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The year is 1830 and the ruling Zurich pastor doesn’t want a theatre in his city. The citizenry find this situation intolerable and decide to establish a “TheaterAktiengesellschaft” – an ingenious move involving the creation of a joint-stock company that enabled the inhabitants of the city to build a theatre. Sixty years later, the building burns down and everyone is happy. How can that be?

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<p>The year is 1830 and the ruling Zurich pastor doesn’t want a theatre in his city. The citizenry find this situation intolerable and decide to establish a “TheaterAktiengesellschaft” – an ingenious move involving the creation of a joint-stock company that enabled the inhabitants of the city to build a theatre. Sixty years later, the building burns down and everyone is happy. How can that be?</p>

What you’ve always wanted to know about the Zurich Opera House but never dared to ask: time to take stock...

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40 microphones for the orchestra, 20 microphones for the choir, one camera for the conductor and 1000 meters of 10 gigabit fiber optic cable: This is how the "sound transmission from next door" of the Zurich Opera works. The orchestra and choir broadcast live from the rehearsal room on Kreuzplatz to the auditorium of the opera house.

40 microphones for the orchestra, 20 microphones for the choir, one camera for the conductor and 1000 meters of fiber optic cable.

The way of the sound

What happens to all the costumes at the end of the season?The nimble-fingered ladies of the Costume Shop unlock the ozone closet and demonstrate vodka spray.What you always wanted to know about the Opernhaus, but were afraid to ask:The team of Opernhaus Zürich reveals all.

What you always wanted to know about the Opernhaus, but were afraid to ask:The Repertoire Costume Shop.

The Ladies of the Repertoire Costume Shop

New shoes should be taken good care of. “Certainly not!” screams the pointe shoe.Because the pointe shoe is tough – having been cut, kneaded, beaten, and stitched.All for its own good of course.What you always wanted to know about the Opernhaus, but were afraid to ask:the team of Opernhaus Zürich reveals all.

What you always wanted to know about the Opernhaus, but were afraid to ask: The Pointe Shoe.

The Life of a Pointe Shoe

Not only in the auditorium, there are many seats in an opera house. Who takes a seat where when any why in the opera house during the course of a working day? The Zurich Opera House answers in a new episode of: What you always wanted to know about the opera house, but never dared to ask.

What you always wanted to know about the opera house, but never dared to ask.

Chairs, Stools, and other Seats

A lyrical mezzo-soprano and sonorous baritone sing a musical in an opera house.Or is it an operetta? Categorizing works according to genre is not always easy, but it can be extremely important.What are the different disciplines for singers and how are they assigned? What you always wanted to know about the Opernhaus, but were afraid to ask:The team of Opernhaus Zürich reveals all.

What you always wanted to know about the Opernhaus, but were afraid to ask: The Voice.

The voice

In six minutes, the curtain rises - a stressful moment for every opera singer. Tenor Benjamin Bernheim, baritone Huw Montague Rendall and conductor Speranza Scappucci explain how they deal with their stage fright. What you always wanted to know about an opera house, but never dared to ask: employees of the Zurich Opera House answer.

What you always wanted to know about an opera house, but never dared to ask.

Stage fright

Over a ton of artificial fir trees must go on the stage of the Zurich Opera House. They are needed for "La bohème". But not every person in Zurich understands why day in and day out there’s an opera truck driving through the city. What you always wanted to know about an opera house, but never dared to ask: employees of the Zurich Opera House answer.

What you always wanted to know about an opera house but never dared to ask.

Scenography

Puking geese, gutted pigs and almost real crows - Andreas Gatzka is the "Gyro Gearloose" at the studios of the Zurich Opera House. He creates illusions on stage that put the visions of the directors to life. What you always wanted to know about an opera house, but never dared to ask: employees of the Zurich Opera House answer.

Theatre Magic

Andreas Homoki, Director of the Zurich Opera House, will remain in office until 2025. The contract extension was announced by the Board of Directors of the Zurich Opera House on 2 July 2018. The contract renewal of ballet director Christian Spuck was also announced. Gianandrea Noseda succeeds Fabio Luisi as General Music Director from 2021.

Director Andreas Homoki and ballet director Christian Spuck have extended their contracts.

Zurich Opera House: Team 2021

Zurich Opera House - Zurich, Switzerland

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The Staatsoper Hamburg’s new production of Gaetano Donizetti’s opera buffa "Don Pasquale" is directed by David Bösch.The plot of this turbulent comedy turns on the title character and his nemesis sung by Italian baritone Ambrogio Maestri and Australian soprano Danielle de Niese respectively.The Philharmonische Staatsorchester Hamburg will be conducted by Matteo Beltrami.

From the Staatsoper Hamburg

David Bösch stages Gaetano Donizetti’s comic opera "Don Pasquale".

Gaetano Donizetti: Don Pasquale

The literary source for Richard Strauss’s opera immortalizing the degeneracy of Herodes Antipas, King of Judea, and his step-daughter Salome, was supplied by Oscar Wilde. It tells of Herodes, who is keeping the prophet Jochanaan captive inside a cistern. Salome tries to seduce him and on being rebuffed, forces her stepfather to serve her the prophet’s head on a silver platter.

Directed by Christof Loy in Helsinki

Rejected by the prophet Jochanaan, Salome forces her abusive stepfather to exact revenge.

Richard Strauss: Salome

Live from the Teatro Real in Madrid, an adaptation of Prokofiev’s flamboyant masterpiece by the ever-radical Calixto Bieito.

An adaptation of Sergei Prokofiev’s flamboyant masterpiece by radical director Calixto Bieito.

