Weinberg’s final opera, based on Dostoevsky’s novel, condenses the plot without losing its psychological depth. Prince Myshkin, mentally ill yet believing in goodness, meets merchant Rogózhin on a train, sparking a tale of dependence, madness, and murder. The opera, rediscovered in the last decade, presents the composer Weinberg as Shostakovich’s equal. The Idiot, composed in 1986-1989, now staged in Salzburg, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski and conducted by Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla, brings the world of literature to the opera stage. The excellent cast of singers contributes to make the production a great success. Bogdan Volkov “expressive lyrical tenor touches intimately in the piano and yet remains able to cope with all orchestral storms” (BR Klassik) “(…) absolutely deserves a place in the repertoire” (New York Times) An absolute masterpiece” Gidon Kremer; “So good it hurts” (Financial Times) “This Idiot has the whole of Salzburg on the edge of its seat.” (Die Presse)
Götterdämmerung
Wagner’s immense imagination reveals itself in the composer’s 16-hour Ring cycle, being able to fully captivate worldwide audiences since its complete performance in 1876 in Bayreuth. Christian Thielemann’s conducting of “Velvety sound of unmatched beauty” (The Guardian) leads an extremely sophisticated production, with Tcherniakov’s stage that meets the highest technical standards, evolved in ever new, impressive spaces. Götterdämmerung is the concluding chapter of Wagner’s monumental four-part opus, which he conceived in the light of the revolution of 1848/49 and completed in 1874 after numerous attempts and a long interruption. In many ways, the thematic and musical threads are intertwined in a highly artistic and complex manner. “Tcherniakov, as usual, manages details on a
level rarely seen in opera.” (The New York Times)
Macbeth
With his Macbeth, Giuseppe Verdi broke with the operatic conventions of the time and created one of his darkest and most abysmal works. Directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski, the timeless drama unfolds in a new interpretation that takes the audience on an intense journey into human abysses. An opera of this kind demands not only outstanding voices but also outstanding actors. “Vladislav Sulimsky is forceful and brutish in the title role, at times truly frightening, always utterly assured.” (Financial Times) Asmik Grigorian is giving her debut as Lady Macbeth and performs “with an urgency of expression that needs no further explanation.” (Salzburger Nachrichten) “Her singing becomes a victory over expressive resistance.” (Frankfurter Allgemeine) “Philippe Jordan celebrated a triumph on the podium of the Wiener Philharmoniker” (Kurier), his “Macbeth crackles with power and electricity, propelled by its own velocity. The orchestra attacks the score with relish.” (Financial Times) “A triumph for ‘Lady Macbeth’ Asmik Grigorian.” (Kronen Zeitung)
Le Nozze di Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro is Lorenzo Da Ponte’s and Mozart‘s first of their three jointly created operas about attempts at interpersonal relationships: a turbulent comedy with erotic entanglements, which was not a harmless comedy even in Mozart’s day. Director Martin Kušej moves the drama of love and jealousy to a mafia-like urban milieu where conflicts are fought out with pistols. Young French conductor Raphaël Pichon, “original sound expert” (Der Tagesspiegel) and for the first time on the podium of the Wiener Philharmoniker, leads a young ensemble of singers around clan boss Almaviva (“vocally flawlessly brilliant: Andrè Schuen”, Hamburger Abendblatt). “Kušej’s staging is musical, Pichon’s conducting theatrical; the two work together to a degree that is far more rare than it should be. Every detail has been carefully thought through, and the symbiosis is breathtaking.” (Financial Times) “Martin Kušej’s new Figaro is slick, dark and grimly entertaining.” (Financial Times) “One will rarely, if ever, hear ‘Le nozze di Figaro’ so well balanced on stage, with such a homogeneous ensemble of such class, with such a precise Mozart sound.” (Frankfurter Rundschau)
Das Rheingold
“Michael Volle’s Wotan […] is an event, […] Rolando Villazón plays a fabulous Loge.” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) A myth, a heroic epic, a family saga – perhaps all of these together – make up Richard Wagner’s Ring tetralogy. This epic production of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden sees a remarkable collaboration between Christian Thielemann, one of the most distinguished Wagner conductors of our time, and Dmitri Tcherniakov, one of the great, internationally celebrated opera directors of our time. The result is “A glittering feast of voices, sounds, ideas and precise direction of characters. Wagner at his best.” (BR Klassik) The Rheingold gives the background to the events that drive the main dramas of the whole Ring cycle. “In this Rheingold, Thielemann mastered the art of nuance and varied interpretation like no other, and without having to bank on exaggeration.” (Bachtrack.com). “Funny and aching, ironic and horrifying” (The New York Times)
Die Walküre
Raising the curtain on a work of superlatives: the Staatsoper Unter den Linden represents the ultimate challenge for any opera house, Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen”. Christian Thielemann conducts the Ring tetralogy, and Dmitri Tcherniakov, highly praised for his psychologically sophisticated productions, led the playful all-star ensemble coherently through the panorama of characters, situations and events that unfolded like a universe and consistently interpreted the sheer vastness and the manifold twists and turns of the Ring cosmos. With the “Walküre” score, composed in the mid-1850s, Wagner reached new heights with his music, giving the orchestra remarkable communicative powers, layers of meaning were thus developed and incorporated into the work. “Enchanting magic of sound” (Die Zeit) / “Spectacular und breath-takingly precise, that’s how Thielemann illuminates the Wagner score.” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) / “Velvety sound of unmatched beauty” (The Guardian)
