This March, Susanna Mälkki returns to Opéra national de Paris to conduct Alban Berg’s first opera, Wozzeck.
Considered a 20th century masterpiece, Wozzeck is an avante-garde musical work that utilizes atonality, sprechgesang and leitmotifs that help differentiate the characters and situations. Throughout the opera, Berg used classical music forms associated with orchestral writing with Act II being a ‘Symphony in Five Movements’.
This cinematic production by William Kentridge and Luc De Wit creatively captures the unsettling plot using projections of drawings and videos reflecting the terror of WWI. It is a co-production with the Salzburg Festival, The Metropolitan Opera, Canadian Opera Company, and Opera Australia.
The thrilling cast will star Johan Reuter as Wozzeck, Eva‑Maria Westbroek as Marie, John Daszak as Drum Major, Tansel Akzeybek as Andres, Gerhard Siegel as Captain, Falk Struckmann as Doctor, Mikhail Timoshenko as First Apprentice, Tobias Westman as Second Apprentice, Heinz Göhrig as Mad Man, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur as Margret and Vincent Morell as A Soldier.
Performances take place at Opéra Bastille on March 10, 13, 16, 19, 24, 27 and 30 There will also be a pre-opening performance for audience members under 28 years of age on March 7.