We won’t stop talking about Wagner in 2026! Indeed, the year will be marked by the 150th anniversary of the premiere of Der Ring des Nibelungen, the famous tetralogy comprising Das Rheingold (The Rhinegold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods). Berlin, La Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, and nearly all the major international stages have scheduled either the complete cycle or at least one of the four masterpieces. The Paris National Opera schedules two Festivals on 6, 7, 10, 13 and 15, 17, 19, 22 November, 2026). From November 11 to 30, 2025, the Opéra Bastille will host the second installment of Calixto Bieito’s production with Die Walküre. The cast features Iain Paterson as Wotan, Ève-Maud Hubeaux as Fricka, and Günther Groissböck as Hunding, but the real surprise comes from the twins Sieglinde and Siegmund, heroes of the first act. Parisian audiences will once again be able to applaud Elza van den Heever, after her astonishing portrayal of Strauss’s Salome, as well as Stanislas de Barbeyrac. The 41-year-old tenor is one of France’s leading voices and has previously been heard in Offenbach’s La Périchole and as Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Following the natural evolution of his voice, he has in recent years explored a heavier repertoire, which now allows him to perform in Wagner operas. After singing Erik in Der fliegende Holländer at the Berlin State Opera, he now has Siegmund in his repertoire and will give his first French stage performance of the role at the Opéra Bastille, starting November 11, 2025…
© DavGemini
