On Monday, the Staatsoper Berlin announced its 2019-20 program. Aside from a few potential highlights—René Jacobs leading Scarlatti and a new ballet by Georg Friedrich Haas—the programming reads like a parody of a conservative orchestra season, featuring yet another Beethoven cycle, Brahms cycle, and “Ring.” The soloists are of high quality, but belong firmly to the category “usual suspects” at the Staatsoper. This year, the house simply posted the season details online, instead of holding its traditional press conference. The Staatsoper may be attempting to avoid questions about the relationship between its orchestra, administration, and music director Daniel Barenboim. What’s next for the Staatsoper Berlin? As the dust settles on the Barenboim debate, we attempt to make sense of the discussion and analyze what the Staatsoper can learn from it.
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