The 150th Munich Opera Festival, under the direction of
Indeed, Wagner's historical ties to Munich are profound. Five of his operas premiered there, a testament to the city's early patronage of his radical theatrical visions. For this 150th festival, Wagner is represented by a revival of "Das Rheingold" (Tobias Kratzer's staging, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski), which notably opened the 2024–25 season in October and now closes out this year's Opernfestspiele in July.
Dorny offered precise details on the highly anticipated unfolding of the full Ring cycle. He explained the strategic decision to present "Das Rheingold" separately from the main trilogy, given its function as the Vorabend—the "preliminary evening" of the Ring, differing musically and structurally as a more linear prologue. The remainder of the cycle will then be grouped more tightly. "Die Walküre" is slated to open the 151st Opernfestspiele on June 25, 2026. Following this, "Siegfried" will open the season in Fall 2026, with "Götterdämmerung" set to premiere during the 2027 Opernfestspiele. It is at this point, during the 2027 festival, that the full Ring cycle will be presented. This meticulous plan means a wait of about a year and a half between "Rheingold" and "Walküre," but after that, the cycle will unfold "quite rapidly, almost within the span of twelve months."
The festival also pays homage to two other titans whose operatic legacies are intrinsically linked with Munich: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss. Mozart's "Idomeneo" and "La finta giardiniera" both saw their premieres in Munich, underscoring the city's historical importance to his oeuvre. For this 150th iteration, Mozart is notably represented by a new production of "Don Giovanni" (premiering June 27, 2025), an opera that resonates deeply with the festival's "myth" theme. The schedule also features revivals of "Così fan tutte" and "Le nozze di Figaro."
Richard Strauss, whose opera "Capriccio" was given to the house, further strengthens Munich's artistic heritage. The inclusion of "Die Liebe der Danae" in this year's festival highlights Strauss's continued presence and his own engagement with mythological narratives.
Dorny distinguishes the Munich Opera Festival from its counterparts like Salzburg and Bayreuth through its broader repertoire, encompassing 11 opera productions, three ballet productions, symphony concerts, and chamber music over five weeks. This breadth, he posits, is inseparable from the Bayerische Staatsoper's character as a repertoire house with a long tradition of innovation. The ability to draw upon an extraordinary ensemble for casting, ensuring high artistic quality even in minor roles, is also cited as a crucial differentiator.
In essence, the 150th Munich Opera Festival, presenting a rich and varied programme from June 27 to July 31, 2025, powerfully reaffirms its deep historical and artistic connections to the operatic giants of Wagner, Mozart, and Strauss, all framed within a compelling thematic exploration of myth, while laying out a clear and comprehensive path to a full Ring cycle in the coming years.
For the full insights from Intendant Serge Dorny, readers are encouraged to consult the original interview on OperaWire.
