A vibrant sense of ensemble spirit radiated from the stage of the Deutsche Oper Berlin on this 31 December. As for the Vienna of Emperor Franz Joseph’s era, Rolando Villazón’s staging allows it to surface – one might even say to be faintly suspected – only in the first act, supported by period costumes and décor (despite the puzzling appearance of a laptop). For the remainder of the evening, the action unfolds in Berlin, or elsewhere (truly elsewhere; one might even imagine another galaxy) though the principal characters’ attire continues to gesture towards the familiar narrative as it is traditionally presented. Such an approach has the merit of refreshing the work, bringing its carefree exuberance into the present with the full measure of creative licence the director grants himself. Yet for those most devoted to operetta’s customary aesthetic, the visual language may well come as a surprise. No matter: the spirit of mischief and the festive joy of New Year’s Eve were unmistakably, and delightfully, alive.

A conducting style of crystalline clarity and unfailing efficiency marked Patrick Hahn’s contribution: no pursuit of gratuitous effects, for the score itself provides all the sparkle required. His chief concern, fulfilled with admirable discretion, lay in maintaining cohesion among the various musical motifs, free of mannerism, and in sustaining a pace that allowed the soloists to ride the work’s exhilarating whirlwind with ease.

As Gabriel von Eisenstein, Gideon Poppe embodied a bourgeois with as few scruples as regrets, his clean, well-focused timbre lending the text exemplary articulation. Hulkar Sabirova offered a voluptuous Rosalinde, generous in her attack and far removed from the usual portrayal of a woman torn between marital duty and personal desire. The burnished bronze of her voice, its vast projection, and her effortless high notes established her as the evening’s reigning prima donna, matched by Lilit Davtyan’s Adèle: a soprano of striking agility and amplitude, whose fresh, sparkling tone combines delicacy with an ability to soar above the orchestra without strain.

Padraic Rowan’s Frank was vividly drawn, colourful yet impeccably clear in both singing and spoken dialogue, delivered with the dramatic assurance of a seasoned actor. Stephanie Wake-Edwards’s Prince Orlofsky, with an androgyny only lightly veiled, benefited from a warm, eloquent, and commanding timbre. Kieran Carrel dispatched his Alfred with irresistible ease: Italianate in flavour, radiant in tone, unfailingly elegant, and entirely in keeping with what audiences have come to admire in him.

Philipp Jekal, the inexhaustible dynamo of the ensemble, sang, danced, and acted with unwavering balance, shaping a Dr. Falke who proved a most persuasive architect of Eisenstein’s downfall. Jörg Schörner’s Dr. Blind supplied the evening’s requisite dose of absurdity, his deadpan seriousness rendering the comedy all the sharper. The Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, under the direction of Jeremy Bines, once again demonstrated why it was hailed as one of the finest of 2025/ Vitality, exuberance, and sheer vocal power flowed effortlessly, all shaped with a finely judged balance that proved an unalloyed delight for the audience. And finally, a word of praise for the excellent Hanno Jusek, whose Frosch – seemingly beamed in from an intergalactic realm – dominated the third act and brought this splendid evening to a close.

It was a fitting finale to a year rich in memorable moments at this house, and a promising herald of even greater delights to come in 2026.

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Musikalische Leitung | Patrick Hahn · Chöre | Jeremy Bines · Inszenierung | Rolando Villazón · Bühne | Johannes Leiacker · Kostüme | Thibault Vancraenenbroeck · Licht | Davy Cunningham · Choreografie | Philippe Giraudeau · Video | Wieland Hilker und Dorian Häfner

Gabriel von Eisenstein | Gideon Poppe · Rosalinde | Hulkar Sabirova · Frank | Padraic Rowan · Prinz Orlofsky | Stephanie Wake-Edwards · Alfred | Kieran Carrel · Dr. Falke | Philipp Jekal · Dr. Blind | Jörg Schörner · Adèle | Lilit Davtyan · Ida | Judith Shoemaker · Frosch | Hanno Jusek · Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin · Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin · Opernballett der Deutschen Oper Berlin · Cover photo credit: ©Thomas Jauk.

(For further informations) Link to the Deutsche Oper Berlin website: Die Fledermaus