Shortly after Strauss’ death, Adolf Müller Jr. compiled one of the most famous Strauss operettas from motifs from the waltz Wiener Blut (1873) and other works, which continues to carry the magic of Vienna out into the world. Nikolaus Habjan stages the piece at the magical and intimate Schönbrunn Palace Theatre as an imaginative, fast-paced romp. “Staged with charming verve and plenty of wit” (Kleine Zeitung) “By taking the emotions depicted seriously, director Habjan gets everything right when it comes to the eternally difficult subject of operetta. Love, jealousy, vanity and hurt feelings are always relevant” (Die Presse). “Staged with charming verve and plenty of wit”
(Kleine Zeitung)
On 5 April 1874, at what is now Linke Wienzeile, a world premiere took place that changed the genre of operetta and the history of the Theater an der Wien for good. To mark Johann Strauss’ 200th birthday, artistic director Stefan Herheim surprises with a fresh new production of the “queen of operettas”: Musical references that tie back to the Theater an der Wien, political warnings and precise character work make for a truly unique spin on an old classic. “Alina Wunderlin is a delightful grumpy Adele with coloratura qualities, Hulkar Sabirova throws herself wholeheartedly into the role of Rosalinde and Thomas Blondelle is a pompous, sleazy Eisenstein, just as one could wish for” (APA). Chief conductor Petr Popelka “achieves success with the confident and supple orchestra and the enthusiastic and splendid Schoenberg Choir” (Die Presse). “A brilliant performance by conductor and orchestra!” (FAZ)
“A stroke of genius” (FAZ): The Salzburg Festival has pulled off a sensational coup with The Soldier’s Tale at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, founded in 1913 and a World Heritage Site. World-renowned painter and sculptor Georg Baselitz designed the puppets for Stravinsky’s fairy tale about a poor soldier who makes a pact with the devil. Dominique Horwitz as narrator, the magnificent chamber ensemble led by violin luminary Isabelle Faust, and the expressiveness of the marionettes make this a “musical and theatrical masterpiece” (Süddeutsche Zeitung).
A panopticon of human emotions”: Barrie Kosky combines episodes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses with music by Antonio Vivaldi for the Salzburg Festival, reflecting the full spectrum of Ovid’s narrative art and Vivaldi’s musical work. Cecilia Bartoli has assembled a “world-class” (Kleine Zeitung) cast, and Gianluca Capuano and Les Musiciens du Prince deliver a “highly precise, colourful and exciting performance” (APA). “What a brilliant evening of theatre” (BR Klassik)
Raphaël Pichon, Pygmalion and an “outstanding” (Kurier) cast of singers pull off “a Mozart miracle” (Kronenzeitung) with their new project at the Salzburg Festival. The unfinished singspiel Zaide, excerpts from Davide penitente and Thamos, and concert arias merge into a semi-staged evening that highlights the themes of humanity and freedom in Mozart’s work: “What Raphaël Pichon conjured up from his two excellent ensembles is almost impossible to describe; you simply have to experience it for yourself” (Die Presse). “One of the most powerful experiences of the past decades” (Kurier) “A magnificent quintet of soloists led by the divine Sabine Devieilhe” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
Explore a fresh take on the classic Cinderella story! Inspired by Johann Strauss’s unfinished ballet, Axel Ranisch and Martina Eisenreich dream up a unique operetta that blends the original ballet’s history with a modern twist on the fairy tale. Cinderella’s Dream invites the audience on a magical journey of self-discovery, liberation, creativity, and the power of imagination. Martina Eisenreich’s music captures Johann Strauss’s artistic spirit, weaving in familiar motifs while creating a completely original musical world, which conductor Leslie Suganandarajah brings to life formidably: “The orchestra mastered the genre shifts in Eisenreich’s score, which elegantly combined Strauss, feel-good film music and twelve-tone echoes” (Die Presse). ” An accessible, entertaining, contemporary approach to the world of the Waltz King .” (Der Standard)
Filmed mainly in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal,” the Mozart symphonies conducted by Karl Böhm are all interpreted by one of the world’s foremost orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose principal conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and, of course, Karl Böhm. “Thanks to Bruno Walter’s exemplary performances, particularly of Mozart’s works, I grabbed on to Mozart and fell in love with him so much that I had only one wish: to conduct Mozart, Mozart, Mozart.” (Karl Böhm) This scintillating little symphonic gem marks a new climax in Mozart’s treatment of the form: in addition to the forceful, clear-cut themes of the first and last movements, Mozart now makes a more refined and subtle use of counterpoint. The last movement also features the most dramatic development section thus far. Although certain aspects of the work may point to the influence of Michael Haydn, Joseph Haydn’s younger brother, Mozart basically dipped into the stock of proven orchestral devices and techniques, transforming them into inimitably “Mozartean” ideas. Karl Böhm was universally acclaimed for his Mozart interpretations. Though Wagner was one of Böhm’s first loves, his friendship with Richard Strauss led to a deep knowledge and appreciation of Mozart. In his autobiography, Böhm wrote that “Richard Strauss revealed to me the ultimate secrets of this, in my opinion, greatest of all musical geniuses, Mozart.” Böhm’s discovery of these secrets transformed his Mozart interpretations into unforgettable events.
