Barrie Kosky, one of the most innovative opera directors of our time, creates a new interpretation of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at the Vienna State Opera with a very young ensemble: Andrè Schuen and Hanna-Elisabeth Müller in the roles of Count and Countess Almaviva, Peter Kellner as Figaro, Patricia Nolz as Cherubino. Susanna’s role is interpreted by both Ying Fang (acting) and Maria Nazarova (singing), as Ying Fang could not sing due to a vocal cord illness. Philippe Jordan conducts the Orchestra of the Wiener Staatsoper and together they “deliver an ideal mixture of elegant lyricism and concentrated expression – each and every one” (Wiener Zeitung) // “Beauty and pointedness are combined in the noblest way.” (Der Standard) // “A triumph of Barrie Kosky’s directorial brilliance – hilarious yet deeply engaging and thought-provoking.” (klassik-begeistert.de)
Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler and Bartok
Andris Nelsons and the Wiener Philharmoniker explore the brilliance of Béla Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and the emotional depths of Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Passionate but restrained, Andris Nelsons conducts both masterpieces with superb clarity and precision: Mahler’s famous Adagietto unfolds with “unreal shimmer and dark glow” (BR Klassik). Yefim Bronfman is the soloist in one of the most difficult piano concertos ever written and impresses with “impeccable technique, expressive power, and a touch of swing” (Der Standard). The concert is part of the Wiener Philharmoniker’s Mahler cycle with Andris Nelsons.
Lohengrin
The Wiener Staatsoper presents a Wagner classic staged by duo Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito, who showcase Lohengrin as a crime thriller with a twist. At the podium is Christian Thielemann, who more than proves his reputation as the Wagner-expert par excellence. On stage, David Butt Philip as the titular Lohengrin is a “heldentenor with radiance and stamina” (Kleine Zeitung), while Malin Byström portrays an Elsa who might not be as innocent as the libretto suggests and convinces with “dramatic furore” (Der Standard). Anja Kampe sings her Ortrud “beautifully, yet so expressively, with such diction” (Kurier) and Martin Gantner’s Telramund is “flawless in its precision” (News). / “When it comes to Wagner, Christian Thielemann really is in a class of his own” (Der Standard) / “The choirs were a force to be reckoned with, and the orchestra proved its outstanding quality in harmony with the great Wagnerian Thielemann” (Salzburger Nachrichten)