When does the performance take place?

The premiere of The Chalk Circle takes place on 03.10.2026 at 6:30 PM at Theater Duisburg.

How long does the opera last?

The stated performance duration is approximately 3 hours including a break.

Is the performance suitable for a young audience?

The production is recommended for ages 14 and up.

Where is the venue located?

The performance will take place at Theater Duisburg - Grand House at Opernplatz in 47051 Duisburg.

What is the ticket price?

Tickets start at 20 euros according to the ticket overview; higher-priced tickets are also available depending on the seating category.

Is the theater accessible for people with disabilities?

Theater Duisburg is a historic building with limited accessibility. An elevator is currently not available; designated parking spaces are provided for people with disabilities on Moselstrasse.

Zemlinsky's The Chalk Circle unfolds in Theater Duisburg as moving opera theater full of tension and brilliance

Name: The Chalk Circle
Start: 2026-10-03T20:30:00+02:00
End: 2026-10-03T23:30:00+02:00
Location: Theater Duisburg – Großes Haus

An opera evening between power, compassion, and musical tension

With The Chalk Circle, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein brings Alexander Zemlinsky's rarely performed opera to Duisburg – a work that combines poetic realism, societal harshness, and jazzy shimmering sound colors into an intense stage experience.

A material with impact and timeless questions

The opera is based on Klabund's play after a Chinese singspiel from the 14th century. At its center is the old, still burning question of justice: Who deserves the child, who deserves the inheritance, who deserves the power? Zemlinsky does not shape this into a museum piece, but rather a music theater of striking directness, in which despair, tenderness, and social coldness are closely intertwined.

Sound attire with brilliance and bite

The Duisburg production will be presented as an opera in the German language with surtitles and lasts about three hours including a break. It promises a dense listening experience, supported by colorful orchestral work, precise dramaturgy, and a score that flashes between lyrical intimacy and nervous movement. It is precisely this tension that makes Zemlinsky's work a rarity that operates directly on stage.

Direction, stage, and atmosphere in the Grand House

In the Theater Duisburg, the piece unfolds in the Grand House as a full-length music theater premiere with great spatial presence. The historic house at the Opera Square offers the perfect setting for a production that requires psychological hardness and scenic expressiveness. The audience experiences operatic art not as distance but as an immediate theater atmosphere with clear acoustics, generous stage space, and focused attention on the characters.

A work for today's eyes

The Chalk Circle tells not only of a historical world but also of abuse of power, social inequality, and the fragility of care. This is exactly where the present of this evening lies: The opera highlights moral decisions in stark light and forces reflection. Those seeking strong direction, musical sophistication, and a culturally demanding stage experience will find a particularly present opera evening here.

Conclusion

The Chalk Circle at the Theater Duisburg promises an unusual, sonically distinctive, and dramatically compelling operatic encounter. The audience can look forward to an intense interplay of music, scene, and emotional height. Anyone wanting to experience extraordinary music theater live should not miss this date.