Langgaard's monolithic work creates an eschatological mystery play that pays homage to the fin de siècle with music reminiscent of Strauss and Wagner, but which does not deny Hindemith and Schönberg.
Ersan Mondtag not only directs ANTIKRIST, but also designs the scenic set in his typical powerful expressionist style.
- Conductor: Hermann Bäumer;
- Director: Ersan Mondtag;
- With Thomas Lehman, Jonas Grundner-Culemann, Valeriia Savinskaia, Irene Roberts, Clemens Bieber, Maire Therese Carmack, Flurina Stucki, AJ Glueckert, Kieran Carrel, Philipp Jekal a. o.
Antikrist
The Antichrist enters a godless world. Summoned by Lucifer himself he reveals himself in many forms: through arrogance, discontent, lust, deceit and hatred, humanity is tested and tempted in the "battle of all against all". Yet the voice of God ultimately puts an end to the Antichrist: "Hephata!" / "Open yourself!" – the world seems cleansed.
Rued Langgaard's "church opera", composed in the early 1920s and fundamentally revised until 1930, is a monolith of the composer's works, which has no dearth of exciting and unusual pieces.
Based on the Revelation to John he drafts an eschatologically defined mystery play that cannot conceal the zeitgeist of the fin de siècle. His highly symbolic text rife with associations can thus be read with the appropriate historical pessimism.
Yet the dazzling music – shaped by the late Romantic, great orchestral sounds, yet always falling in on itself, and from which prosaic and austere details emerge – brings hope into the dark world. The artistic maverick Langgaard found in this a personal style reminiscent of Strauss and Wagner without neglecting his contemporaries Hindemith and Schönberg.
Director Ersan Mondtag made his Berlin opera debut with ANTIKRIST - the immensely powerful visual language of the multi-award-winning director, whose works have been shown several times at the Theratertreffen, with its over-aestheticisation seems tailor-made for Langgaard's end-time mystery.
His costume design for Langgaard's work was awarded the 2023 OPER! AWARD.
Additional information
Church opera in two acts and six scenes; revised version, BVN 192 (1930)Libretto by Rued Langgaard Scenic premiere on 2 May 1999 at the Tiroler Landestheater in InnsbruckPremiere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 30 January, 2022
recommended from 16 years
Pre-performance lecture (in German): 45 minutes prior to each performance
Participating artists
Hermann Bäumer (Musikalische Leitung)
Ersan Mondtag (Inszenierung, Bühne)
Annika Lu (Kostüme)
Ersan Mondtag (Kostüme)
Jeremy Bines (Chöre)
Rainer Casper (Licht)
Rob Fordeyn (Choreografie)
Carolin Müller-Dohle (Dramaturgie)
Thomas Lehman (Luzifer)
Jonas Grundner-Culemann (Gottes Stimme)
Valeriia Savinskaia (Das Echo der Rätselstimmung)
Irene Roberts (Die Rätselstimmung)
Clemens Bieber (Der Mund, der große Worte spricht)
Maire Therese Carmack (Der Missmut)
Flurina Stucki (Die große Hure)
AJ Glueckert (Das Tier in Scharlach)
Kieran Carrel (Die Lüge)
Philipp Jekal (Der Hass)
Thomas Lehman (Eine Stimme)
Joel Donald Small (Tänzer*innen)
Derrick Amanatidis (Tänzer*innen)
Giorgia Bovo (Tänzer*innen)
Vasna Felicia Aguilar (Tänzer*innen)
Juan Corres Benito (Tänzer*innen)
György Jellinek (Tänzer*innen)
Shih-Ping Lin (Tänzer*innen)
Ulysse Zangs (Tänzer*innen)
Yuri Shimaoka (Tänzer*innen)
Sakura Inoue (Tänzer*innen)
Ashley Wright (Tänzer*innen)
Ana Dordevic (Tänzer*innen)
Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin (Chöre)
Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin (Orchester)