Whether young or old, DomStufen fan or opera newcomer – they all raved about this year's DomStufen-Festspiele in Erfurt. They were interviewed by ZDF and MDR after attending one of the 20 performances of The Damnation of Faust. They were particularly enthusiastic and fascinated by the music, the set, the chorus and the overall performance of all the actors in front of the impressive backdrop. The production was exciting, sad and yet very beautiful and a good reason to come back. Roland H. Dippel praised director and set designer Ben Baur in his review for Die deutsche Bühne (of 8 July 2023) as just the right person with the "...knack for this aesthetic mixture of opulence, knowledgeable bridges to the past, sometimes pathos and minimal irony". In her review for O-Ton Kulturmagazin mit Charakter (of 9 July 2023), Jutta Schwegler discusses, among other things, the costume designer Uta Meenen. She chooses the lively scene in Auerbach's cellar, in which "... with animal masks and oversized open hanging genitals, a naked, fat, sexless priest […] in a padded full-body costume" movement comes on stage and the wide range of possibilities becomes visible through oversized and expressive costumes. In his article in the Thüringer Allgemeine Zeitung (of 8 July 2023), Wolfgang Hirsch praises above all the soloists: "The festival production is trumped by a brilliant quartet of soloists who penetrate well despite the acoustic dangers". As a DomStufen debutant and a great fan of this spectacular setting, Ben Baur has created a kind of folk theatre that, like a mystery play, transports the audience into a world full of passion, dark magic and tragedy. He himself raves about this place with its magical aura, the effect of which is not to be missed.

Come to the 30th DomStufen-Festspiele in Erfurt. Experience a special artistic treat on Germany's most beautiful open-air stage.