Antikrist

In the organizer's words:

Langgaard's monolithic work creates an eschatological mystery play that pays homage to the fin de siècle with music reminiscent of Strauss and Wagner, but also not denying Hindemith and Schönberg. Ersan Mondtag not only directs ANTIKRIST, but also designs the scenic set in his typical powerful expressionist style ... Conductor: Hermann Bäumer; Director: Ersan Mondtag; With Thomas Lehman, Jonas Grundner-Culemann, Valeriia Savinskaia, Irene Roberts, Clemens Bieber, Maire Therese Carmack, Flurina Stucki, AJ Glueckert, Kieran Carrel, Philipp Jekal and others.
Into a godless world steps the Antichrist. Called by Lucifer himself, he reveals himself in many forms: through arrogance, ill-will, lust, lies and hatred, mankind is tested and tempted in the "strife of all against all". But at the end the voice of God puts an end to the Antichrist: "Hephata!" / "Open up!" - the world seems purified.

Rued Langgaard's "church opera," composed in the early 1920s and thoroughly revised by 1930, is a monolith in the composer's oeuvre, which is not lacking in exciting and unusual works. Based on the Revelation of John, he designs a mystery play with an eschatological character that cannot conceal the zeitgeist of the fin de siècle. Accordingly, his highly symbolistic text, full of associations, can be read as pessimistic about history. But the dazzling music - characterized by the late romantic, large orchestral sound, which, however, also collapses again and again and from which sparse and sober details are worked out - brings hope into the dark world. Langgaard, an artistic maverick, has here found a personal style that, while reminiscent of Strauss and Wagner, does not deny his contemporaries Hindemith and Schoenberg.

Director Ersan Mondtag made his Berlin opera debut with ANTIKRIST - the immensely powerful visual language of the multi-award-winning director, whose works have been shown several times at the Theratertreffen, with its over-aesthetization seems tailor-made for Langgaard's end-time mystery. His costume design for Langgaard's work was awarded the 2023 OPER! AWARD. This content has been machine translated.