Human sacrifice and singing German genitals

Those are just a couple of the things you can look forward to in Jörg Widmann's brand new opera Babylon, "the opaque love story of an exiled Jew, a Soul and a Babylonian priestess through seven scenes involving two conflicting versions of the Flood, human sacrifice, a jaunt to the underworld and seven singing planets. Ezekiel, Death, a Scorpion Man, several singing phalluses and vulvas, and a troupe of monkeys all put in an appearance."

It was premiered at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich last weekend in a production directed by Carlus Padrissa of La Fura dels Baus.

On Saturday, November 3, it becomes the first opera this season to be streamed live and free on www.staatsoper.de/tv. Subtitles in German and English will be available.

The stream starts at 19.00 CET (6pm UK) and includes an introduction and backstage interval features. It will not be available on demand afterwards.

The trailer above is just production clips; the one below features interview and explantory material (in German) as well.

For your diary, here are the rest of the planned live streams this season: