The Salzburg Festival features an extraordinary concert of Nono’s *Il canto sospeso*, which leaves the audience “speechless.” The composition, based on farewell letters from political prisoners, narrates actor Tobias Moretti amidst challenging music executed flawlessly by Maxime Pascal, the RSO, and the Bayerischer Rundfunkchor. The second half showcases Dallapiccola’s *Il prigionero*, with baritone Georg Nigl delivering a powerful performance. The concert concludes with the audience giving both reverent applause and standing ovations. “The burning humanity of Nono’s vision seemed to possess all who listened (and played)”(Seen and Heard)
3 Stars in Vienna
Bathed in the warm light of the setting sun, Vienna’s imperial Schönbrunn Palace provides a romantic setting for this open-air concert held shortly before the final match of the Euro 2008 football championship. And shining even more brightly than the palace are the stars of the evening, Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón and Plácido Domingo. The trio’s first joint concert, given at Berlin’s Waldbühne for the 2006 football World Cup, was recorded by UNITEL CLASSICA and awarded the Platinum DVD for sales of over 50,000 DVDs in Germany and over 100,000 worldwide. The Schönbrunn concert also broke records with 3.3 million viewers watching the concert live or deferred in Germany and Austria.