Le prophète

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.