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ARTE Opera Season

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Stagione ARTE Opera

An opera season for Europe: The ARTE Opera Season presents an array of outstanding productions from the continent’s greatest opera houses – some of them classics, some of them exciting new discoveries, with new productions every month, available in six languages. Savour the opulence, the passion, the magic of this unparalleled art form in a brand new season of ARTE Opera – exclusively on ARTE Concert.

The European opera season

Love, power and ambition collide on the stage of Barcelona’s Teatre de Liceu in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, directed by Calixto Bieito.

Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona

From courtesan to empress – the unstoppable rise of Poppea, as told by Spanish director Calixto Bieito.

Monteverdi: L’incoronazione di Poppea

All videos

On the eve of her coronation, Elizabeth recalls how her father's execution of her mother Anne Boleyn left her a bastard. This unique opera series follows the life of the 'Virgin Queen' to the music of Gaetano Donizetti. Episode 1: The Coronation...

The Coronation

On the eve of her coronation, Elizabeth recalls how her mother's execution turned her into a bastard.

Gaetano Donizetti: Bastarda (1/6)

Visiting her childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth is caught up in a love triangle that reminds her of a past situation, when Jane Seymour was the love rival of Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn. This unique opera series follows the life of the Virgin Queen to the music of Gaetano Donizetti. Episode 2: The Royal Progress...

The Royal Progress

Elizabeth is entangled in a love triangle that reminds her of a past situation...

Gaetano Donizetti: Bastarda (2/6)

In addition to being her political opponent, Mary Stuart is rapidly turning into Elizabeth's rival in love. Gradually, the Queen becomes aware that keeping her cousin Mary alive poses a serious threat to her own existence. This unique opera series follows the life of the Virgin Queen to the music of Gaetano Donizetti. Episode 3: Mary, Queen of Scots...

Mary, Queen of Scots

In addition to being her political opponent, Mary Stuart is rapidly turning into Elizabeth's rival in love.

Gaetano Donizetti: Bastarda (3/6)

Aware of the threat posed by Mary Stuart, Elizabeth is left with no other choice: she will in turn have to behead a queen. This unique opera series retraces the life of the "Virgin Queen" to the music of Gaetano Donizetti. Episode 4: Killing a Queen.

Killing a queen

Aware of the threat Mary Stuart poses, Elizabeth decides to have the queen beheaded.

Gaetano Donizetti: Bastarda (4/6)

On the eve of her 60th birthday, Elizabeth finds a new favourite: the young but disloyal Robert Devereux. But can you stop aging by removing the mirrors? This unique opera series retraces the life of the "Virgin Queen" to the melodies of Gaetano Donizetti. Episode 5: Broken Mirrors...

Broken Mirrors

After the death of Leicester, Elizabeth finds a new favourite: the young but deceitful Robert Devereux.

Gaetano Donizetti: Bastarda (5/6)

Betrayal has many faces, yet the punishment for the culprits is always the same. Despite her decline, Elisabeth remains the centre of the world until the end. And that world is a stage. This unique opera series retraces the life of the Virgin Queen to the melodies of Gaetano Donizetti. Episode 6: Queen of Farce...

Queen of Farce

After sentencing Devereux to death, Elisabeth comes face to face with her demons one last time.

Gaetano Donizetti: Bastarda (6/6)

The eventful life of Elizabeth I in a unique opera series based on the melodies of Gaetano Donizetti.

Gaetano Donizetti: Bastarda

The opera house on the Gänsemarkt is one of Hamburg’s most important cultural institutions, and one steeped in tradition.

Hamburg State Opera

The most popular of Gustav Mahler's symphonies, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen and staged by Romeo Castellucci. A very special production, which promises to stir up the audience at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

A message from director Romeo Castellucci:
The action you are about to witness has the particular misfortune of containing images that, charged with violence, seem to be the cruel likeness of our near reality.
I imagined this work over a year ago.
No one could have foreseen this painful overlapping of art and reality, which today seems like an atrocious prophecy.
How to support today the unconscious exactness of these images on the stage?
But what to do in the face of the irretrievable that theatre represents?
It is essential to accept the pain produced by this concordance, in the light that Gustav Mahler’s Resurrection can represent.
Romeo Castellucci
July 2022
Recorded 13 July in Aix-en-Provence with the Orchestre de Paris and the Choir of the Orchestre de Paris.

Aix-en-Provence Festival 2022

The most popular of Gustav Mahler's symphonies, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen and staged by Romeo Castellucci. A very special production, which promises to stir up the audience at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

Resurrection - Gustav Mahler

Mozart, played in the courtyard of the Palais de l'archevêché, has thus remained a fixture of the festival to this day.

Aix-en-Provence Festival

The Dutch National Opera produces world-class music theatre and is well known for its artistically ambitious and innovative productions.

Dutch National Opera

Catalonia’s number one opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, is centrally located on Barcelona’s world-famous boulevard Las Ramblas.

Gran Teatre del Liceu

The Teatro Real is considered as one of the most important institutions of Spanish theatre world.

Teatro Real

The Opernhaus Zurich is Switzerland’s largest cultural institution.

Zurich Opera House

National opera since 1963, La Monnaie maintains a strong multicultural identity.

La Monnaie/De Munt

In 2019 the Paris National Opera celebrated its 350th anniversary. 

Paris National Opera

The Bayerische Staatsoper is steeped in tradition and ranks among the world’s leading opera houses.

Bavarian State Opera

The little town of Wexford, just two hours away from Dublin, is home to an opera festival like no other.

Wexford Festival Opera

The name of this Paris institution stands for a whole subgenre of opera.

Opéra Comique

Founded on the boulevard Unter den Linden in 1742 at the behest of King Frederick II of Prussia, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden is one of the German capital’s most illustrious cultural institutions. 

Staatsoper Unter den Linden

During Richard Wagner’s seven years here he staged the premieres of both Der Fliegender Holländer and Tannhäuser.

Semperoper Dresden

Thanks to television and online streaming the opera house reaches viewers all over Finland – and indeed all over the world.

Finnish National Opera

As the opera house was comprehensively overhauled in 2012, it meets the requirements of a modern-day theatre in every possible respect.

Lausanne Opera

The Royal Opera House Covent Garden belongs to the crème de la crème of world opera. 

Royal Opera House

Built in 1897, the Teatro Massimo is Italy’s largest opera house.

Teatro Massimo

The Czech National Theatre has three opera houses at its disposal: the National Theatre, the State Opera that reopened in 2020 and the Estates Theatre.

Prague National Theatre

Scarcely any other opera house is as tradition-conscious as is the Vienna State Opera.

Vienna State Opera

Rossini, Bellini, Puccini, Donizetti and Verdi premiered some of their most important works here.