Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle to Open the Leipzig Opera 2020
Visitors can get a rare treat and experience a very historic tradition in Wagner’s home town this January
Leipzig Opera will show the complete Ring cycle from Richard Wagner from January 15 to 19. Together with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, intendant and general music director of Leipzig Opera, Ulf Schirmer, will present the famous son of Leipzig’s tetralogy on four nights.
In 2016, Leipzig Opera staged the complete scenic Ring cycle for the first time in over 40 years. This marked the beginning of an ambitious project: By 2022, all of the 13 Wagner opera’s shall be included in the house repertoire. Tristan & Isolde, The Flying Dutchman and Tannhäuser premiered successfully on stage since then. During a three-week-festival (June 20 – July 14, 2022) all of Wagner’s works will be presented in chronological order. Leipzig being the hometown of Wagner, this will be a once in a lifetime experience.
With a tradition dating back to 1693, Leipzig Opera is the third oldest music stage in Europe after Hamburg and Milano. It is one of the lighthouse institutions of Leipzig’s classical music scene, which brought up masterminds like Bach, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Wagner. In honor of them, the city of Leipzig celebrates annual festivals. The Bach Festival in June, the Schumann week in September or the Mendelssohn Festival in November are perfect occasions to visit.
All year through, the Grand Concerts by the Gewandhausorchester captivate the audience with their high musical standards. The Orchestra, which ranks among the top orchestras worldwide, is currently gearing up for an intensive Mahler Festival in 2021. From May 13 to 24, nine guest ensembles, for example the London Symphony Orchestra, the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Mahler Youth Orchestra, will perform Gustav Mahler’s symphonies and other orchestral works.
