Hänsel und Gretel brought Humperdinck worldwide fame but his tragic fairy story Königskinder (‘The King’s Children’) offers a stark contrast to it and has only begun to be revived in recent years. The doomed love of a goose girl and a prince – as they battle prejudice and are obstructed by magic – ends in their loving deaths, and with it a rebuke to the villagers who rejected them. This acclaimed production by the renowned German director Christof Loy features the award-winning singers – tenor Daniel Behle and Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska.

German director Christof Loy is now 60 years old and is one of the most internationally sought-after opera and theatre directors of his generation. His meticulously crafted productions have earned him numerous awards, including Director of the Year several times by Opernwelt magazine. In 2017 he was named Director of the Year at the International Opera Awards, where he also won the 2016 award for Best New Production for Peter Grimes at the Theater an der Wien.

Bachtrack wrote of this production; ‘It is in its Personenregie that [Christof] Loy’s direction is at its most impactful, and here he benefits from a complete cast who all act as well as they sing… Daniel Behle’s tenor sounded ideal as the King’s Son and Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska’s warm and bright lyric instrument made for the most endearing Goose Girl’.

Gramophone wrote about tenor Daniel Behle’s Mozart singing: ‘Daniel Behle confirms his high reputation as a Mozart lyric tenor. His unforced, evenly produced tone is always easy to the ear, his coloratura fluent, his phrasing stylish and sensitive’. He was also honoured as Singer of the Year in 2020 for his MoZart recording with OPUS Klassik.

Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchysnka won First Prize at the Francisco Viñas Vocal Competition in Barcelona in 2015, and since then has also appeared frequently at Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Opera Bastille in Paris, and the Met in New York. The New York Times wrote of her as ‘a fast-rising artist…with plush yet focused tone, palpable warmth and sensitivity’.

‘[Marc] Albrecht conducted superbly, highlighting the chamber-like details of the score and pinpointing the many string solos, some played with great virtuosity on the stage by violinist Camille Joubert, the orchestra’s second concert master’ – Bachtrack

Cast:
- Der Königssohn: Daniel Behle (tenor)
- Die Gänsemagd: Olga Kulchynska (soprano)
- Der Spielman: Josef Wagner (baritone)
- Die Hexe: Doris Soffel (mezzo-soprano)

Stage director: Christof Loy