Rising in society and then slinking through its seamy underbelly, is Lulu a liberated woman or the ultimate victim? Challenging, unsettling and morally ambiguous, with a shocking yet inevitable denouement, this is one of the 20th century’s greatest works of art.

A new production of Lulu brings Berg’s acclaimed opera back to The Royal Opera for the first time since 1983. Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera, conducts his fourth production of this Season, using the three-act version finished after Berg’s death by Friedrich Cerha. It is a masterpiece of 20th-century opera, whose score is as rich as its decadent dramatic themes and as taut as its psychological undercurrents – and provides a showpiece for the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Taking its lead from plays by Wedekind, this is a stark and gripping drama of a woman whose journey through life provokes extreme actions from those around her as she remains cool and self-centred. Husband, lovers and figures from her past intertwine as she moves inexorably downwards from security and marriage to murder, poverty and prostitution – only to meet death at the hands of Jack the Ripper. On the stage, director Christof Loy – his Ariadne auf Naxos for The Royal Opera has been much enjoyed and revived – brings out the tense relationships and motivations that drive Lulu along the path of self-destruction with a strong cast of international singers in this demanding but rewarding work. Whether severe or sensual, the faces of Lulu are always undeniably exciting.

Run Time: Three hours 40 minutes | 2 Intervals

Performed in German with English surtitles