Staatsoper Unter den Linden: Premiere on November 8 of Francesco Cavalli’s La Calisto in a new production by Stefan Herheim, with Vera-Lotte Boecker in the title role
Press release of 1 October 2026
As part of the first Baroque Days under the artistic direction of Elisabeth Sobotka, Francesco Cavalli’s La Calisto will premiere on 8 November at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Stefan Herheim is staging the work in an aesthetic he describes as ‘Baroque science fiction’, in which both the serious and comic aspects of the work are given equal prominence. Christina Pluhar will conduct with her ensemble L’Arpeggiata, which has earned an outstanding reputation in the world of ‘early music’ for its particularly original programming and sound design. The title role is sung by Vera-Lotte Boecker, who most recently appeared as the Little Fox in Janáček’s opera at the Staatsoper Berlin. La Calisto is a co-production with the Theater an der Wien, where it celebrated a successful premiere in mid-September with an almost identical cast.
With La Calisto, which premiered in Venice in 1651, Francesco Cavalli, together with his librettist Giovanni Faustini, created one of the most vibrant and multifaceted works in the early history of opera. In it, gods, nymphs and creatures of nature become entangled in a web of love, desire, deception and jealousy. At the centre of the story is the nymph Calisto, whom Jupiter approaches in the guise of Diana, the goddess she worships. A series of twists and turns unfolds, ultimately leading Calisto to become a constellation in the heavens.
Serious and comical characters, tragic and burlesque situations appear side by side. Vera-Lotte Boecker describes this very interplay as its particular appeal: “I think it’s marvellous, because there are no clear boundaries between comedy and tragedy – it’s both at the same time, and so very, very true to life.”
Stefan Herheim explores the opera’s complexity and, together with his team, develops a visual world that incorporates Baroque elements whilst remaining true to a contemporary theatrical language. Shifting identities and surprising twists become part of a scenic kaleidoscope that guides the labyrinthine plot through various settings and into a wide array of character constellations. The set design is by Silke Bauer, and the costumes by Yashi. Karl Wiedemann, Roman Hagenbrock and Beate Vollack are responsible for lighting, video and choreography.
Christina Pluhar has prepared a new version of Cavalli’s score for this production, which she presents – together with the ensemble L’Arpeggiata, which specialises in historical performance practice – with great richness of sound and a keen sense of style. Alongside Vera-Lotte Boecker as Calisto, the ensemble includes, amongst others, Milan Siljanov as Giove, Giuseppina Bridelli as Giunone, Luciana Mancini as Diana, Renato Dolcini as Mercurio, Arnaud Gluck as Endimione and Marcel Beekman as Linfea.
The 2026 Baroque Days will take place from 7 to 27 November at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and this year will span the period from the beginnings of opera to Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (featuring Cecilia Bartoli and the Musiciens Du Prince – Monte Carlo in a semi-staged production) at the end of the Baroque era. The programme also features Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea and Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, as well as concerts featuring, amongst others, Christina Pluhar, Roberta Mameli, Rolando Villazón, Raffaele Pe, the Ensemble L’Arpeggiata and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.
La Calisto
Premiere on Sunday, 8 November 2026 at 6.00 pm | Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Further performances on 13, 15, 18 and 21 November 2026
An introduction to the opera will take place in the Apollosaal 45 minutes before the start of each performance.
On 5 November at 6.30 pm, the dramaturgy team and members of the production team will provide an insight into the new production. Further information on this event can be found here.
Enquiries regarding press tickets should be addressed to pressoffice@staatsoper-berlin.de, stating the nature of the editorial assignment.
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden would like to thank the Friends and Patrons of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the Board of Trustees of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and its main partner, BMW, for their support.