Deutsche Oper Berlin

– © Bernd Uhlig

– Deutsche Oper Lohengrin © Marcus Lieberenz

The opera house with its clear lines and inauspicious, plain exterior concentrates only on the important: presenting grand opera in world-class quality. The new building, which was created by architect Fritz Bornemann in 1961, the ensemble, still under its old name of ‘city opera’ finally found a new home after the chaos and destruction of World War II.

Due to its ‘democratic’ seating plan, the auditorium of this largest opera house in Berlin offers perfect views from each and every one of its total of 1865 places. The opera house focuses mainly on the production of a 19th century classical repertoire with works by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. In addition latest productions have increasingly included works by French composers (Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet, Francis Poulenc) and Italian belcanto (Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Gioacchino Rossini). Rediscoveries of long lost pieces from the early 20th century add even more character to the extensive programming.

The Deutsche Oper Berlin cultivates a tradition of individual theatre productions and focuses on promoting young singers and directors. Götz Friedrich, Hans Neuenfels and Achim Freyer are just some of the well-known directors, who celebrated great successes with their productions at the Charlottenburg opera house. The well-known house orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin currently plays under the overall musical direction of Donald Runnicles, and Hamburg-born Kirsten Harms has been their artistic director since the 2004/05 season.

With its imposing façade without any décor, the theatre building in Bauhaus style protects the interior of the opera house completely against the noise from the six-lane traffic of Bismarckstrasse, just outside the door. The glazed side façades give the building however a very much open character, and offers panoramic views of the city during breaks.