"Frankfurt Theater Festival 2004" Top 5 Page for this destination Frankfurt am Main Travelogue by Nemorino
Frankfurt am Main Travel Guide: 2,073 reviews and 3,532 photos
By the time I finally got back to Frankfurt on September 5, 2004, after my weekend conference in Oberschleißheim, near Munich, it was already quarter to four, and I had missed about half the festival, but I arrived just in time to see the Opera's General Director (Intendant) Bernd Loebe interviewing singers Ann-Marie Backlund and Johannes Martin Kränzle, each of whom then sang a couple of selections.
Then on a small stage in the foyer they put on most of a one-act operetta by Jacques Offenbach called Number 66, featuring soprano Britta Stallmeister and baritone Gérard Lavalle, with a small orchestra conducted by Erik Nielsen.
Actually they sang and played just about all the music, but the spoken dialogues were replaced by a brief narration read by stage director Katharina Thoma.
I was especially happy that they did this one, because this was the one Offenbachiade that I missed last season. I had a ticket for it, but my train from Ingolstadt was over an hour and a half late that night (that was last May), so I didn't get to see it then.
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Back in the Orchestra Rehearsal Room there were various recitals and demonstrations throughout the day.
Here some of the percussionists are explaining how they keep their drums in tune despite changes in temperature.
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In the backstage area of the Opera and the Theater there was a "Parcours" marked with white tape on the floor, so people could walk through the backstage areas and look at various workshops and exhibits.
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On the Theater side there were several sessions of Actors' Training for interested visitors.
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The costume and make-up departments also had exhibits and demonstrations.
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It's always amazing to see how many pairs of shoes there are in a theater like this.
For some more backstage views from other German theaters, have a look at my travelogues Behind the scenes in Karlsruhe and Behind the scenes in Leipzig.
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Finally, here's a view out of one of the back windows of the theater building, showing the Lower Main Bridge (Untermainbrücke) going across the Main River.
This is a view that you don't usually see unless you have some reason to be in the backstage part of the building.
In the evening there were three 45-minute shows on the main Opera stage with excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Nabucco, with four of the lead singers and the full chorus and orchestra conducted by Roland Böer.
See also my General Tip on the Theater Festival.
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Comments (137)
Reading your great opera tips I was looking forward to watching a performance during my visit to Frankfurt (July 7-9), but unfortunately there's nothing on then.. Any suggestions? Ilan
I would like to visit Germany someday...
Hi Don! Will be spending 2 weeks in Germany with my aunt who lives in nearby Hofheim, so am looking forward to finally exploring Frankfurt a bit more on this trip! Thanks for your tips / Jess ;-)
Sounds like a screenplay waiting to be written!
It is the season for updates. Prices of museums increased, opera and concert houses also I suppose. I saw you were an anarchist(?) demonstrator in other times!
update 02/17/11. Many new tips since last 2006 read. Don, what a wonderful journey in & around Frankfurt I especially loved the L'Orfeo Opera, the information about Wagner, the Hammering Man [glad he's fixed!], the US Consulate.
wonderful page, really enjoyed reading thru with all the opera stories. the garden house looks like a totally relaxing venue for shows.
We got more than 20 cm of snow last night... Time to take pictures for "Ontario winter"....
What a fantastic page, Don, on Frankfurt. Better than any guide. My brother is a publisher and goes to the Book fair every year. I will tell him about your tips, I know he would like them.
Fantastic information about the opera scen in Frankfurt! I have only visited Frankfurt for a few hours between flights but had a nice walk around! Came back to read more! Cycling through the Nidda Valley sounds to have been a good way to get to work!
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