The Salzburg Festival celebrates its 100th anniversary. On Thursday evening there was a traditional festival discussion with the directorate about their history, the special circumstances of the anniversary season and this year’s program.
The SN Festival Talk to see
“Culture also has to find a breath”
It is important that the cultural enterprise is asked “infinitely intensively” about its corona suitability. But it is just as important to try “to bring this culture back to life,” said the director of the Salzburg Festival, Markus Hinterhäuser. “Culture also has to find a breath”, it has to get out of agony and find new vitality again.
“We can’t help it, we have to live with this virus somehow,” said Markus Hinterhäuser on Thursday evening in a panel discussion in the SN room. If travel is possible, if other industries start operating, “we too have to find mechanisms”, and “in relative calm”.
The director assured that the Salzburg Festival would take place “in a modified form”, ie with a reduced program, to encourage other institutions. Because “we have to survive the next few months” until there is vaccination or medication. But this “effort” is “worth every effort”.
No breaks, no big operas
In order to achieve this “relative lack of excitement”, the Salzburg Festival developed a security concept which was explained in detail in the “Festival Talk”. Markus Hinterhäuser reported that this also had artistic effects: All events were played without a break. Because during breaks there is no guarantee that the distance will be maintained, added the commercial director Lukas Crepaz. In addition, the masks would have to be removed during break catering. Because: In all aisles and foyers, this year – for public as well as for employees – there is a strict mask requirement.
Markus Hinterhäuser reported that all operas in which “masses of choral singers” or many extras are required will be dispensed with this year. Therefore, Modest Mussorgski’s “Boris Godunow” and Luigi Nono’s “Intolleranza” – both of which were in the original program – were not possible. In other operas, the interruption of production due to the corona closure was no longer catchable.
“We certainly won’t make Covid fan tute ‘
What is possible? “‘Elektra’ doesn’t have a lot of staff on stage,” said Markus Hinterhäuser. However, the orchestra is very large. “But we can do that,” the director assured. And: “We do nothing that we are not allowed to do.”
And how did “Così fan tute” come about? In a conversation with Christoph Loy, who should actually have staged “Boris Godunow”, the two of them quickly agreed: “100 years without a Mozart opera is impossible.” “Così fan tutte” would both have been possible, even if “nobody will touch”. However, Markus Hinterhäuser made it clear: “We will certainly not do ‘Covid fan tute’, but ‘Così fan tutte'”.
‘Every cell in my body has, thanks!’ said “
In the first orchestra rehearsal with the conductor Joana Mallwitz, he was a little late, says Markus Hinterhäuser. When he quietly opened the door and heard the voices of the trio “Soave sia il vento”, “Every cell in my body has, thanks! ‘ said – to hear this marvel of music. “
Markus Hinterhäuser said one more thing from a “Così” rehearsal: On Wednesday he had to tell the singers, the director’s team and the stage technicians something sad: There could be no premiere this year. Everyone would have understood this and Christoph Loy replied: “Don’t worry, the nicest celebration you have given us is that it will take place.”
Salzburg Festival as “icebreaker for the others”
President Helga Rabl-Stadler also emphasized encouraging others. In all preparations it was important for her that there should be no exception for the Salzburg Festival. “We didn’t want a special solution.” But with the same rules for everyone, the Salzburg Festival wanted to be “icebreaker for the others”.
The president insisted that she never doubted, not even when it was closed strictly, that the Salzburg Festival could at least send a signal in its anniversary year.
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