'Edgar': An Early Work by Puccini Celebrates Its Berlin Premiere

Felix Krieger, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Berliner Operngruppe, travelled to Milan's Archivio Storico Ricordi in November 2018 to examine original documents on Puccini's "Edgar".

Karin and Nicolaus von Oppenheim, supporters of the Berliner Operngruppe

Günter Winands (m.), Head of the Department of Culture and Media in the Federal Chancellery, with Prof. Dr. Michael Eissenhauer, Director General of the Berlin State Museums - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation

Giacomo Puccini, ink drawing by Vespasiano Bignami

Prop design by Adolf Hohenstein, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

Prop design by Adolf Hohenstein, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

Ferdinando Fontana, ink drawing by Vespasiano Bignami

RTL correspondent Antonia Rados, who recently won the German Television Prize for "Best News: Foreign Reporter"

The librettist Ferdinando Fontana and the composer Giacomo Puccini, photograph by Giulio Rossi, Milan, at the time of “Edgar”

Frank, Acts 1 and 4, costume design by Adolf Hohenstein, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

The President of the German Rectors' Conference, Prof. Dr. Peter-André Alt, and Sabine Alt at Bertelsmann Unter den Linden

Edgar, Act 1, costume design by Adolf Hohenstein, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

Giulio Ricordi, photograph by Achille Ferrario, Milan

The ensemble of "Edgar" was rewarded with thunderous final applause and shouts of "bravo": Choirmaster Steffen Schubert, David Oštrek, Elena Rossi, Silvia Beltrami, conductor Felix Krieger, Peter Auty, and Aris Agiris

Mezzosoprano Silvia Beltrami sang the role of Tigrana

Contract for the assignment of rights to the music and the libretto of “Edgar” between Giacomo Puccini, the librettist Ferdinando Fontana and Società G. Ricordi & C., Milan, 6 May 1889

Tigrana, Act 1, costume design by Adolf Hohenstein, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

“Edgar,” autograph score of the first version in 4 acts, Act1, Scene 1, folio 1

The Spanish Ambassador H.E. Ricardo Martínez Vázquez with Rosario Torres-Gil

“Edgar,” autograph score of the version in 3 acts, Act 2, folio 142 after restoration with first version of music

Felix Krieger, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Berliner Operngruppe, travelled to Milan's Archivio Storico Ricordi in November 2018 to examine original documents on Puccini's "Edgar".

The Berliner Operngruppe with conductor Felix Krieger at the Konzerthaus Berlin.

Room in Gualtiero's house in the village of Courtrai, Act 4, set design by Riccardo Salvadori, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

Village near Courtrai, Act 1, set design by Riccardo Salvadori, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

Cover of the libretto, first printed edition

The Ensemble of the Berliner Operngruppe (from left to right): Aris Agiris, Helen Müller, Head of Cultural Affairs and Corporate History at Bertelsmann, Elena Rossi, Felix Krieger, Silvia Beltrami, Peter Auty, David Oštrek, and Steffen Schubert

Christian Krug, Editor-in-Chief New Business Areas at Gruner + Jahr, and RTL correspondent Antonia Rados

Giacomo Puccini, photograph by Achille Ferrario, Milan, at the time of “Edgar”

Gualtiero, Act 1, costume design by Adolf Hohenstein, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

En route to the after-opera reception at Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1 in Berlin

Giulio Ricordi, photograph by Varischi & Artico, Milan

Edgar, Act 4, costume design by Adolf Hohenstein, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

Telegram from Giulio Ricordi to Giacomo Puccini, 6 March 1892, about the success of the new version of “Edgar” in Turin, Teatro Regio

Fidelia, Act 1, costume design by Adolf Hohenstein, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

“Edgar,” autograph score, version in 3 acts, Act 2, folio 142

The Berliner Operngruppe led by conductor Felix Krieger presents the Berlin premiere of Puccini's "Edgar" from 1905

Wide lowlands near Courtrai, Act 3, set design by Riccardo Salvadori, Milan, La Scala, 21 April 1889

Letter from Giacomo Puccini to Giulio Ricordi, 21 March 1905, about the new, last version of “Edgar” (excerpt)

The Berliner Operngruppe choir at the Konzerthaus Berlin

The Berliner Operngruppe led by conductor Felix Krieger presents the Berlin premiere of Puccini's "Edgar" from 1905

The Berliner Operngruppe led by conductor Felix Krieger presents the Berlin premiere of Puccini's "Edgar" from 1905

Baritone Aris Agiris as Frank on stage at the Konzerthaus Berlin

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe (l.) and Karin Schlautmann, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications of Bertelsmann with the Ambassador of Ireland, H.E. Michael Collins

Conductor Felix Krieger and the Berliner Operngruppe on stage at the Konzerthaus Berlin

Terry McCarthy (left), Executive Director of the American Academy, and H.E. Michael Collins, Ambassador of Ireland, at the Konzerthaus Berlin

The Irish Ambassador H.E. Michael Collins and Marie Collins

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe (l.) with the Ambassador of Ireland, H.E. Michael Collins

The Dutch Ambassador H.E. Wepke Kingma

This was the first time Puccini's "Edgar" in the final version of 1905 was performed in Berlin

The Berliner Operngruppe led by conductor Felix Krieger presents the Berlin premiere of Puccini's "Edgar" from 1905

Soprano Elena Rossi as Fidelia on stage at the Konzerthaus Berlin

The Director General of the National Museums in Berlin – Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Prof. Dr. Michael Eissenhauer, and Dr. Veronika Braunfels

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe with RTL correspondent Antonia Rados, who recently won the German Television Prize for "Best News: Foreign Reporter"

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe (2nd from left) with the Director General of the Berlin State Museums - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Prof. Dr. Michael Eissenhauer (left), Dr. Veronika Braunfels, and Pierluigi Ledda, Director of the Archiv