Detlev Glanert (b. 1960) is a contemporary German composer who found early success with his opera Der Spiegel des großen Kaisers (‘The Great Emperor’s Mirror’), which won the Rolf Liebermann Opera Award in 1995. His newest stage work, Oceane, was premiered on 28 April 2019 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. It enthused both the audience and critics and was hailed as “one of the most exciting new operas of recent times” by the Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel. Glanert and the writer Hans-Ulrich Treichel conceived the libretto loosely according to Theodor Fontane’s fragment Oceane von Parceval. It tells the story of Oceane, a mystical female creature of the sea, who comes to land in search of the ability to feel emotions.

The world premiere recording was recorded by the Orchestra and Choir of the Deutsche Oper Berlin under the baton of Donald Runnicles. Maria Bengtsson excels with her ethereal silver soprano voice in the title role; the tenor Nikolai Schukoff as Martin von Dircksen succeeds in portraying the human inability to recognise the true essence of a creature beyond a dazzling exterior.

Cast:
- Oceane von Parceval: Maria Bengtsson
- Martin von Dircksen: Nikolai Schukoff
- Dr. Albert Felgentreu: Christoph Pohl
- Kristina: Nicole Haslett
- Pastor Baltzer: Albert Pesendorfer
- Madame Louise: Doris Soffel
- Georg: Stephen Bronk