When an individual wants to save the world and ultimately fails
Grand tragic opera in five acts
Poem by Richard Wagner, based on the novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Rienzi, or The Last of the Tribunes
Performed in German with German and English surtitles
Premiere
26. June 2027
Dates & Cast
- Conductor Patrick Hahn
- Staging Eva-Maria Höckmayr
- Set Design Paul Zoller
- Costume Design Julia Rösler
- Lighting Design Urs Schönebaum
- Dramaturgy Mark Schachtsiek, Benedikt Stampfli
- Choreinstudierung Jan Hoffmann
- Rienzi Klaus Florian Vogt
- Irene Sinéad Campbell Wallace
- Steffano Colonna Andreas Bauer Kanabas
- Adriano Catriona Morison
- Paolo Orsini Oleksandr Pushniak
- Kardinal Orvieto Tilmann Rönnebeck
- Baroncelli Matthias Stier
- Cecco del Vecchio Anton Beliaev
- Ein Friedensbote Jasmin Delfs
- Conductor Patrick Hahn
- Staging Eva-Maria Höckmayr
- Set Design Paul Zoller
- Costume Design Julia Rösler
- Lighting Design Urs Schönebaum
- Dramaturgy Mark Schachtsiek, Benedikt Stampfli
- Choreinstudierung Jan Hoffmann
- Rienzi Klaus Florian Vogt
- Irene Sinéad Campbell Wallace
- Steffano Colonna Andreas Bauer Kanabas
- Adriano Catriona Morison
- Paolo Orsini Oleksandr Pushniak
- Kardinal Orvieto Tilmann Rönnebeck
- Baroncelli Matthias Stier
- Cecco del Vecchio Anton Beliaev
- Ein Friedensbote Jasmin Delfs
- Conductor Patrick Hahn
- Staging Eva-Maria Höckmayr
- Set Design Paul Zoller
- Costume Design Julia Rösler
- Lighting Design Urs Schönebaum
- Dramaturgy Mark Schachtsiek, Benedikt Stampfli
- Choreinstudierung Jan Hoffmann
- Rienzi Klaus Florian Vogt
- Irene Sinéad Campbell Wallace
- Steffano Colonna Andreas Bauer Kanabas
- Adriano Catriona Morison
- Paolo Orsini Oleksandr Pushniak
- Kardinal Orvieto Tilmann Rönnebeck
- Baroncelli Matthias Stier
- Cecco del Vecchio Anton Beliaev
- Ein Friedensbote Jasmin Delfs
- Conductor Patrick Hahn
- Staging Eva-Maria Höckmayr
- Set Design Paul Zoller
- Costume Design Julia Rösler
- Lighting Design Urs Schönebaum
- Dramaturgy Mark Schachtsiek, Benedikt Stampfli
- Choreinstudierung Jan Hoffmann
- Rienzi Klaus Florian Vogt
- Irene Sinéad Campbell Wallace
- Steffano Colonna Andreas Bauer Kanabas
- Adriano Catriona Morison
- Paolo Orsini Oleksandr Pushniak
- Kardinal Orvieto Tilmann Rönnebeck
- Baroncelli Matthias Stier
- Cecco del Vecchio Anton Beliaev
- Ein Friedensbote Jasmin Delfs
- Conductor Patrick Hahn
- Staging Eva-Maria Höckmayr
- Set Design Paul Zoller
- Costume Design Julia Rösler
- Lighting Design Urs Schönebaum
- Dramaturgy Mark Schachtsiek, Benedikt Stampfli
- Choreinstudierung Jan Hoffmann
- Rienzi Klaus Florian Vogt
- Irene Sinéad Campbell Wallace
- Steffano Colonna Andreas Bauer Kanabas
- Adriano Catriona Morison
- Paolo Orsini Oleksandr Pushniak
- Kardinal Orvieto Tilmann Rönnebeck
- Baroncelli Matthias Stier
- Cecco del Vecchio Anton Beliaev
- Ein Friedensbote Jasmin Delfs
- Conductor Patrick Hahn
- Staging Eva-Maria Höckmayr
- Set Design Paul Zoller
- Costume Design Julia Rösler
- Lighting Design Urs Schönebaum
- Dramaturgy Mark Schachtsiek, Benedikt Stampfli
- Choreinstudierung Jan Hoffmann
- Rienzi Klaus Florian Vogt
- Irene Sinéad Campbell Wallace
- Steffano Colonna Andreas Bauer Kanabas
- Adriano Catriona Morison
- Paolo Orsini Oleksandr Pushniak
- Kardinal Orvieto Tilmann Rönnebeck
- Baroncelli Matthias Stier
- Cecco del Vecchio Anton Beliaev
- Ein Friedensbote Jasmin Delfs
And more
In brief
Can an individual represent the will of all? Rienzi, a man from the Roman middle class, seeks to end aristocratic rule in his home city. However, once he attains power, his humanistic ideals start to vanish, leading to a bitter power struggle – in particular, after an attempt is made to assassinate him.
All his life, Richard Wagner (1813–1883) was fascinated by medieval history and mythology. In his third completed opera, he explores the life of the 14th-century figure Cola di Rienzo, whose advocacy of the “common people” led him to be named a Tribune of the People.
The premiere of Rienzi took place on 20 October 1842 at Dresden’s Saxon Court Theatre; shortly after, Wagner was appointed the King’s Kapellmeister.
The grand choral scenes, with their tableau-like effect, are drawn from the traditions of Grand Opéra, while the solo vocal passages recall bel canto. Wagner’s symphonic orchestral treatment foreshadows his later music dramas. Klaus Florian Vogt will sing the demanding title role for the first time, adding a significant part to his extensive Wagner repertoire.
