Organization

Opernhaus Zürich

Conductor

Jérémie Rhorer

Stage director

Actor (+6)

Max Hopp

Set designer

Set designer (+1)

Marie Caroline Rössle

Costume designer

Ursula Kudrna

Costume designer (+1)

Sebastian Helminger

Lighting designer

Lighting designer (+3)

Franck Evin

Chorusmaster

Chorusmaster (+3)

Ernst Raffelsberger

Choreographer

Choreographer (+1)

Martina Borroni

Dramaturge

Dramaturge (+1)

Kathrin Brunner

Tenor (+5)

Marcel Beekman

Bababeck

Bass (+6)

Andreas Hörl

Le Grand-Mogol

Tenor

Oleksiy Palchykov

Saëb

Daniel Norman

Kaliboul

Tenor (+3)

Andrew Owens

Xaïloum

Soprano (+2)

Brenda Rae

Maïma

Mezzo-soprano (+2)

Svetlina Stoyanova

Balkis

Siena Licht Miller

Périzade

Actor (+1)

Daniel Hajdu

Teller

Dancer

Alessio Marchini

Alessio Urzetta

Sara Pennella

David Pillera

Michaela Kvet

Dancer (+1)

Jessica Falceri

Gianluca Falvo

Soraya Leila Emery

Chorus

Zurich Opera Chorus

Orchestra

The Orchester der Oper Zürich

Extras

Opernhaus Zürich Extras

Ballet

Ballet Zurich

Opernhaus

cash payment
The title of this opera already growls and barks: behind the name «Barkouf» there is actually a dog. The four-legged friend is even the head of the oriental city of Lahore. He was employed by the Great Mogul himself, the «ruler of all rulers, star of all stars», to humiliate his uncomfortably rebellious people. A dog in power – this tremendous provocation can only come from a cheeky artistic genius like Jacques Offenbach, who made his compositional debut with this work in 1860 at the Opéra Comique in Paris. No wonder censorship raged in Paris during the Second Empire and initially banned this "alien work, which constitutes a constant mockery of the supreme authority of our time and our country." Also offensive was the fact that the actual reins of power in this play are held in a woman's hands. It is Barkouf's former mistress Maïma, a young flower seller, who finds her long-lost dog on the throne and has Grand Vizier Bababeck make her translator for the new head of state, Barkouf. Bababeck wants to convey his own orders through Maïma, but Maïma seizes the moment and, acting as Barkouf's mouthpiece, grants generous amnesties and tax cuts for the people. While the latter cheers, the conspirators gather momentum... Bababeck wants to convey his own orders through Maïma, but Maïma seizes the moment and, acting as Barkouf's mouthpiece, grants generous amnesties and tax cuts for the people. While the latter cheers, the conspirators gather momentum... Bababeck wants to convey his own orders through Maïma, but Maïma seizes the moment and, acting as Barkouf's mouthpiece, grants generous amnesties and tax cuts for the people. While the latter cheers, the conspirators gather momentum...
No work by Offenbach is politically as biting as this piece, which has only recently reappeared in an archive of Offenbach's descendants. Musically, too, Barkouf is a real gem. It oscillates between great opera and operetta, inspires with snappy music, but also plays charmingly with the bel canto meltdown of a Donizetti or Rossini. The fact that Offenbach occasionally glances at his antipode Richard Wagner is revealed by bold harmonic turns in the score.
The staging of this attractive Offenbach discovery is in the hands of the German director and actor Max Hopp, the French conductor Jérémie Rhorer is responsible for the musical drive of this evening. The American Brenda Rae, who is well known in Zurich, can be seen as Maïma, while Rachael Wilson as Balkis and the Dutchman Marcel Beekman as Bababeck make their debuts at the Zurich Opera House.

French

Barkouf

Zurich

Switzerland