Fisher Center presents
New Production
Sung in French with English supertitles
Libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps
Directed by Christian Räth
American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leon Botstein
Photo by Andy Henderson
July 26 – August 4
“A riveting and rousing piece. [Director] Christian Räth’s astute production…[makes] a case for 19th-century French grand opera.” —Wall Street Journal
“Leon Botstein has a penchant for reappraisal. He mounted a persuasive argument for Le prophète.” —The New York Times
“Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra gave the audience unadulterated beauty.” —OperaWire
Religion, power, ego, and manipulation collide in composer Giacomo Meyerbeer’s glorious psychodrama.
Shepherded by a trio of sinister Anabaptists, the simple innkeeper Jean de Leyde is persuaded to proclaim himself king of Münster. Armed with charismatic leadership, Jean mobilizes the masses to mount a tumultuous religious uprising—denouncing his mother, Fidès, and antagonizing his beloved Berthe along the way.
Director Christian Räth (Die schweigsame Frau, 2022; Das Wunder der Heliane, 2019) returns for a third SummerScape to lead a visionary new production of a grand opera with colorful vocal passages, inventive orchestrations, and a catastrophic end.
Jean de Leyde
Fidès
Berthe
Zacharie
Mathisen
Jonas
Oberthal
Photo credits: Robert Watson by Simon Pauly; Jennifer Feinstein by Fay Fox; Amina Edris by Capucine de Chocqueuse; all others c/o the artists
Set Design Christian Räth and Daniel Unger
Costume Design Mattie Ullrich
Choreography Catherine Galasso
Lighting Design Rick Fisher
Projection Design Elaine McCarthy
Hair/Makeup Design Anika Seitu
Supertitle Translation and Design Corinne Hayes
“Le prophète’s plot is easy to dismiss until one reflects on the unfortunate resurrection of its themes, in very different guise, in the religious culture wars currently dividing Americans…Meyerbeer gives us choruses of ecstasy and vengeance, glorious waltzes, a triumphal scene and a bacchanale, and pageantry galore…given the absurdities that currently pass for truth, the story seems less preposterous than prophetic.” –San Francisco Classical Voice, on Meyerbeer: Le prophète (London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Mark Elder, released June 2024)
“The witty staging, engaging cast, and efficiently evocative designs made a good opera feel like a great one…For Bard’s delightful production, the director and set designer Christian Räth stages Frau as an opera about putting on an opera. Stagehands execute scene changes in full view of the audience, and Morosus’s single-word mantra, ‘Ruhe’ (quiet), glows like an exit sign above the doors of his orderly home.”—New York Times, on Die schweigsame Frau (Bard SummerScape 2022)
“The real genius, however, is Räth, a director who really seems to understand what the music ‘means’ and in particular how that can be used to clarify and illuminate the densely expressionistic storyline. He’s sensual when he needs to be sensual while turning dark and dangerous when the music indicates it. At every turn he senses the proper focus while encouraging his intelligent singers to act their socks off…He moves his pieces with immaculate timing and a real eye for the stage picture…Opera productions don’t get much better than this.”—Musical America, on Das Wunder der Heliane (Bard SummerScape 2019)
A native of Hamburg, director Christian Räth is renowned throughout Europe, Japan, and the USA. His work takes him to many of the world’s leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera New York, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala Milan, Opéra national de Paris, and the Royal Opera House London.
Recent new productions include Strauss’ Die schweigsame Frau and Korngold’s Das Wunder der Heliane at the Bard SummerScape Festival 2019/22, Der Freischütz and Macbeth at the Wiener Staatsoper, Le Baron Tzigane at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, L’Italiana in Algeri in Portland, and the direction and design of Kiss Me, Kate for the Haut école de musique de Genève, in collaboration with the Théâtre du Galpon, Geneva. Plans include the world premiere of Woman with Eyes Closed by Jennifer Higdon at Opera Philadelphia.
In 2021, Christian conceived and directed two unique historical events in Egypt—“The Pharaoh’s Golden Parade” celebrating the journey of 22 royal mummies through the city of Cairo, and the opening ceremony of the antique “Sphinx Road” at Luxor. Both productions involved more than a thousand participants and were broadcast worldwide.
Nearby villages and towns in the Hudson Valley boast a large selection of restaurants, as well as a variety of hotels, motels, inns, and bed & breakfasts.
Eat & StayBard College’s main campus is located in Annandale-on-Hudson (a hamlet of Red Hook), New York, on the east bank of the Hudson River, about 90 miles north of New York City and 220 miles southwest of Boston. The Taconic State Parkway and the New York State Thruway provide the most direct routes to our campus. Click the Google map below, or get directions by entering the following address into your GPS: 60 Manor Avenue, Red Hook, NY 12571.
From the East
If you are traveling from east of the Hudson River in New York State, take the Taconic State Parkway to the Red Hook / Route 199 exit, drive west on Route 199 through the village of Red Hook to Route 9G, turn right onto Route 9G, drive north 1.9 miles, turn left onto Annandale Road, then turn right onto Manor Ave.
From the West
If you are traveling from west of the Hudson River, take the New York State Thruway (I-87) to exit 19 (Kingston), take Route 209 (changes to Route 199 at the Hudson River) over the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge to Route 9G, turn left onto Route 9G, drive north 3.5 miles, turn left onto Annandale Road, then turn right onto Manor Ave.
Sosnoff Theater
Accessible Seating
Wheelchair-accessible seating is available in all seating areas for patrons in wheelchairs and their companions. There is an elevator to all levels of the Sosnoff Theater and a wheelchair lift is used to access front-row wheelchair seating.
Wheelchair-Accessible Restrooms
Restrooms at all locations are wheelchair accessible. Single-use restrooms are available at most locations.
All-Gender Restrooms
Bard College and the Fisher Center support guests of any gender identity/expression in using the restroom of their choice. Additionally, all-gender restrooms are available at all venues.
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