For the very first time in the orchestra’s history, the Wiener Philharmoniker have engaged themselves to a complete Bruckner Cycle and chose the renowned Bruckner expert Christian Thielemann as conductor. The first recordings met with great enthusiasm and approval. “Only the highest musical perfection sounds like this” (Kurier). Bruckner’s program is greatness, pathos, sublimity. “With their warm string and beautiful brass sound, the Wiener Philharmoniker are ideal partners for him” (BR Klassik). The large-scale Bruckner Cycle extends to the composer’s 200th birthday in 2024. The Wiener Philharmoniker, who premiered four of the nine Bruckner Symphonies, are more familiar with this music than any other orchestra.
Thaïs
With the “Méditation”, Jules Massenet probably wrote one of the most famous melodies of our time. It originates from his Comédie-lyrique “Thaïs”, which – unlike Massenet’s operas “Werther” or “Manon” – never made it into the international opera repertoire. Presumably because the two main roles of Thaïs and Athanaël demand something almost superhuman from the singers. In the new production by Peter Konwitschny at the Theater an der Wien, the American soprano Nicole Chevalier is one of the most exciting singers currently on stage in the title role. At her side, the young Austrian bass-baritone Josef Wagner celebrates his house debut.
Thielemann conducts Bruckner No. 1
For the first time in the orchestra’s history, the Wiener Philharmoniker have engaged themselves to a complete Bruckner cycle and have invited worldwide renowned Bruckner expert Christian Thielemann to take the podium. The performance of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 1 is part of this large-scale Bruckner cycle, which extends to the composer’s 200th birthday in 2024. “Unheard-of luxury” Wiener Zeitung
Thielemann conducts Bruckner No. 5
To mark Anton Bruckner’s bicentenary in 2024, Christian Thielemann, the Wiener Philharmoniker and Unitel are recording the first Bruckner cycle with a single conductor in the orchestra’s history. Under Christian Thielemann’s baton the sound is resonant and glowing, the buildup of tension and release perceptively handled and each solo is impeccably played by some of the world’s best musicians. “The interpretation of the Fifth may also be considered a milestone. The way the musicians realized this work was simply magnificent.” Kurier
100 Years Salzburg Festival – From Austria to the World
The world’s largest classical music festival attracts thousands of music and theater lovers from all over the world to the city of Mozart every year. Since Max Reinhardt, Hugo von
Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss founded the Salzburg Festival in 1920, the Salzburg Festival has established itself as the world’s most important festival of the performing
arts. The film portrays the festival and traces its incredible rise: From its beginnings as a peace project after the First World War, through the myth of the Jedermann (Everyman)
to the present day. What makes the Salzburg Festival so special and unique? Answers are provided by the festival organizers and some of the most internationally renowned
festival artists – including Tobias Moretti, Daniel Barenboim, Teodor Currentzis, Anne-Sophie Mutter or Peter Sellars.
Salzburg Festival 2020: Jedermann
It is the centerpiece of the Salzburg Festival and an incontrovertible institution: For its 100th anniversary, the Salzburg Festival is offering an opulent, effective Jedermann by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. “Tobias Moretti plays with great commitment, Caroline Peters gives a brilliant performance” Salzburger Nachrichten
Idomeneo
Idomeneo is considered as the first of the seven uncontested masterworks of Mozart’s dramatic œuvre and it is perhaps even the most revolutionary and forward-looking of his work. In “Kasper Holten’s coherent production” (Die Presse) Bernard Richter was “a cultivated bright tenor with beautiful expressive moments” (Kronen Zeitung). “Valentina
Nafornita performed the role of Ilia with passion and reached every height with ease and Irina Lungu portrayed Elettra as a great tragic figure and unfolded her soprano with verve in the final aria” (Kurier). Conductor Tomáš Netopil provided with the orchestra “gripping moments from the virtuoso overture onwards” (Kronen Zeitung).
Orlando
Orlando is the first work commissioned from a woman for the Vienna State Opera. Olga Neuwirth, for a long time one of the great composers of the present, succeeds with this opera in creating a captivating arc across many musical genres. An exciting, socially critical production by Polly Graham who puts a fantastically singing and playing Kate Lindsey in the center of the action. Opernwelt made it “First performance of the year” in its annual hit list. “The premiere of the season” Die Zeit
Bregenz Festival 2019: Don Quichotte
French director Mariame Clément takes a clever and exhilarating look at modern heroism in Jules Massenet’s operatic rarity Don Quichotte: “a striking interpretation” (Neue Musikzeitung). But this opera is also a musical discovery, not least because of the outstanding cast starring Gábor Bretz as Don Quichotte, David Stout as Sancho and Anna Goryachova as Dulcinée. In the pit, Daniel Cohen leads the Wiener Symphoniker to a dynamic- differentiated performance. A musically as visually absolutely rewarding evening!
Salzburg Festival 2019: Simon Boccanegra
Giuseppe Verdi’s emotional political thriller, brilliantly captured in Andreas Kriegenburg’s puristic staging, becomes a musical feast in Salzburg with a high-class ensemble including René Pape, Luca Salsi, Marina Rebeka and Charles Castronovo. Conductor Valery Gergiev gives a “musically differentiated and overall convincing interpretation of Verdi’s sonically immensely subtle score” (Die Zeit). The Wiener Philharmoniker and the choir of the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor perform superbly.