La Sonnambula at the Stuttgart Opera has proved a “great triumph. Not only for the directing duo but for the ensemble as a whole, for they have delivered a heart-warming miracle in their coordination of stage and orchestra, voice and roleplay” (Süddeutsche Zeitung): the production by Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito was honoured at the International Opera Awards as “new production of the year” and ensemble member Ana Durlovski won the coveted theatre prize “Der Faust” for her portrayal of the somnambulist. Opernwelt magazine made her “newcomer of the year”, while the Stuttgart Opera chorus was named “opera chorus of the year” for the ninth time in 13 years.
Die Zauberflöte
What begins like a fairy-tale turns into a whimsical fantasy halfway between magic farce and Masonic mysticism: The Magic Flute links a love story with the great questions of the Enlightenment, juxtaposes bird-catcher charm with queenly vengeance, and bewitches the listener with music that mixes cheerful melodies, lovers’ arias, show-stopping coloraturas and mysterious chorales. W. A. Mozart’s opera premiered in 1791 and is one of the most often performed operas in the world. The production on the Bregenz Festival lake stage impresses the audience with a fantastic setting framed by three dog-dragons, each of them more than twenty meters in height. “David Pounty finds stunning answers to the everlasting questions surrounding ‘The Magic Flute’. (Tagesspiegel); “The ‘play on the lake’ in Bregenz takes the audience into a fantasy world.” Salzburger Nachrichten
Il Vologeso
The successful duo of Jossi Wieler und Sergio Morabito have rediscovered a Baroque gem in Niccolò Jommelli’s opera Il Vologeso. Their exciting staging, relocated to the present day, delighted both the audience and the press. Born in Naples in 1714, Niccolò Jommelli was in his day a superstar among composers. In the course of his life he set some 80 librettos. For this, the first staged performance of Il Vologeso for more than 200 years, a strong cast has been assembled. Sebastian Kohlhepp, Sophie, Ana Durlovski, Helene Schneiderman and Catriona Smith all bring the story of Vologeso to life again with their captivating and beautiful singing. Gabriele Ferro, conducting the State Orchestra, transforms Jommelli’s music into great waves of emotion with his differentiated and thrilling conducting style.
Bregenz Festival 2013: Mozart, Zauberflöte
One of the most often performed operas in the world, Mozart´s “Magic Flute”, in the spectacular new production from Bregenz Festival 2013, that takes the audience into a fantasy world. Stage director David Pountey ” finds stunning answers to the everlasting questions surrounding ‘The Magic Flute’.” (Tagesspiegel) “The singers do their courageous best. …, Ana Durlovski hits all her high notes as Queen of the Night, and Daniel Schmutzhard’s Papageno is robust and assured. (Financial Times)