Opera, Theatre and Concerts - Salzburg with new 'Jedermann''
Money, violence, and male power dominate not only the current news landscape, but also the upcoming Salzburg Festspiele. This is evident in the new production of the play "Jedermann", which kicks off the renowned opera, theater, and concert festival on a Saturday (20.7.).
For director Robert Carsen, the question arose whether the main character in Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Jedermann is someone like Austrian real estate tycoon René Benko or the convicted cryptocurrency fraudster Samuel Bankman-Fried. Carsen remarks: "He has earned a lot of money," and he did so in a short time.
A Man and Two Former Men
This year's Jedermann, Michael Maertens, is still appearing in Salzburg. He reads from the prison letters of Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian labor camp in February. And another former Jedermann is joining in: Tobias Moretti is the speaker in a concert performance of the works "Il canto sospeso" and "Il prigioniero", where resistance against oppression and fascism is the focus.
Russia Focus
The renowned Austrian festival is presenting three new operatic productions this summer. In Mieczyslaw Weinberg's work "The Idiot", a Russian prince is at the center, whose good character today seems almost scandalous in the face of Putin's Ukraine war and Gaza conflict, writes Dramaturg Christian Longchamp. The Lithuanian conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla leads the Krzysztof Warlikowski-directed performances.
Benko associations also come up, according to Intendant Markus Hinterhäuser, in the Prokofiev opera "The Gambler". Director Peter Sellars brings the story of greed and quick winnings to the stage. The leading soprano soloist of the festival, Asmik Grigorian, and the American tenor Sean Panikkar are in the leading roles.
As a contrast to the many current connections, Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffmann" ("Hoffmann's Stories") explores a 19th-century artist's soul. Regisseur Mariame Clément wants to shed light on the relationship between art and reality in her new production. In addition, two operas by Mozart born in Salzburg are on the program: "Don Giovanni" and "Clemenza di Tito".
History Lessons on the Theater Stage
The new head of the Festspiele's drama department, Marina Davydova, also focuses on significant themes and names. Director Thom Luz is bringing a theater adaptation of Stefan Zweig's collection "Moments in the History of Humanity", in which historical events around famous men like Napoleon or Lenin are depicted as the result of mistakes or coincidences.
The theater program also includes a dramatic adaptation of Thomas Mann's novel "The Magic Mountain" and the dance production "Mirror Neurons", where the audience reflects on themselves in a literal sense through a giant mirror.
Nicolas Stemann presents his version of the ancient blood-and-revenge epic "Orestie" from texts by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. The new adaptation "arises against the background of a present in which democracy is increasingly being questioned and – similar to pacifism – is being treated as an outdated model", according to the program text.
In total, 220,000 tickets were put on sale in Salzburg this summer for 172 performances at 44 days. Towards the end of the festivals, German composer and theater maker Heiner Goebbels (71) presents his performance "Everything That Happened and Would Happen". In this 2018 premiered work, Goebbels deals with the destructive history of Europe. He begins with the First World War, which broke out 110 years ago, in the summer of 1914.
- Tod, a frequent visitor of the news stand, often finds headlines about money, violence, and male power dominating the current news landscape.
- At the forthcoming Salzburg Festspiele, Philipp Hochmair might be interested in the new production of "Jedermann," as it tackles themes of male power and wealth.
- Among the people attending the Festivals, some may appreciate the concert performance of "Il canto sospeso" and "Il prigioniero," which features Tobias Moretti and explores resistance against oppression.
- Alexei Navalny's prison letters, now being read by Michael Maertens in Salzburg, serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of male power and greed.
- René Benko's associations with power and wealth can be seen in the Prokofiev opera "The Gambler," which premieres during the Festivals.
- Festival-goers will also be able to attend "The Tales of Hoffmann" ("Hoffmann's Stories"), a production that explores the complex relationship between art and reality in 19th-century Austria.
- German composer and theater maker Heiner Goebbels, presenting at the Festivals, deals with the destructive history of Europe in his work "Everything That Happened and Would Happen," focusing on events like the First World War.
- Punishment camp survivors or advocates may find solace in attending the dramatic adaptation of Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain," as it delves into themes of trauma and healing.
