Blog entries

Program for Whitsun Festival 2013 Announced

At a press conference, Artistic Director Alexander Pereira presented the program for the next Whitsun Festival in 2013. The overarching theme for the coming year is the topic of “sacrifice”. Cecilia Bartoli, the Artistic Director of the Whitsun Festival, is especially interested in the ambiguity which becomes apparent when one translates the German term Opfer: “Thus, in English, it means both ‘sacrifice’ and ‘victim’. But in fact and truth, isn’t the difference in most cases a matter of perspective? After all, there can be no sacrifice without someone or something being sacrificed, without an offering – the question is only on which side one finds oneself.” (Cecilia Bartoli)

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Festival Wine and Festival Beer: The New Edition 2012

Yesterday, Festival President Helga Rabl-Stadler presented this year’s Festival Wine and Festival Beer, together with winemakers Michael Moosbrugger of the Schloss Gobelsburg Winery and Josef Tesch from Neckenmarkt, as well as the master brewer and certified beer sommelier Markus Trinker of the Stiegl Brewery in Salzburg. Thus, the vivacious Mittelburgenland met the art-loving Kamptal.

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Impressive Result of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival 2012

“I am profoundly happy about Cecilia Bartoli’s enthusiasm, her unflagging passion for music and her wealth of ideas,” said Artistic Director Alexander Pereira. More than 10,500 visitors from 39 nations will have attended the 2012 Salzburg Whitsun Festival by tonight. This equals a share of 96% of tickets sold, confirming that the new concept has met with full audience approval.“It is a Whitsun miracle for the Salzburg Festival too. An enormous artistic success, thanks to the wonderful Cecilia Bartoli and the artists and programs chosen by her.” Festival President Helga Rabl-Stadler exclaimed. 

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Two Open-Air Events for the Citizens of Salzburg and the Festival’s Visitors on Cathedral Square

This summer, the Salzburg Festival will offer two open-air events for the citizens of Salzburg and Festival visitors on Cathedral Square. The first event will take place on the day the Festival opens, July 27 at 5:00 pm. Barbara Frittoli and Plácido Domingo will perform arias and duets; Zubin Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. On August 23, the new production of the opera La bohème by Giacomo Puccini will be heard in concert. Daniele Gatti conducts. Piotr Beczala takes on the role of Rodolfo, and the role of Mimì will be sung by the American soprano Ailyn Pérez. Anna Netrebko has a simultaneous engagement in New York on that day. The proceeds from the events will be donated to a charitable cause yet to be announced. 

All artists will perform without fees.

Ticket sales begin on July 2; advance reservations are not possible. 

This Year’s Festival program on ORF: Enjoy the Salzburg Festival in your Living Room!

This year will see an unusually large number of Salzburg Festival productions being broadcast by ORF. Thus, you will have the opportunity to watch not only the festive opening gala of the most traditional cultural summer festival of them all, but also various opera productions like La bohème and a Philharmonic concert at home. In addition, the ORF program focus offers numerous other Festival events and closely related features – on TV, radio and a new special channel. 

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A Brilliant Debut – Glimpses of the Festival Ball Preparations

Even at this early stage, September 1, 2012 promises to be the “crowning glory” of this year’s Festival summer: for the Festival’s closing, there will be a grand gala dinner at Salzburg’s Residenz, and then the venerable Felsenreitschule will witness the instruction: “All dance!” The culinary highlights at the gala dinner at the Residenz will be created by the award-winning chef Andreas Döllerer from Golling: his concept for the dinner unites classical and typical specialties from the Salzburg region with a pinch of originality and cosmopolitan charm.

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Discussing the Extraordinary Production of Ariadne auf Naxos with Director of Drama Sven-Eric Bechtolf

The first opera premiere of the Vienna Philharmonic at the 2012 Salzburg Festival presents a familiar work in an unfamiliar guise: Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos had its world premiere 100 years ago. The Salzburg Festival celebrates this anniversary as a way of paying homage to the three founding fathers, given that Strauss and Hofmannsthal dedicated their opera to Max Reinhardt. Sven-Eric Bechtolf directs this unconventional production, having adapted Molière’s Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, which precedes the opera in its original version.

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Young Directors Project of the Salzburg Festival 2012 powered by Montblanc

Since 2002, the international cultural brand Montblanc has supported the Young Directors Project at the Salzburg Festival, a fascinating competition for young international theater directors and their ensembles. Sven-Eric Bechtolf, Director of Drama at the Salzburg Festival, has invited directors and their ensembles from South Africa, Austria, France and South Korea.

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Mojo – A Theater Production Full of Energy for Children and Adults

Mojo is a play for children and adults. Anybody can be enchanted by the music, the actors, dancers, puppets and effects. Sue Buckmaster has developed this play, taking special care that the result is an event for younger and older people. Director of Drama Sven-Eric Bechtolf spoke to the director about the development of Theatre-Rites, the work with people and puppets and of course the production Mojo. 

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News from the dance floor – debutant couples have been sought, and found!

At the first Salzburg Festival Ball on September 1, 2012, of course it must be the debutante couples opening the ball in style. A few weeks ago, all interested dancers had been asked to apply – now the couples have been chosen. On Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at 5:00 pm, the auditions took place at the Dancing School Seifert. A total of 48 couples will open the ball. 

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