Arrangement from Friday 28 to Monday 31 July 2023,
3 nights
Festival
"Macbeth" is Giuseppe Verdi’s (1813-1901) second of seven literary operas and is based on the drama of the same name by William Shakespeare. The premiere took place in 1847 at the Teatro alla Pergola in Florence, and revised versions were staged for the first time several years later in St. Petersburg and Paris. The creation of "Macbeth" falls into the late period of bel canto; Verdi dissolves the firmly established schemes in the singing and in this opera puts all his wealth of ideas into the focus of the orchestration, which was to become a signpost for his further compositions. The work was very well received on the whole, even if the lack of a love scene was criticized - in fact, "Macbeth" is one of the few operas whose plot is determined by greed for power and its resulting consequences. In 11th century Scotland, witches prophesy a future as king for the general Macbeth, which he acquires in a bloody manner. He is fired by his power-hungry wife, Lady Macbeth, whose character Verdi allows much greater room for maneuver than is the case in Shakespeare’s original. Macbeth’s tragic end concludes this opera rich in dramatic scenes. After several decades of oblivion, "Macbeth" is now part of the traditional Verdi repertoire and is performed on all the major stages.
Macbeth♪ - G. Verdi, the 29, première
Franz Welser-Möst
Maestro Franz Welser-Möst, born in Linz in 1960, has now been working in the U.S. for almost 20 years as chief conductor and music director of the Cleveland Orchestra. He has never lost his ties to his home country of beautiful (Upper) Austria however. So he makes stops in Austria with his orchestra on world tours, but he also has a close partnership with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He performs worldwide, but also at the legendary New Year’s Concert at the Vienna Musikverein. In addition, he is a summer guest at the traditional Salzburg Festival, performing concert repertoire as well as exciting opera literature. In 2018, for example, the performance of Strauss` ´Salome` with a magnificent Asmik Grigorian caused quite a stir. On his 60th birthday, Welser-Möst published his book ´Als ich die Stille fand` (´When I Found Silence`), which provides more intimate insights into his own sometimes bumpy path through life and conducting, about nature and soul, and which also criticizes the classical music scene, which in some cases ´sells out`.
Franz Welser-Möst♪ - Krzysztof Warlikowski
Asmik Grigorian
Asmik Grigorian, born May 12, 1981 in Vilnius in a family of lyrical artists, has been a soloist of the Vilnius City Opera since its inception in 2006. She has twice received the Golden Stage Cross (the highest honor for singers in Lithuania ): in 2005, on the occasion of her debut in the title role of La Traviata, and in 2016, for her portrayal of Mrs Lovett by Sweeney Todd. Her international career took off in 2016 when she performed the title role of Madame Butterfly at the Stockholm Opera House where she was once again a guest for Fedora directed by Christof Loy. In the 2019-2020 opera season, Asmik Grigorian performs Chrysothemis at the Salzburg Festival in a new production of Elektra directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski.
Asmik Grigorian♪, Vladislav Sulimsky,
Jonathan Tetelman
Jonathan Tetelman, born in Castro, Chile, in 1988, grew up with American adoptive parents in Princeton, New Jersey. A music teacher discovered the boy’s vocal talent and he took his first lessons at the American Boychoir School in Princeton. After graduating as a baritone, he continued his studies and gradually switched to tenor. In the meantime, Tetelman worked as a DJ in a Manhattan club to earn a living. He then concentrated on his singing career again. In the meantime, the charismatic singer has appeared with title roles on the stages of many renowned houses, thrilling audiences with his radiant, unmistakable tenor voice and signing an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon in the fall of 2021. His debut album will be released in the summer of 2022. Be curious about this voice, it’s worth it.
Jonathan Tetelman♪, Tareq Nazmi
Grosses Festspielhaus
Ein Deutsches Requiem - J. Brahms, the 30, 11h
Christian Thielemann
Christian Thielemann has been one of the great German conductors of our time for years. Born in 1959 in what was then West Berlin, he began his professional career in his native city at the Deutsche Oper under none other than Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989). Via various stations in Karlsruhe and Düsseldorf, among others, he moved to Nuremberg in 1988 as - at that time - the youngest General Music Director. Nine years later, Thielemann returned to Berlin to the Deutsche Oper, then led the Munich Philharmonic from 2004 to 2011, in each case also in the positions of general music director. Thielemann has been involved with the Bayreuth Festival since 2010. In 2015, he was appointed music director there. In the 2012/13 season, he moved to Dresden to join the Sächsische Staatskapelle, and in 2013 he additionally took on the position of artistic director at the Salzburg Easter Festival. Christian Thielemann maintains close ties with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras. Thielemann has received numerous awards and honors for his achievements, including his honorary doctorate from the Hochschule für Musik ´Franz Liszt` Weimar, the Richard Wagner Prize, the Prize of the Foundation for the Promotion of the Semper Opera, and honorary membership of the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Gustav Mahler Association Hamburg.
Christian Thielemann♪Soprano : Elsa Dreisig, Baryton : Michael Volle
Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Singverein
Grosses Festspielhaus
