A HATTYÚK TAVA

Hiperkarma frontman Róbert Bérczesi exploded onto the Hungarian alternative scene in the early ’00s, when his unique and sincere lyrics quickly made him a cult figure in the country’s music world. Although the group has disbanded and reformed more than once over the years, it has always retained its unique, lyrical and raw sound, one in which personal struggles and inner journeys play a central role.

Attendind a performance of Messiah is always a thrilling experience, but it is especially so when Handel’s work – which has become a national classic in England – is performed by a dedicated ensemble like the legendary German flagship of the international early-music scene: the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, now with over 44 years of history behind it. The storied chamber orchestra will perform with one of the world’s finest mixed choirs, the RIAS Kammerchor, which also hails from Berlin and was founded in the years immediately following the Second World War.

What happens when the heroes of Mozart’s opera are portrayed on stage not by singers, but by finely crafted marionette figures? The Salzburg Marionette Theatre’s production offers a barely one-hour version of this iconic piece from the opera repertoire: while preserving its essential musical and dramatic pillars, it guides the audience through Tamino, Pamina, and Papageno’s adventures in a more accessible, dense form.