On October 25, 2024, Gera Theatre was the venue for the premiere of Richard Wagner’s masterpiece “The Flying Dutchman”, in the highly anticipated production by director, set designer and painter Achim Freyer. The production, under the musical direction of GMD Ruben Gazarian, was acclaimed by the audience and press alike.
PRESS QUOTES:
- Opernwelt (Clemens Haustein), December 2024
- “Freyer’s artful stage black breathes enigmatic beauty, joined by a beauty from the orchestra pit that remains without mystery: The work here was simply excellent. General Music Director Ruben Gazarian shapes the sharp contrasts of the “Dutchman” music without violating the basic aesthetic of suppleness.
- The Altenburg Gera Philharmonic Orchestra plays with a warm tone and alert precision – a remarkable level. The exemplary balance between stage and orchestra pit is also astonishing: None of the singers in the ensemble, which is strong across the board, are put under pressure by the orchestra. You never get the feeling that Gazarian is urging his musicians to play in an inhibited manner. The applause for everyone involved is enthusiastic. What the German municipal theaters away from the metropolises are capable of: It is impressively demonstrated in Gera on this evening.”
-
- Die deutsche Bühne; Orpheus (Joachim Lange), October 2024 + January 2025
- „Last but not least, GMD Ruben Gazarian and the Altenburg Gera Philharmonic Orchestra are fully committed to combining Richard Wagner’s tone painting with Achim Freyer’s scenic painting to create a powerful pull. On stage, he drags the Dutchman’s ship into the abyss. In the theater, he captivates the audience.”
-
- Der neue Merker (Christoph Suhre), November 2024
- “GMD Ruben Gazarian and his musicians understand Wagner’s score as tone painting. The events on stage are accompanied in a multifaceted and extremely lively manner, regardless of whether they involve forces of nature or emotional moments. There is no standstill. The music is exciting and concentrated from start to finish. Unreservedly worth listening to.”
-
- Ostthüringer Zeitung (Volker Müller), November 2024
- “Musically, the evening is of a high, indeed often exemplary standard. GMD Ruben Gazarian embodies pure passion at the podium, but also knows how to savor the moments of calm and the subtleties of the score. The orchestra plays with passion, creating a rousing dynamic and mastering virtuoso passages with confidence.”
-
- Online Musik Magazin (Stefan Schmöe), December 2024
- “An opera such as The flying Dutchman requires the audience to watch the work of art for a full two and a half hours. This can only be successful if the music is able to build the necessary tension – which is achieved excellently in Gera. Ruben Gazarian conducts a highly dramatic, breathless Dutchman, and the Altenburg Gera Philharmonic Orchestra, together with the theater’s choir, which has been expanded to include guest singers, master this thrilling tour de force through the score with excellence. In the dark and largely monochrome aesthetic, only occasionally brightened by colorful accents from the lighting, the music can unfold its effect to full impact.”
-
- Kultura-Extra – Das Online Magazin (Andre Sokolowski), October 2024
- Ruben Gazarian conducted the Altenburg Gera Philharmonic Orchestra, and his approach was delightfully lively and brisk, while he also knew how to pay careful attention to the more comfortable, quieter, and more sensitive passages.
- […] All in all: highly recommended!
