Hold on — what? Purcell’s baroque Dido and Aeneas AND Schönberg’s intense, expressionist monodrama Erwartung back-to-back? I honestly thought someone had mashed two very different pieces into the same PDF by accident. But no — it was real. Of course I had to go see what kind of evening that would turn into.
So here we are, parked inside the grand grey giant of a music palace on Max-Joseph-Platz, ready for some high-art hijinks. But hmm… judging by the empty seats, there hadn’t exactly been any bloody battles at the box office. Honestly, I’ve never seen such a sea of spare seats on an opera night at Bayerische Staatsoper…
Was the mix just too bonkers for the crowd? Have the Germans finally waved the white flag on Warlikowski’s productions? Or did the masses get magnetized by the mega-concert just a stone’s throw away at Odeonsplatz? My guess is as good as yours!
Well, anyway — I showed up, so let me tell you how it all went down.
From stage left, behind some very naked-looking trees, a car rolls in, and the music kicks off—leaving no time to ease in.
So… what even is Dido and Aeneas?
Penned by Purcell (proudly British) and premiered — give or take — in 1689, Dido and Aeneas is a bite-sized Baroque banger with one sneaky sorceress, catchy choruses, and (you guessed it) a hefty dose of heartbreak.
Queen Dido falls head over heels for Trojan hero Aeneas — until some sneaky Sorcerer’s scheme sends him packing. Next up: her famous lament, a big sad sing-along and then… boom, welcome to heartbreak city. Short, sharp, and soaked in sorrow.
But nope. Tonight we’re definitely not 1,000 years before Jesus said hi. Trying to figure out exactly what Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski is aiming for here? Good luck! What I can tell you is that the cast is throwing one heck of a wild party on stage… drinks flowing, wild colors everywhere, and a vibe somewhere between disco fever and existential crisis.
You’re not gonna crack the plot just by eyeballing what’s happening on stage or guessing what the singers are up to. Sure, you might catch a few English words flying by, but unless you already know the story, the stage isn’t exactly handing out clues.
The language clears up a bit later—but before we get there, we’re treated to a roughly 10-minute-long intermezzo.
Right at the edge of the stage Dido has cocooned herself into a bright red sleeping bag and is now lounging like a little larva.
Meanwhile, the big screen in the back shows a tunnel with a light at the end. Is she crawling toward the afterlife? Or just camping? Right next to Dido, a solo breakdancer (yep, you read that right) suddenly shows up and starts showing off some wild moves. Before you know it, he’s joined by seven more, and we’ve got a full-on dance squad. Who knew headspins were part of the baroque dance canon?
Over on the left side of the stage, someone’s jamming on an electric guitar and singing. She’s not really trying to steal the spotlight — just vibing in the background, adding to the overall sound soup.
Then, a piercing siren wails through the air before the oboe takes over. You didn’t think we’d get Schönberg in Baroque tuning, did you?
Erwartung
The next half hour belongs to Sara Jakubiak. We’re still a few stops away from Schönberg’s serialism, but the twelve-tone train was already gathering steam nearby.
If you usually get lost trying to keep track of who’s who in opera, Erwartung might be your new best friend! There’s only one character, and we don’t even know her name. In the score, she’s just listed as “eine Frau” (a woman). That’s it. No love triangles, just one woman wandering through a forest at night, slowly losing her mind.
Expect we’re not actually wandering through a forest tonight. Or… kind of — the woman’s house is surrounded by trees, but she never steps outside. She’s lost deep in the wild woods of her own mind.
Creepy shadows and glowing eyes slink around — a spooky substitution for the Dido chorus hiding down in the orchestra pit?
All the madness is bursting out inside that box-shaped house smack in the middle of the stage.
But before Schönberg’s opening bassoon joins the party, this amplified voice pops up like your overly chill yoga instructor telling the woman to get comfy, really feel that seat — you know, all zen and “let’s find your happy place” vibes.
Then he’s like, “Imagine a forest. Now tell me what you see.” That’s when the music kicks in.
Let’s Talk Tunes
Genre-wise, I was pretty curious about how this evening would unfold. Even though baroque operas are about as rare as a unicorn at the Bayerische Staatsoper, the orchestra still knows how to baroque the house.
Was it one of those super HIP performances? Nah. No period instruments in sight, and when it comes to interpretation, I gotta say it wasn’t reinventing the wheel either. But did it work? For the most part, it did.
And what about the singers? Well, it’s definitely not the easiest stuff to sing. Plus, everyone in generel seems to have their own idea of how this kind of music should sound.
Tonight’s cast knew what to do. But did Purcell’s vibe came shining through? Well, that’s a question meant for you.
If anyone had a tight grip it was Sara Jakubiak as the woman in Erwartung. That role’s a total beast — all over the place and pretty tricky. Jakubiak made it through without making it look like a complete mess.
I mean, sure, she did look like a mess — but that’s kind of the point. Her German was so clear, you barely even needed to check the subtitles. And her gestures? Totally nailed the mood.
I’m still not quite sure what’s going on with the production. What’s Warlikowski trying to say here? And honestly, the ending? No clue what he means by that…
In Dido and Aeneas, Dido dies of deep despair, while in Erwartung, a woman finds her lover lifeless somewhere out there. We never actually find out why. Well, at least not until this production… But I’m not about to spoil the whole thing, so you better go grab a ticket and help keep those red seats warm!
The pieces revolve around a woman left behind and a man who’s nowhere to be found… just with very different vibes.
Both sad stories, but styles miles apart. One baroque heartbreak, the other a modern art.
Fun Fact!
Dido premiered in 1689. 235 years later, Erwartung jumps in. Both feature a woman who loses a man — but musically and emotionally, these ladies are definitely not sisters.
Trailer:
The Cast:
- Conductor: Valentin Uryupin
- Director: Krzysztof Warlikowski
- Stage Designer: Małgorzata Szczęśniak
- Lighting: Felice Ross
- Video: Kamil Polak
- Choreographer: Claude Bardouil
- Chorus: Sergej Bolkhovets
- Dramaturge: Christian LongchampKatharina Ortmann
Dido and Aeneas
- Dido: Sonya Yoncheva
- Aeneas : Günter Papendell
- Belinda: Erika Baikoff
- Venus: Rinat Shaham
- Sorceress: John Holiday
- First Witch: Elmira Karakhanova
Erwartung
- Eine Frau: Sara Jakubiak
Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Projektchor der Bayerischen Staatsoper
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