Opéra national du Rhin

The Opéra national du Rhin is an opera company which performs in Alsace, eastern France.

[2] During the German era up to 1919, several eminent conductors held posts at the Strasbourg opera: Hans Pfitzner (1910–19), Wilhelm Furtwängler (1910–11), Otto Klemperer (1914–17) and George Szell (1917–1919).

[1] From 1948–53, under Roger Lalande, the theatre saw the first French productions of Peter Grimes (1949), Mathis der Maler (1951), and The Rake's Progress (1952).

The spirit of innovation continued under Frédéric Adam, director from 1955–72 – a Ring with Birgit Nilsson and French premieres of Il prigioniero, Oedipus rex, Jenůfa, Die Frau ohne Schatten and Dalibor; there was also a production of Les Troyens.

In the early years, Lombard attempted to revive the repertoire, as well as attract big names such as Birgit Nilsson, Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Régine Crespin, and Mirella Freni.