Every year some of the world’s finest soloists meet at the Wolkenturm in Grafenegg. The Tonkünstler Orchestra, under the baton of Yutaka Sado, rolls out a scintillating carpet of sound in the Schlosspark. In 2021, soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen, one of the most exsiting contemporary vocalists, takes charge of the Wolkenturm. Together with tenor Benjamin Bruns and the pianist and artistic director of Grafenegg, Rudolf Buchbinder, they delight the audience with masterpieces from Schumann to Lehár. The wonderful open-air setting is illuminated by a “light score” by light artist Marcus Neustetter.
Salzburg Festival 2021: Thielemann conducts Mahler & Bruckner
After a truly magnificent performance of the Fourth Symphony in 2020, the stellar conductor returns to the Salzburg Festival with the Seventh Symphony, one of Bruckner’s most popular works. In the first part of the concert, Christian Thielemann joins forces with Latvian star soprano Elina Garanca for Mahler’s Lieder. “Expressive but without false pathos, he shapes the Rückert Lieder – audibly inspired by the magnificent Elina Garanca, whose perfectly focused voice sounds wonderfully sensual. A haunting evening”, hailed br-klassik.de. PROGRAM Mahler: Rückert-Lieder; Bruckner: Symphony No. 7
Salzburg Festival 2021: Currentzis conducts Mozart
The concerts of Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis and his musicAeterna orchestra are often more of an art performance and sacred act than just the brilliant interpretation of a musical work and are among the highlights in classical musical life. The focus of the concert by Teodor Currentzis and musicAeterna at the Salzburg Festival 2021 was on two works – the symphonies K 550 and K 551, W.A. Mozart’s final contributions to the premier class of orchestral music. “It was just a stirring concert.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) PROGRAM: Mozart: “Alzai le flebili voci al signor” Cantata K. 469; Symphony K. 550, Maurerische Trauermusik, Symphony K. 551 “Jupiter”, Aria “Non mi dir” from Don Giovanni
András Schiff in Eisenstadt
András Schiff ranks among the most successful pianists of our time. His repertoire focuses on works by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Bartok. Schiff has worked with the most of the major international orchestras and conductors, but nowadays performs mainly as a soloist and conductor. He has been awarded numerous international prizes. In the beautiful Haydnsaal of Esterházy Palace, he plays virtuoso works by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert. PROGRAM Bach : Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo, English Suite No. 3; Mozart: Piano Sonata K. 570 ; Haydn: Piano Sonata in G minor; Beethoven: Piano Sonata, Op. 81a “Les Adieux” ; Schubert : Hungarian Melody, D. 817
Salzburg Festival 2021: Barenboim & West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
Ever since its first performances in 2007, the concerts of Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra have been among the first to be sold out at the Salzburg Festival. In 2021, the orchestra presents a program including works by Beethoven, Brahms and Franck with Michael Barenboim and Kian Soltani, both members of the orchestra, as soloists. PROGRAM: Beethoven: Overture to the ballet “Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus”; Brahms: Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra; Franck: Symphony in D minor
Salzburg Festival 2021: Evgeny Kissin
Evgeny Kissin appeared in Salzburg in 2021 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. PROGRAM Chopin: Scherzo Nos 1 & 2, Polonaise in A flat major, Op. 53 “Héroïque”, Nocturne in B major, Op. 62/1, Impromptu Nos 1-3; Berg: Piano Sonata, Op. 1; Khrennikov: Three pieces for piano, Op. 5: No. 3 Dance, Five pieces for piano, Op. 2; Gershwin: Three Preludes for Piano; Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Songs Without Words, Op. 38: No. 6 Duetto
Mozart’s own Violin
Christoph Koncz brings Mozart’s violin back to life: together with Les Musiciens du Louvre, the esteemed violinist plays the Violin concertos Nos. 4 & 5. Christoph Koncz plays on Mozart’s original Salzburg concert violin, made available by the International Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg. This was the violin on which Mozart had played as concertmaster in the Salzburg Hofkapelle.
Mozart Week 2021: 94 seconds of new Mozart
Premieres and sensational finds are rare but there are still miracles happening: there is hardly any other composer whose life and work have been better researched and of whose complete works we have such a precise listing. Above all, because his enterprising father Leopold had compiled a catalogue of compositions by his child prodigy already in 1768. Now the almost impossible has occurred: a new, completely unknown work by Mozart has surfaced! The Allegro in D major K 626b/16, a three-part, dance-like piano piece lasts a total of 94 seconds. Examined for authenticity by the best international Mozart scholars, it is being performed for the first time ever in Salzburg, the birthplace of the great genius. But for what occasion was it composed, how was it handed down? Ulrich Leisinger, scientific director of the Mozarteum Foundation, answers these questions in conversation with Rolando Villazón. This lecture is embedded into a concert program starring Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho and putting the new work into context. PROGRAM Piano Sonata No. 12, Piano Piece “Pimpinella”, K. 33b; Allegro from a Salzburg Music Book; Allegro, K. 626b/16 “World Premiere”. Versions available: Talk in English: 50’/ Sonata K. 332 only: 20′
Mozart Week 2021: Opening Concert
To let Mozart’s 265th birthday pass uncelebrated just because a pandemic is raging worldwide? That was out of the question for Rolando Villazón, superstar among tenors and artistic director of the Salzburg Mozart Week! To pay tribute to the great composer, he invited the audience to a large, digital celebration concert and did not miss the opportunity to warble a few arias himself. Keri-Lynn Wilson is on the podium of the Mozarteum Orchestra, Luca Pisaroni and Giulia Semenzato bring Italian fire to the stage and sing selected Mozart arias. In addition, the concerto for flute, harp and orchestra resounds in the Mozarteum’s Great Hall. Mathilde Caldérini, principal flute of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and Xavier de Maistre on the harp compete in a contest of euphony.
Mozart Week 2021: Cara Sorella Mia – Letters and music
A concert dedicated not only to Mozart as a composer, but to Mozart the universal artist: his letters to his sister Nannerl are an art in themselves and show the wit and humor of this young and lively composer. The letters are read by the famous Austrian actress, Adele Neuhauser and are embedded into the performance of Mozart’s most beautiful sonatas for violin and piano. Played by the young violinist Emmanuel Tjeknavorian on Mozart’s own original violin and at his side playing Mozart’s original piano is Marie Sophie Hauzel. The venue is the Tanzmeistersaal of Mozart’s townhouse in Salzburg. Versions available: Concert & letters only: 68′ / Concert, letters & documentary elements: 77′. PROGRAM Violin Sonata K. 302, Violin Sonata K. 378, Violin Sonata K. 304, Violin Sonata K. 304, Violin Sonata K. 526 + Letters by W. A. Mozart to his sister Maria Anna (read in German)