Filmed mainly in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal,” the Mozart symphonies conducted by Karl Böhm are all interpreted by one of the world’s foremost orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose principal conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and, of course, Karl Böhm. “Thanks to Bruno Walter’s exemplary performances, particularly of Mozart’s works, I grabbed on to Mozart and fell in love with him so much that I had only one wish: to conduct Mozart, Mozart, Mozart.” (Karl Böhm) The G minor Symphony is undoubtedly Mozart’s most popular work in this genre. What makes it so exciting to us – and what endeared this work to 19th-century audiences – ar its relentless passion and Romantic tension. The very first bars set the scene: above a nervous, pulsating viola accompaniment enters an equally agitated principal theme. There is nothing spectacular here, and yet the “piano” beginning – unusual for an 18th-century symphony – and the insistent rhythm are nothing less than gripping. The mastery with which Mozart then contrapuntally exploits the opening theme is simply bgreathtaking – particularly in the development section, which darts out into the most distant keys. After the profoundly touching Andante and uncompromising Minuet, the fiery Allegro assai, with its extravagant modulations in the development section, provides a worthy counterpart to the first movement. Karl Böhm was universally acclaimed for his Mozart interpretations. Though Wagner was one of Böhm’s first loves, his friendship with Richard Strauss led to a deep knowledge and appreciation of Mozart. In his autobiography, Böhm wrote that “Richard Strauss revealed to me the ultimate secrets of this, in my opinion, greatest of all musical geniuses, Mozart.” Böhm’s discovery of these secrets transformed his Mozart interpretations into unforgettable events.
Filmed mainly in Vienna’s splendid “Musikvereinssaal,” the Mozart symphonies conducted by Karl Böhm are all interpreted by one of the world’s foremost orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose principal conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and, of course, Karl Böhm. “Thanks to Bruno Walter’s exemplary performances, particularly of Mozart’s works, I grabbed on to Mozart and fell in love with him so much that I had only one wish: to conduct Mozart, Mozart, Mozart.” (Karl Böhm) Mozart’s last symphony is a solemn and formal work which looks back to the past more than its two fellow works K. 504 and 550. It contains strong reminiscences of Baroque forms like the fugue and the concerto grosso (e.g. in the opposition of clear-cut themes and the interplay of solo and tutti groups). Particularly the last movement is one of the most impressive in symphonic literature because of its unique blend of melodic flow and “scholarly” fugal treatment. Although not truly a fugue, the movement incorporates some exciting imitative work. The theme was well known and often used in the 18th century. Mozart himself used it in two of his masses and in the Symphony K. 319. The “Jupiter” Symphony, a truly Olympian work, must be viewed together with the two preceding symphonies as Mozart’s final word in a genre he raised to heights never before attained. Karl Böhm was universally acclaimed for his Mozart interpretations. Though Wagner was one of Böhm’s first loves, his friendship with Richard Strauss led to a deep knowledge and appreciation of Mozart. In his autobiography, Böhm wrote that “Richard Strauss revealed to me the ultimate secrets of this, in my opinion, greatest of all musical geniuses, Mozart.” Böhm’s discovery of these secrets transformed his Mozart interpretations into unforgettable events.
Handel’s gripping Baroque opera comes to life as a high-stakes drama of power, passion and intrigue. Dmitri Tcherniakov’s “powerful” (Kurier) production sets political rivalry against a fiery love story in the confines of an underground bunker. Christophe Dumaux is a thrilling Cesare, “with his mercurial countertenor and pointed acting” (Der Standard). At his side, Olga Kulchynska gives her Salzburg debut as a “lyrical” Cleopatra: “Bright high notes, precise filigree technique, youthful freshness: she has it all” (Salzburger Nachrichten). The rest of the cast is equally “superb” (Der Standard), above all Lucile Richardot as Cornelia “with her smouldering mezzo” (BR Klassik) and Federico Fiorio as her son Sesto. Baroque specialist Emmanuelle Haïm conducts her orchestra Le Concert d’Astrée from the harpsichord, “completely in her element” (Salzburger
Nachrichten). A scenic and musical collaboration full of intensity, imagination and electrifying theatre.
