Giuseppe Verdi's LA FORZA DEL DESTINO is about the insurmountable power of fate and how it changes lives. The three protagonists almost seem trapped in a hamster wheel. Driven by guilt and vengeance, familiar patterns repeat themselves: they seek each other out, flee from each other, demand retribution and redemption. The finale of FORZA marks the end of the restless activities of Alvaro, Leonora and Carlo.

In the first Ambushed from Behind of this season, Berlin-based artist Mary Ocher encounters the power of destiny, that shapes all of the three main characters' actions, with the ritualistic power of art – the audience is directly involved in this immersive experience. Ocher's music also celebrates a variety of musical rituals: traditional folk meets raw '60s garage, floating clouds of voices clash with poppy synth sounds, fusing with African and Latino rhythms. It is a festival of life, and thus to a certain degree the counterdraft to Verdi's FORZA, in which the three protagonists mutually rob each other of all vital energy and ultimately destroy themselves as a result.

The power of the arts is great. Yet where exactly does it lie? What can it achieve? Whom can it reach? What interests does it serve? THE POWER OF THE ARTS is the theme of the late-night series AMBUSHED FROM BEHIND. As of the 2019/20 season it will be curated by the singer, composer and director Elia Rediger. It thus continues the series' successful concept of providing commentary on five premieres on the big stage.

Artists from the worlds of pop, rock, avant garde, fashion and visual arts will be invited as special guests to these evenings so that they may shape the events with their view of the grand opera, together with members of the house's ensemble. This season these include Bonaparte, Rediger's Brigade Futur 3, and a witch, among others.