch : UT-OP.Er in October 2009 ;
- Manfred Trojahn : La Grande Magia, in May 2008 ;
- Johannes Wulff-Woesten : Prinz Bussel, in April 2013.

There is one more new opera to be performed in Dresden before Summer :

- Manos Tsangaris : Karl May, Raum der Wahrheit, in June 2014.