Old man, what are you doing?
Lear
Aribert Reimann
Last Chance!
A storm is brewing! Lear, the stunning masterpiece opera by Aribert Reimann, is returning to the Komische Oper Berlin, where this monumental tale of an ageing king was previously staged by Harry Kupfer and Hans Neuenfels. At Tempelhof Airport, Barrie Kosky is now presenting his astonishing vision of the battle for power that rages over Shakespeare’s haunting father figure.
King Lear is inching toward death. He plans to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, with the largest share going to the one who shows him the greatest love. While Goneril and Regan try to outdo one another in their lavish declarations, Cordelia, the youngest, rejects the contest. She, who truly loves her father, refuses to participate – thereby wounding him deeply.
King Lear is inching toward death. He plans to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, with the largest share going to the one who shows him the greatest love. While Goneril and Regan try to outdo one another in their lavish declarations, Cordelia, the youngest, rejects the contest. She, who truly loves her father, refuses to participate – thereby wounding him deeply.
As a result, Lear disowns his favourite daughter. Now lacking a dowry, she is married off by her father to the King of France, who later decides to invade Lear’s lands. The kingdom is divided between Goneril and Regan, who eventually unite in open contempt for their ageing father. Accompanied only by his Fool, the old king wanders across an open field through rain and storm at night…
Premiering in 1978, Aribert Reimann’s Lear condenses Shakespeare’s monumental drama into eleven scenes, some unfolding simultaneously, creating a timeless masterpiece of unparalleled vocal and instrumental power. Barrie Kosky stages this classic of modern music theatre as the endgame of a king who knows how little time he has left, yet refuses to hear the truth. A man who is loved, but must die alone.
I.
King Lear has resolved to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, and demands that each of them makes a public declaration of love. While Goneril and Regan try to outdo one another in flattery, Cordelia, the youngest, does not fight for her share. Loving her father sincerely, she refuses to compete, which offends him deeply. Lear disowns his favourite daughter and marries her to the King of France without any dowry. The Earl of Kent is banished after trying to make Lear see sense.
Meanwhile, Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, is plotting against his favoured half-brother Edgar. By trickery, Edmund manages to turn his father fiercely against Edgar. Edgar flees for his life, disguising himself as a mad beggar by the name of Tom.
King Lear has resolved to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, and demands that each of them makes a public declaration of love. While Goneril and Regan try to outdo one another in flattery, Cordelia, the youngest, does not fight for her share. Loving her father sincerely, she refuses to compete, which offends him deeply. Lear disowns his favourite daughter and marries her to the King of France without any dowry. The Earl of Kent is banished after trying to make Lear see sense.
Meanwhile, Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, is plotting against his favoured half-brother Edgar. By trickery, Edmund manages to turn his father fiercely against Edgar. Edgar flees for his life, disguising himself as a mad beggar by the name of Tom.
No sooner is the kingdom divided than Goneril and Regan unite against Lear in their hunger for power. They refuse to accommodate his retinue and leave him outdoors exposed to a violent storm that is gathering. In helpless rage, Lear wanders through the night, accompanied only by his Fool and by Kent, who is in disguise. Searching for shelter, they encounter »poor Tom«. The Earl of Gloucester comes to conduct Lear to safety.
II.
France goes to war against Britain. Believing Gloucester to be a French spy, Regan and her husband, the Duke of Cornwall, blind him. While inflicting this cruel punishment, Cornwall himself loses his life. Gloucester realises that it was not Edgar but Edmund who betrayed him. Broken, he makes his way to Dover, where he plans to throw himself off the cliffs. »Tom« agrees to guide his blind father. The two men come across a completely estranged Lear.
Lear is taken to the French camp and there asks Cordelia for forgiveness. With the British army under Edmund’s command victorious, father and daughter find themselves in captivity. Edmund, who has sworn his love to both Goneril and Regan, gives orders for the execution of Cordelia. Unexpectedly Edgar appears and mortally wounds his brother in a duel. Regan is poisoned by Goneril, who takes her own life when Edmund dies. Lear’s heart breaks at the sight of Cordelia's dead body.
Opera in two parts, after William Shakespeare
adapted by Claus H. Henneberg [1978]
adapted by Claus H. Henneberg [1978]
Premiere on September 16, 2026
Recommended from grade 10
German
2 hr 25 min, no intermission
The performance features strobe effects, stage fog, and loud bangs. Ear protection is available free of charge at the evening service.