When Renata was still a child, an angel of light appeared to her; he called himself Madiel. From then on, there was only Madiel in Renata’s life. But when she grew older and also wanted to be physically united with the angel, Madiel left her. Ever since, Renata has been in search of him – and absolute, perfect, boundless love. At a shabby inn, Ruprecht now encounters Renata, who believes she is being pursued by demons and is still desperately searching for Madiel. Initially, to Ruprecht Renata seems to be easy prey for a night, but he ultimately falls for the troubled woman tormented by hallucinations – almost to the point of self-abandonment. Together, Renata and Ruprecht embark on a quest to find Madiel. Against the backdrop of the darkest German Middle Ages, in which female sexuality is demonised and women who fully express their erotic impulses are burnt as witches, a menacing journey into physical and psychological extremes begins for the pair, ending with Renata’s brutal execution by the Inquisition. In his eponymous novel – on which Prokofiev’s opera is based – Valery Bryusov processed his own experiences, entirely in accordance with the demands of the Russian Symbolists, who postulated that life should be entirely aligned with art. For Prokofiev, what is probably his most sombre opera was also to become his most painful artistic experience. Although interest in The Fiery Angel, completed in 1928, was initially shown not only in Paris, but also in Berlin and New York, this complex work was performed on stage only after Prokofiev’s death in 1955. Not least, the principal character of the piece reflects Prokofiev’s own inner conflict – between Christian belief and unbridled desire, order and excess. After his successful production of Die Soldaten, the director Calixto Bieito will once again be working at Zurich Opera House; Gianandrea Noseda, an acknowledged authority on the Russian repertoire, will be at the rostrum. The Lithuanian soprano Ausrine Stundyte will be débuting in the demanding role of Renata.