Redefining common ground

The interdisciplinary opera project at the University of the Arts (HfK) Bremen was a resounding success. Following a year-and-a-half of planning, the unique experiment of staging a two-part opera evening featuring the university’s Baroque and Classical symphony orchestras took place from 9 to 12 July 2026 in Hall 1 of Speicher XI A.

Before the interval, the Early Music Department, under the direction of Prof. Detlef Bratschke, presented the opera pastiche ‘Seven’, based on an idea by the South African opera director Kobie van Rensburg. He selected pieces from the rich repertoire of Henry Purcell (1659–1695) and supplemented them with works by other Baroque composers. After the interval, the Classical Department of the HfK Bremen staged Francis Poulenc’s opéra-bouffe ‘Les mamelles de Tirésias’ (1947) with the university’s large orchestra, conducted by An-Hoon Song.

150 students were involved in the production; alongside the musicians and singers, Prof. Heike Kati Barath’s Figurative Painting class contributed to the realisation of Heike Neugebauer’s stage design and the colourful costume design. Erik Wälz from the Digital Media programme contributed the video projections. Also part of the artistic team were: costume designer Emilia Sting, an HfK alumna from the Integrated Design programme; voice coach Erwan Tacher, an HfK lecturer in singing in French; and Suwon Kim, an HfK accompanist. The dance sequences were developed in collaboration with choreographers Sabrina Stein and Carla Linné, who teaches historical dance at the HfK Bremen. Charlene Brass from the Osnabrück Theatre demonstrated how good lighting can enhance the overall artistic impression.

There was considerable interest in the production, and the premiere was immediately sold out. Of the total of 600 tickets available for the four performances, 550 were sold, representing a 92 per cent attendance rate.

A report by ‘buten un binnen’ (8 July 2026) provides a good insight into the opera project.

Both operas were directed by Ansgar Weigner, Professor of Stage Design at the HfK. He sums up the rehearsal period as follows: “First and foremost, it filled me with great pride that we were able to bring together 150 students from the Department of Music in collaboration with the Department of Art and Design, who collectively made this project their own and who were able to learn so much from one another through their collaboration. I am extremely grateful to my colleagues from Art and Design for their unproblematic, constructive, relaxed and always student-centred approach to their work, and I feel a renewed sense of connection with them. Communication between the Early Music and Classical departments was always a great pleasure – so full of mutual appreciation and so important for redefining the common ground between the different musical genres.”

According to Weigner, the opera project, “with its extremely positive response from the audience and neighbouring theatres, has demonstrated just how important the vocal studies programme is at our university, and just how synergistic and representative an opera production can be for our institution.” The dance choreographies, he said, had demonstrated just how significant the connection between body and voice is. “An experience that will certainly be of great help to those who, after completing their studies, have the opportunity to pursue a career on stage. But above all, it is the performance of our students – whether on or off stage – that has impressed me, and the obvious joy they took in the pieces. You could see such great progress in each and every one of them, and that is precisely the aim of teaching and the greatest joy for the teaching staff.”