The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence this summer is presenting a diverse lineup of operatic works that range from the monumental to the intimate, exploring complex themes through inventive stagings and accomplished musical performances.

One of the festival’s centerpiece productions is Richard Strauss’s *Die Frau ohne Schatten*, directed by Barrie Kosky. First completed in 1917 but premiered two years later, the opera grapples with themes around fertility and human value, framed within a surreal fairy-tale narrative by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Kosky’s staging intentionally moves away from a literal interpretation of fertility, opting instead to explore the psychological and relational conflicts of the characters. Visual elements include symbolic props such as a giant rocking horse, a glittering disembodied head, and a dancer embodying seduction and fertility. The cast features Vida Miknevičiūtė as the Empress, Michael Spyres as the Emperor, Brian Mulligan and Ambur Braid portraying the Dyer and his wife, and Nina Stemme in the role of the Nurse. Critics highlight the effective, focused direction and strong vocal performances that sustain the opera’s emotional intensity. Conductor Klaus Mäkelä, relatively new to opera conducting at age 30, manages the demanding score with skill, maintaining momentum and attentiveness to the singers despite the work's vast scope.

Clément Cogitore’s new production of Mozart’s *The Magic Flute* offers a starkly different vision, situating the story's protagonists as children navigating postwar ruin in Europe. The Three Ladies are portrayed as “rubble women” amid the devastation, and Papageno struggles with hunger and survival. The production integrates onstage action with historical and fictional video images. While this concept brings fresh perspective, the decision to cast silent child actors as the characters’ physical counterparts distances the adult singers, Ying Fang and Mauro Peter, from their roles, limiting their stage presence. Musically, Leonardo García-Alarcón conducts the Cappella Mediterranea with moments of vibrancy, though uneven tempi occasionally challenge cohesion. The cast is praised for strong vocal performances, including Sabine Devieilhe’s Queen of the Night and Sean Michael Plumb’s nuanced Papageno. The chorus of boys from the Knabenchor der Chorakademie Dortmund receives particular acclaim. Audience response to the production was mixed, reflecting divergent reactions to the staging approach.

Adding to the festival’s breadth is Francesco Filidei’s *Accabadora*, inspired by Michela Murgia’s novel rooted in Sardinian folklore. The opera centers on the figure of the accabadora—an elderly woman who assists or sometimes hastens death—through the story of Nicola, a young man who loses a leg and contemplates suicide. Filidei’s score incorporates elements that evoke Sardinian folk traditions, including a Greek chorus reminiscent of local music and raw vocal textures. The production emphasizes village life customs such as weaving and baking to contextualize the narrative. While the music and performances, led by contralto Noa Frenkel as Tzia Bonaria Urrai and soprano Rachel Masclet as Maria, have been well received, some observers note the work’s treatment of its weighty ethical themes is somewhat sanguine. Tenor Hugo Brady and baritone Lodovico Filippo Ravizza offer contrasting portrayals of Nicola and his brother, supported by a chorus and instrumental ensemble from the Lyon opera company under conductor Lucie Leguay.

Together, these operatic offerings at Aix illustrate the festival’s commitment to presenting challenging and varied works that probe human experience through both venerable classics and contemporary compositions, marrying innovative direction with strong musical leadership.