Commission to Ulrich Kreppein

Commissioned by the Landestheater Coburg, composer Ulrich Kreppein has written a multi-perspective music-theater work for soloists, choir, and orchestra. CALIGARI is based on the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and tells the story of a society gripped by fear. This silent film, released in 1920 as an echo chamber of the fears of its time, is as relevant today as it was at the beginning of the 20th century. In expressionist style, and from the perspective of the main protagonist Franzis, it tells the tale of the crazed Dr. Caligari, who uses the murderous somnambulist Cesare to grip a city with fear. Only at the end does it become clear that Franzis himself is an inmate of a mental hospital run by Caligari.

The diffuse undertone of disorientation and paranoia pervading the film draws a parallel to our contemporary mindset in an increasingly connected and confusing world. Today, fear, expressed as a loss of orientation and security, is not only relevant in terms of individual sensitivities but is also increasingly impacting political and social discourse. The music-theater project CALIGARI investigates the perceptions of people possessed by fear. A new spatial concept is to be explored here through close cooperation between direction, composition, and stage design.

This commission is supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Further Information:
landestheater-coburg.de

Dates

September 19, 2026 (World Premiere)
September 23, 2026
October 4, 2026
October 9, 2026
October 15, 2026

GLOBE Coburg