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Faith and the Devil
GIUSEPPE PENNISI reports on
Janácek and Strauss at the Salzburg Summer Festival
The Salzburg Summer Festival (27 July to 29 August 2011) is one of the most important European cultural events. It offers not only classical music (operas, symphony and chamber concerts), but also a section devoted to contemporary music and both classical and modern dramas. It is in a stage of transition because in 2012 a new Director General will be responsible for the event: Alexander Pereira, who has for several years been the successful Director of the Zurich Opera House. Pereira has the reputation of being less interested in experimentalism than his predecessors: it is rumored that next year only one operatic title (Zimmermann's Die Soldaten) could be considered 'rare' -- it is seldom performed, even though it was premiered over forty years ago -- and everything else would be 'safe bets' like La bohème, Carmen and Die Zauberflöte. It's hard to understand why 'safe bets' are required: in spite of the high prices, the demand for tickets is around 800,000 whilst availability is about 600,000...
Copyright © 22 August 2011
Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy
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