01.05.2023

NIKOLAUS HABJAN directs Dresden’s New Production of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo

When it comes to the power of music, Orpheus has been invoked for more than two thousand years – the singer who descended into Hades, all the way to Proserpina, goddess of the underworld. There, he sang his lament, touching the heart of the wife of the dark ruler of the realm of the dead to such an extent that he was allowed to take his great love, Eurydice, back to the world of the living. Saved rather than prosecuted. If only – if only he hadn’t turned his head to look at her, thereby foregoing all hope of a life of love.

On April 30, 2023, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was first shown at Dresden’s Semper Opera. The celebrated director and puppeteer Nikolaus Habjan staged the ancient myth in a very clever combination of singing performers and life-size puppets. The performance brought down the house, the audience roaring its approval with standing ovations for the artists. The reviewers agreed – as the following extracts show:

“The evening is perfectly magical – staged poetry. And it’s even more than that. The double action with the puppets emphasizes more clearly what one has always suspected: Orfeo is more in love with love than with Euridice. He only needs her at the receiving end of his outsized, deep feelings, which occupy only himself. This too is very modern.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Egbert Tholl)

“The puppets are the key to the success of this new production at the Semper Opera. Director Nikolaus Habjan only uses them, however, when there is something magical to say about them. That is his ambition, and he made good on it.” (MDR Klassik, Bettina Volksdorf)

“At the Semper Opera, L’Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi with Rolando Villazón had a celebrated premiere. Director Nikolaus Habjan made humans and puppets interact.” (Crescendo, Claudia Irle-Utsch)

“Standing ovations and minutes of applause for the premiere of a production which celebrates opera and will resonate for a long time. More of this, please!” (Elbmargarita)

Claudio Monteverdi: L'Orfeo
Alice Rossi, La Musica (the music)
Rolando Villazón, Orfeo
Anastasiya Taratorkina, Euridice
Štěpánka Pučálková, La Messagiera (a messenger)
Eric Jurenas, La Speranza (the hope)
Bogdan Talos, Caronte
Ute Selbig, Proserpina
Tilmann Rönnebeck, Plutone
Simeon Esper, Apollo
Christiane Hossfeld, a nymph
Alice Rossi, Eco (the echo)
Johann Ebert, Angelo Konzett, Manuela Linshalm, 
Anderson Pinheiro da Silva, puppeteer

Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden
lautten compagney BERLIN & Wolfgang Katschner,  artistic direction
Nikolaus Habjan, stage director
Esther Balfe, choreographer
Jakob Brossmann, stage designer
Cedric Mpaka, costume designer
Lugh Amber Wittig, costume assistant
Fabio Antoci, light
Benedikt Stampli, dramaturge