With La forza del destino, Verdi broke new ground in the 1860s. The title itself refers to this paradigm shift, as it does not refer to the name of a character or a historical event, but rather evokes the universal concept of the «power of fate». Accordingly, the composer wrote a four-act opera that is a drama of ideas, dealing with the fate of entire social classes and peoples. Building on this, director Frank Castorf creates connections to the Spanish Civil War of the 20th century and the fight against fascism in the Second World War, weaving the individual fates of the characters with the horrors of colonial history. In this production by the legendary Frank Castorf, the «triangle of fate» is this time embodied by an internationally sought-after trio comprising Guanqun Yu, Pavel Yankovsky and Luciano Ganci, who is making his debut at the theatre. Massimo Zannetti, who has often appeared as a guest conductor at the Berlin State Opera, takes the podium at the Deutsche Oper Berlin for the first time in this revival.