Siegfried
Raising the curtain on a work of superlatives: the Staatsoper Unter den Linden represents the ultimate challenge for any opera house, Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen”. Christian Thielemann conducts the Ring tetralogy, and Dmitri Tcherniakov, highly praised for his psychologically sophisticated productions, led the playful all-star ensemble coherently through the panorama of characters, situations and events that unfolded like a universe and consistently interpreted the sheer vastness and the manifold twists and turns of the Ring cosmos. “Musically, this ‘Ring’ blew away everything that had gone before – and we are talking about a performance history of more than one hundred years.” (Die Welt) In the third part of his Ring tetralogy, Wagner incorporates fairy-tale motifs into his epic mythological story. The well-known tale of “The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn Fear” is echoed in “Siegfried” as well as episodes from the medieval “Nibelungenlied”. “Andreas Schager – a heroic tenor like the world is looking for.” (Berliner Morgenpost)
Kata Kabanova
Janácek’s opera Káta Kabanová is set in a small Russian town and is based on the play The Storm by Aleksandr Ostrovsky. The story revolves around the central character, Káta – sung by “the phenomenal Corinne Winters” (Neue Musikzeitung) – who is trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive man named Boris. Despite her unhappiness, she is bound by the strict societal norms of her time and is unable to escape the situation. However, when she meets and falls in love with a young man named Vána Kudrjáš, she finally experiences happiness and passion. But their relationship is short-lived, as Boris finds out and forces Káta to confess her infidelity in front of the entire town. Overwhelmed by the shame and guilt, she drowns herself in the nearby river. The opera explores themes of social conformity, oppression, and the consequences of forbidden love. Janácek’s use of musical leitmotifs and repetitive themes reflect the characters’ emotions and psychological states, adding depth and nuance to the story. Stage director Barrie Kosky managed to create an intimate but impressive setting in the magnificent Felsenreitschule. “Jittery and balletic, ecstatic and anxious, Winters has a child’s volatile presence, and her livewire voice conveys Kát’a’s wonder and vulnerability.” (The New York Times) “Corinne Winters is “Kát’a Kabanova”: a great, luminous longing from head to toe. With director Barrie Kosky and conductor Jakub Hruša, she makes the opera in Salzburg a triumph.” (Der Tagesspiegel)
Evgeny Kissin – The Salzburg Recital
Evgeny Kissin appeared in Salzburg with compositions of the late Romantic and classical modern periods in the Großes Festspielhaus. Since his debut in 1987, the pianist has been a welcome guest at this festival, impressing with the maturity and brilliance of his playing. Kissin loves the dialogue with the audience and the direct power of the concert moment. With his solo recital, Evgeny Kissin presents the audience with a truly remarkable programme, a musical offering which inspires throughout, until the very last note fades away: “In a selection of encores, Kissin delivers the B-flat minor scherzo like a momentous pronouncement, alongside works by Debussy and Mendelssohn, as well as an original composition – he pulls them out of his sleeve, as impulsive and refined as if the concert had just begun.” (Salzburger Nachrichten) “Kissin blossoms into his full greatness” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) PROGRAM Chopin: Nocturne in B major op. 62/1, Impromptus Nos. 1–3 opp. 29, 36 & 51, Scherzo No. 1 & 2, Polonaise op. 53; Berg: Piano Sonata, op. 1; Khrennikov: Dance op. 5/3, 5 Pieces op. 2; Gershwin: Preludes for Piano; Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Andante con moto (“Duetto”) op. 38; Debussy: Clair de lune; Kissin: Dodecaphonic Tango op. 1/2
Bruckner 11: The complete Symphonies -Christian Thielemann & Wiener Philharmoniker
On the occasion of the Bruckner bicentenary, the Vienna Philharmonic recorded its first ever complete Bruckner cycle with a single conductor, Christian Thielemann. In addition to the well-known canon of nine symphonies, the two earliest Bruckner symphonies in F minor and D minor were also recorded for the first time in the orchestra’s history. This uniquely complete edition from the Musikverein and Salzburg Festival, featuring 11 symphonies also includes extensive conversations with Christian Thielemann about each symphony and insights into his rehearsal work. “In this audiovisual edition Bruckner 11, the Vienna Philharmonic pays tribute to the symphonic works of the great Austrian composer Anton Bruckner, whose 200th birthday anniversary will be celebrated in 2024. For the first time in our orchestral history we have made a complete recording of all nine symphonies and two of his brilliant yet rarely performed early works with a single conductor. We enjoy a very close artistic partnership and friendship with Christian Thielemann, who is an acknowledged expert on the music of Anton Bruckner and one of the most influential contemporary conductors in this repertoire. In this recording, our long tradition comes alive in both sound and images. We hope it will encourage people to rediscover the treasures of Bruckner’s music, a legacy that the composer bestowed upon present and future generations of music lovers.” Prof. Daniel Froschauer, Chairman of the Wiener Philharmoniker.