Dutch National Opera - Die Passagierin

Grand and moving

In the 1930s, the Polish Weinberg fled the Nazi regime and settled in Russia, where, as a Jew, he again encountered fierce antisemitism. His opera, The Passenger (1968), was praised by his close friend Dmitri Shostakovich for its "beauty and grandeur."

Weinberg based Die Passagierin on the work of Zofia Posmysz, an Auschwitz survivor. Her autobiographical novel was one of the first to examine the Holocaust from the perspective of the perpetrators. The opera, therefore, is not so much about the horrors of which humans are capable, but rather about guilt, complicity, and the question of whether we can face our past.

An impressive cast and conductor

Promising young conductor Adam Hickox leads the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra through Weinberg's haunting score. Mezzo-soprano Jenny Carlstedt, who previously impressed in Kaija Saariaho's Innocence, plays the role of Lisa. Lyric soprano Sylvia D'Eramo takes on the poignant role of Marta.

Mieczysław Weinberg's music is among the hidden treasures of the 20th century. His 1968 opera was first performed in 2006 and has been gaining recognition ever since. This new production, directed by Tobias Kratzer, was named "Production of the Year" by the German Opera Magazine in 2024.