On 9 March Jörg Widmann​’s epic opera Babylon will premiere in a new production at Staatsoper unter den Linden Berlin, for the first time after its premiere in Munich in 2012. Together with Librettist Peter Sloterdijk, Widmann presents a new interpretation of the Babylon myth in this opera. They see the construction of the tower of Babel as an expression of mortal hubris, deflecting the central focus from punishment through a divine authority, focussing instead on the primordial experience of chaos and suffering in an unhinged world and the resulting realisation of the necessity for order. Widmann’s music makes numerous references to musical history and familiar subjects, including Mozart’s Magic Flute. 

Conducted by Christopher Ward and directed by Andreas Kriegenburg and a cast lead by Mojca Erdmann, Charles Workman and Susanne Elmark the production can be seen on 11, 20, 22 and 24 March.