The opera, set to the text of Rainer Fassbinder's play (which was the source of his 1972 film), tells the story of the fraught, sadistic relationships between a designer, her model, and her assistant. Stephanie Friede sings the title role; Rebecca von Lipinski is Karin, the model; Linda Kitchen is Marlene, the assistant. Veteran stage director Richard Jones is the director; Andr_ de Riffer conducts.

The production runs through October 7.

The season, the first fully planned by ENO artistic director Sešn Doran, will also include Benjamin Britten's Death in Venice, directed by Deborah Warner, in the first installment of a five-year Britten cycle; Ralph Vaughan Williams' Sir John in Love; Purcell's King Arthur, with the Mark Morris Dance Group; Monteverdi's Orfeo, directed by Chen Shi-Zheng; and Janšcek's Makropoulos Case, directed by Christopher Alden and conducted by Charles Mackerras.

Film director Anthony Minghella will make his first foray into opera, directing Madama Butterfly in a production conducted by David Parry.

Gadaffi, a new opera based on the life of the Libyan leader, was also originally scheduled for the upcoming season but has been postponed to 2006-07.