Originally set in the 15th century, Tchaikovsky’s The Enchantress is updated to the present day in this innovative production. The charismatic, emancipated Nastasya, who rejects the advances of the devious Mamïrov, duly faces the implacable forces of traditional values in a society riven by divisions between liberal freedoms and religious orthodoxies. The tragic outcome engulfs everyone. This production was a triumphant success – ‘At the end, storms of enthusiasm, the likes of which are rare even at Oper Frankfurt’ (Neue Musikzeitung) – both for the staging and performers, with soprano Asmik Grigorian hailed as a ‘miracle’ and baritone Iain MacNeil as ‘world class’.

Of this Frankfurt production Suddeutsche Zeitung wrote, ‘You can also translate the title of the opera as ‘The Bewitching’, then you know what Grigorian is doing. Her uniqueness is warm humanity, her singing-acting instinct pure miracle down to the last detail of every smallest gesture, every inconspicuous phrase’.

Asmik Grigorian is one of the three stars featured in the video documentary Fuoco Sacro, A Search for the Sacred Fire of Song on 2110710 (DVD) / NBD0141V (Blu-ray): ‘Anyone who loves singing should see this film’ (American Record Guide). It also won a German Record Critics Award. Grigorian has also been honoured with the prestigious Opus Klassik Award for Sängerin des Jahres (‘Singer of the Year’) in Berlin, October 2023. The New York Times called her ‘A soprano with a bottomless appetite for risk’.

Canadian baritone Iain MacNeil joined the Oper Frankfurt Ensemble in 2019. He was hailed as a World Star (HR-2 Kultur) for his recent interpretation of the Prince in this production, where critics said he ‘embodies the figure of the dark and faithless prince with great vocal authority’ (Kulturfreak) and ‘shines alongside Grigorian and Mahnke’ (Opera Magazine).

Claudia Mahnke is one of the leading mezzos of our time due to her Brangäne and Fricka at Bayreuth Festival, Judith in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle at Staatsoper Hamburg and Didon in Les Troyens at Oper Frankfurt in recent seasons.

Cast:
- Nastasya (Kuma): Asmik Grigorian (soprano)
- Prince Nikita: Iain MacNeil (baritone)
- Princess Yevpraksiya: Claudia Mahnke (mezzo-soprano)
- Prince Yuri: Alexander Mikhailov (tenor)
- Mamïrov / Kudma: Frederic Jost (bass)
- Nenila: Zanda Švēde (mezzo-soprano)

Stage director: Vasily Barkhatov

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo and DTS 5.1
Language: Russian
Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean
Region code: 0 (worldwide)