Vienna Volksoper: Killing Carmen

I’ve already been warned that I should fear for my life, Carmen says – foreseeing her own demise – in the finale of Bizet’s "the opera of all operas". Just minutes later, she is dead, stabbed by her lover Don José. Is it a crime of passion or a societal crisis? Does freedom die with Carmen? What gap does she leave behind? And what happens next?

Following their successful productions of Die Zauberflöte – The opera but not the opera and Schachnovelle at the Burgtheater, Nils Strunk and Lukas Schrenk now turn their attention to a classic repertoire work at the Volksoper. Together with musician Gabriel Cazes, they are developing a new version of Carmen for a genre-crossing ensemble. Bizet's famous melodies meet various musical styles: jazz, flamenco, western, musical, pop, chanson, and more.

The Volksoper Wien, or Vienna People's Opera, is one of Vienna's major opera houses. It's located in the 9th district and is renowned for its diverse programming that includes operas, operettas, musicals, and ballets. Founded in 1898 originally as a straightforward theatre, it has developed into a globally recognized venue for accessible performances of a wide range of musical theater genres.

The Volksoper is Vienna's leading house for operetta, the lighter, more accessible cousin of opera, often involving spoken dialogue alongside music. It serves as a complement to the more formal Wiener Staatsoper, offering performances that appeal to a broader audience, including children and families. The repertoire includes classics by composers such as Johann Strauss, Franz Lehár, and Emmerich Kálmán, alongside well-known operas and popular musicals.

The Volksoper also has a commitment to cultivating new talents and features performances by up-and-coming artists as well as established stars. With approximately 300 performances a year, it plays a pivotal role in Vienna's cultural scene, providing entertainment that is both high in quality and varied in style. This opera house is an integral part of Vienna's rich musical heritage, offering a more casual and inclusive approach to the performing arts.