First: The obvious (in German):

Musikalische Leitung: Stefan Soltész
Inszenierung: Calixto Bieito
Bühnenbild: Rebecca Ringst
Kostüme: Ingo Krügler
Dramaturgie: Simon Berger
Chöre: David Cavelius
Licht: Franck Evin
Video: Sarah Derendinger

Herzog Antoniotto Adorno: Joachim Goltz
Graf Andrae Vitelozzo Tamare: Michael Nagy
Lodovico Nardi, Podestà der Stadt Genua: Jens Larsen
Carlotta Nardi, seine Tochter: Ausrine Stundyte
Alviano Salvago, ein genuesischer Edelmann: Peter Hoare
Guidobald Usodimare: Adrian Strooper
Menaldo Negroni: Ivan Turšić
Michelotto Cibo: Tom Erik Lie
Gonsalvo Fieschi: Johnathan McCullough
Julian Pinelli: Önay Köse
Paolo Calvi: Samuli Taskinen
Il Capitaneo di Giustizia: Joachim Goltz
Ginevra Scotti: Katarzyna Włodarczyk
Martuccia, Haushälterin bei Salvago: Christiane Oertel
Pietro: Christoph Späth
Ein Mädchen: Mirka Wagner
Ein Jüngling: Emil Ławecki
Chorsolisten der Komischen Oper Berlin, Vocalconsort Berlin

This has been my 17th staging by Calixto, and sadly, I have to admit, it’s not been his best.

But, let’s start at the beginning.

Schreker’s opus is an opus, which has a difficult topic, especially, when it comes close to what one might have experienced oneself. Calixto mentioned, that he has also experienced abuse as a child, so I did assume, that this opera might be one of those, in which he would be at his best. Sadly, there were only a couple elements/pictures, which were so good and strong, that they convinced me. The “painting”, that Carlotta does of Alviano performed as a stagging of a wall with a knife is one of those pictures, that stuck. Her breaking free at the end of Act 2 in kicking the last piece of that painting through the wall, and vanishing with Alviano into the dark behind the stage, is part of that. The intensity of Carlotta murdering Tamare at the end of Act 3 is another one of these rare intense moments, that we all long for, when going to a Bieito staging.

These moments were made possible by the outstanding performances of Ausrine Stundyte, Peter Hoare and Michael Nagy. These three alone made it worth visiting this staging, with all its shortcomings.

So, what are these shortcomings?

Calixto mentioned (in the comments from him in the booklet to this staging), that he took the theme of robbing young girls and putting them into the Elysium “playground” a step further by also using boys, and by making this Elysium like Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Huge Teddy Bears and other child pets were on display in Act three. So, trying to make Alviano and Tamare and the other Grandes into unknowing, never-to-be-getting-adult-children is a good idea, but it would have needed some more convincing flow of this theme in the overall staging. Having also videos of the abusers’ faces displayed on the stage’s back in act 1 and 2 also were a topic of his interpretation. Sadly, the monotonous video-display (two full acts) and the boys didn’t really hold for the length they were on display.

But again, still worth visiting, even the not-so-good stagings from Calixto are still something to keep in mind and to continue to think about. And with the orchestra and its director in such good shape, that also makes a visit a thing to remember.