Lohengrin

Elsa has no chance: Frederick of Telramund, a powerful Brabant count, accuses her of murdering her little brother. She is unable to defend herself. So she stands before King Henry, who wants to dispense justice - but she is actually only in everyone's way: since the death of her father, the duchy has been without a leader. If Elsa is convicted, Telramund could become duke and the king would have the stability he needs for his war. It seems inevitable that Elsa will be unjustly condemned. But then a miracle occurs: a man she has only dreamed of appears inexplicably. He defends Elsa and convinces everyone. He becomes the duke's successor and Elsa's husband - but on one unbearable condition: she must not ask him his name or where he comes from.
Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin has two faces: on the one hand, a historically inspired story in which political power relations and intrigues are precisely laid bare. On the other hand, there is the world of fairy tales, myths and mysticism. Wagner created his own musical language for all aspects of the story: powerful choruses of the crowd ready to fight, floating string sounds as if from another world, dark dissonances of the conspirators.
Director Richard Brunel follows the political plot with painful precision, but interprets the fairytale images psychoanalytically. The dream images in his production pose questions rather than providing hasty answers. "A memorable evening in the best sense of the word", was the verdict of the trade journal Opernwelt after the premiere.