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© Ruth Tromboukis, Sandra Kastl
Zar und Zimmermann
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 January 2027 | ||||||
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Comic opera in three acts
Libretto by Albert Lortzing in a new spoken text version by Martin G. Berger
First performed on 22 December 1837 at the Leipzig City Theatre
Premiere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 20 June 2026
2 hrs 45 mins / one interval
In German with German and English surtitles
45 minutes before beginning: Introduction (in German language)
About the performance
Few works have slipped from the programmes of German-language opera houses to the extent experienced by the operas of Albert Lortzing. Where works such as THE POACHER, THE ARMOURER and UNDINE were still fixtures in the repertoire only thirty years ago, they have now all but vanished from the calendars of theatre venues. Not even Lortzing’s greatest triumph, his comedy of errors CSAR AND CARPENTER (1837), has escaped the neglect – and this despite old chestnuts like the “Clog Dance” and the aria “Lebe wohl, mein flandrisch Mädchen.” Doubly surprising if you consider that this tale of Tsar Peter the Great, who strikes up a friendship with an army deserter with the exact same name while acquiring the skills of a carpenter incognito in a Dutch shipyard, was arguably one of the best musical comedies of its time, with Lortzing’s protagonists retaining all their relatable flaws and yearnings in the face of all their ups and downs. The young deserter, who just wants a quiet life, the feisty Marie, who’s determined to decide her own path, the Tsar with his thinly veiled leanings to violent domination, and van Bett as the mayor and a loveable caricature of a German bigwig… all these characters confer a timeless humanity on the comedy.
Conductor Antonello Manacorda and director Martin G. Berger have now set about showcasing these qualities inherent to Lortzing’s masterpiece at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. In his capacity as long-standing Principal Conductor of the Kammerakademie Potsdam, Manacorda brings to the task his experience of staging period pieces and his knack of timing in Rossini’s comic operas. Berlin director Martin G. Berger, for his part, has made a recent name for himself as one of the most accomplished cross-over practitioners between the opera, operetta and musical genres – often tweaking dialogues himself to add a fresh, modern touch – skills that will doubtless benefit CSAR AND CARPENTER too.
Synopsis
The action takes place in Saardam, Holland, in 1698.
Peter the Great of Russia, disguised as Peter Michaelov, a common laborer, is working in a shipyard in the Dutch town of Saardam, to learn shipbuilding techniques for his navy. He befriends a fellow Russian also working in the yard, Peter Ivanov, a deserter from the Russian army. Peter Ivanov is in love with Marie, the niece of Van Bett, the Burgomaster of Saardam. Tsar Peter is told of trouble in Russia, and decides to return home.
Van Bett has been told to find a foreigner named Peter in the shipyard. The English ambassador, Syndham, and the French ambassador, Chateauneuf, have both heard the rumor of Tsar Peter's disguised presence and are looking for him, which convinces Van Bett that "Peter" is an important man. But in confusion, he identifies the wrong Peter. Chateauneuf recognises the real Tsar, and concludes an alliance with him. Syndham is fooled and presents Peter Ivanov with a passport.
Van Bett, very confused, salutes Peter Ivanov with an elaborate ceremony. Peter Ivanov gives the passport to Tsar Peter, who uses it to leave quietly, having first blessed Peter Ivanov's marriage to Marie, and appointed him to a high office in Russia.
Program and cast
Conductor: Antonello Manacorda
Director: Martin G. Berger
Stage design: Sarah-Katharina Karl
Costume design: Esther Bialas
Light design: Sascha Zauner
Video: Vincent Stefan
Choreographer: Marie-Christin Zeisset
Chorus master: Jeremy Bines
Dramaturgy: Jörg Königsdorf
Peter der Erste / Peter Michaelow: Artur Garbas
Peter Iwanow: Philipp Kapeller
van Bett: Patrick Zielke, Tobias Kehrer (25.06.2026 | 02.07.2026 | 11.07.2026)
Marie: Nadja Mchantaf
Lefort: Joel Allison
Lord Syndham: Padraic Rowan
Marquis de Chateauneuf: Kieran Carrel
Widow Browe: Stephanie Wake-Edwards
Chorus: Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Orchestra: Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house and also home to the Berlin State Ballet.
The company's history goes back to the Deutsches Opernhaus built by the then independent city of Charlottenburg—the "richest town of Prussia"—according to plans designed by Heinrich Seeling from 1911. It opened on November 7, 1912 with a performance of Beethoven's Fidelio, conducted by Ignatz Waghalter. After the incorporation of Charlottenburg by the 1920 Greater Berlin Act, the name of the resident building was changed to Städtische Oper (Municipal Opera) in 1925.
Deutsches Opernhaus, 1912
With the Nazi Machtergreifung in 1933, the opera was under control of the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Minister Joseph Goebbels had the name changed back to Deutsches Opernhaus, competing with the Berlin State Opera in Mitte controlled by his rival, the Prussian minister-president Hermann Göring. In 1935, the building was remodeled by Paul Baumgarten and the seating reduced from 2300 to 2098. Carl Ebert, the pre-World War II general manager, chose to emigrate from Germany rather than endorse the Nazi view of music, and went on to co-found the Glyndebourne opera festival in England. He was replaced by Max von Schillings, who acceded to enact works of "unalloyed German character". Several artists, like the conductor Fritz Stiedry or the singer Alexander Kipnis followed Ebert into emigration. The opera house was destroyed by a RAF air raid on 23 November 1943. Performances continued at the Admiralspalast in Mitte until 1945. Ebert returned as general manager after the war.
After the war, the company in what was now West Berlin used the nearby building of the Theater des Westens until the opera house was rebuilt. The sober design by Fritz Bornemann was completed on 24 September 1961. The opening production was Mozart's Don Giovanni. The new building opened with the current name.
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