Prokofiev’s "The Fiery Angel" at the Teatro Real in Madrid

Long-neglected works from several centuries of operatic history have long been a staple of the internationally acclaimed annual opera festival in the little Irish coastal town of Wexford.Having been forced to take a break last year, the festival has a rediscovered work by the important Italian composer Alfredo Catalani on this year’s programme: Edmea.

Wexford Festival Opera 2021

Wexford Opera Festival proudly presents a rediscovered, long forgotten work by Alfredo Catalani.

Alfredo Catalani: Edmea

Conductor Raphaël Pichon and director Cyril Teste team up to bring Beethoven’s Fidelio to the stage of the Opéra Comique.

Beethoven’s only opera conducted by Raphaël Pichon.

Beethoven's "Fidelio" at the Opéra Comique

Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish perform at Hellfest 2022.

Hellfest 2022

Nightwish

Just a few weeks before the release of their new album, The Sick and the Dying… and the Dead! Thrash metal stars Megadeth perform at Hellfest 2022.

Megadeth

Dutch band Epica returns to Hellfest to present Omega, a new album showing off their inimitable symphonic heavy metal sound.

Epica

Drockick Murphys are perhaps the most Irish of American bands. The Bostonians baptize their new album Turn Up That Dial at Hellfest 2022.

Dropkick Murphys

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Punk rock fans note: The Offspring have released a new album: The Californians perform tracks from their latest work at Hellfest, Let the Bad Times Roll.

The Offspring

In Europe, the last primary forests are found almost exclusively in the mountains in the east or south-east of the continent. These virgin forests have never been exploited or cut down, and have remained as they have always been. Few studies have been done on this forests, which are presumably havens of biodiversity. We go on a research trip to the Dinaric Alps in Albania.

The Green Lungs of Europe

We go on a research trip to the Dinaric Alps in Albania

Geo Reportage

Brazilian cult band Sepultura is back at Hellfest! They unleash their intense thrash metal in front of a white-hot audience.

Sepultura

According to the latest calculations by the OECD, South Korean women could live to be over 92 years old on average in 2070, and men over 89. That would be a world record. What's the secret?

South Korea: An Obsession With Health

South Koreans are on track to be the longest-lived people in the world

ARTE Reportage

JInjer are Ukraine’s official ambassadors of metal. Led by the voice and charisma of singer Tatiana Shmayluk, they are bringing their special blend of progressive groove metal to the world.

Jinjer

Known for their incandescent, fiery performances, Swedish black metal band Watain perform their pyrotechnics at Hellfest 2022.

Watain

Hellfest invites a heavyweight of crossover and thrash metal: Los Angeles natives Suicidal Tendencies make the main stage tremble!

Suicidal Tendencies

With their latest album Soul on Fire, The Last Internationale brings a rebellious spirit to the main stage of Hellfest 2022.

The Last Internationale

The Russian enclave of Kaliningrad sits between Lithuania and Poland. Once German East Prussia, it is now home to 1 million Russian citizens. What is life like in this small territory now practically cut off from its EU neighbours since the war in Ukraine began?

Kaliningrad: Putin's Enclave

The Russian enclave of Kaliningrad sits between Lithuania and Poland and is now practically cut off from its EU neighbours since the war in Ukraine began.

The trio led by Matthew Bellamy is one of the most explosive and creative forces in rock music over the past two decades. There is no one else quite like Muse. Be impressed by their committed performance at Berlin’s Tempelhof Sounds Festival.

Tempelhof Sounds 2022

 There is no one else quite like Muse. Be impressed by their committed performance at Berlin’s Tempelhof Sounds Festival.

Muse

What does it mean to be a man in the modern world? Jan goes in search of answers on the streets of Berlin where he meets barbecue grillers, American football players and queer foresters.

Be a Man! - But How?

Streetphilosophy

Yazidi women box in a gym in the heart of a refugee camp in northern Iraq. To recover their sense of dignity and self-confidence, they train in self-defense. They are survivors of horrific abuse, having been kidnapped and used as sex slaves under IS rule.

Iraq: Return to Sinjar

Yazidi women box in a gym in the heart of a refugee camp to recover their sense of dignity and self-confidence.

Pittsburgh punk band Anti-Flag have been going strong since the late 1980s. They bring their anthemic sound at Hellfest 2022.

Anti-Flag

According to the myth, the Greeks managed to enter the city of Troy by building a wooden horse in which was hidden Greek soldiers. How much of this story is based on actual historical events? And if the story is true, was it even a horse?

The Mystery of the Trojan Horse

As soon as weightlessness sets in in Earth orbit, everything floats, including bodily fluids. Most astronauts suffer from space sickness – similar to seasickness. You get sick, your eyes go crazy, your face swells up, your legs get longer and after a few sleepless nights (there is no day or night in space) many astronauts get severe back pain. Space researchers are trying to understand how the human body reacts without gravity. Could we need it to live?

Are We Ready for Mars?

What would happen to our bodies if we were all suddenly exposed to weightlessness in space?

42: The Answer to Almost Everything

On the French Caribbean island of Martinique , large-scale use of insecticides caused serious damage. But the earth is being revitalised by several initiatives inspired by age-old agricultural practices. 

Zurich Opera House

Zurich Opera House - Zurich, Switzerland

The way of the sound

The way of the sound

Zurich Opera House

Let’s take stock

Zurich Opera House

The Ladies of the Repertoire Costume Shop

The Ladies of the Repertoire Costume Shop

Zurich Opera House

The Life of a Pointe Shoe

The Life of a Pointe Shoe

Zurich Opera House

Chairs, Stools, and other Seats

Chairs, Stools, and other Seats

Zurich Opera House

The voice

The voice

Zurich Opera House

Stage fright

Stage fright

Zurich Opera House

Scenography

Scenography

Zurich Opera House

Let’s take stockZurich Opera House

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Zurich Opera House

Zurich Opera House

Zurich, Switzerland

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