In these conditions, full of uncertainty about when and how actors can start rehearsing and performing, and audiences come to the gym, the new management of the theatre is embarking on a post of the Director Bogdan Roscic and chief conductor Philippe Jordan, who presented an ambitious plan of the season 2020/21, and with it the program of their planned radical restructuring of this leading Institute of the Opera world.
For the next scheduled record season ten premieres, of which only two performances will be completely new, including a new “Parsifal” staged by Kirill Serebrennikov in April 2021 to replace a relatively new production by Alvis Hermanis, running in Vienna from 2017. They added two more co-productions and six transfers on the Vienna stage the sensational over the last two decades radical works of “Director’s Opera” such as “Eugene Onegin” by Dmitry Chernyakov 2006 of the Bolshoi theatre, Carmen Calixto of Bieito, delivered on the 29 stages of the world, and “Macbeth” by Barry Koski from Zurich. And to complete the message to the world about the denial of the last decade Meyer, revived two old plays of the inventory of the Vienna Opera – “the marriage of Figaro” Jean-Pierre Ponnala and “ELEKTRA” Harry Kupfer, and the former, until recently the repertoire of the performances, respectively, 2011 and 2015 productions are written off in archive. To the satisfaction of some and despair of others and the concern of the third it is safe to say that the Vienna Opera will never be the same.
the New Director, appointed three years ago and who came to theatre from industry record – his last position was managing SonyClassic Studio in new York – was going to make a presentation not in the ordinary press conference, but on the main stage, with audience and actors on stage. Turned out quite differently: in the television program, in the empty room. And, answering the first question of the leader, when the theater will return to normal operation, and is he confident that his plans were fully realized, said: “the Honest answer is nobody knows. All I can say is that the Vienna Opera will open again and that we will do everything to ensure that under all the scenarios, she came back at the highest level of their capabilities”.
Plans for next season, including with the production from so many “strangers” plays, Rossich explained the task “time to update the most the repertoire – both musically and scenically”. And in the plan for five years – for this period are appointed Director of the Vienna Opera – he’s every season to do a private premiere of one of Mozart’s Opera, one of Wagner’s operas and one Opera of the XX-XXI centuries. And “open theatre” for a different audience, including one that never before it was not.
an Important innovation is the appearance in the theatre’s chief conductor – or, as it is called��t in the German-speaking world, “generalmusikdirektor”. In 2014, when Frants-‘zer Places resigned from this post, Meyer single-handedly ran all aspects of theatre. Now, the Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan, who until recently headed the Vienna Symphony orchestra, along with his work at the Paris National Opera, will not only stand behind the Board in the key performances, but also to the entire musical part, while in Vienna, according to Ruscica, “more than half of the season.”
he told Jordan, who participated in the presentation by teleconference from Paris, the cornerstone of the joint Rossicum work, they chose to create a “mozartian” ensemble. It is expected that in subsequent years, Barry Koski put on the Viennese scene, the entire “Da Ponte cycle” – the “marriage of Figaro”, “tutte” and “don Juan”, and the singers, who gather in the theatre this season, will become a part of this ensemble.
in the meantime, it’s 7 September, Jordan needs to stand behind the console the first premiere – “Madame butterfly” by Puccini with Asmik Grigorian in the main party in the well-known directed by Oscar winner Anthony Minghella, which first appeared in 2005 at the English national Opera, and then successfully held in new York. And the very next day, September 8, – “ELEKTRA” of Richard Strauss in the restored Director Harry Kupfer, when the remote will Frants-‘zer Places. Quite symbolic: the performances are already deceased Directors with two main conductors for remote control – past and present. How realistic are such plans in the context of the ongoing epidemic restrictions? Jordan says he doesn’t know whether to meet the artists, and vaguely hints at what the theatre has contingency plans.
Following the Prime Minister – 12 October. Mozart’s Opera “the abduction from the Seraglio,” which was not in Vienna in 2000, will be moved from Stuttgart Director Hans Neuenfels. And October 25 – “Eugene Onegin” by Tchaikovsky at once provoked violent controversy in Moscow staged by Dmitry Chernyakov. Behind the Board – Czech conductor Tomas Hanus. Onegin will sing Andre Swan, Tatiana – Tamuna of Gochashvili, Lena – Bogdan Volkov, Olga – Anna Goryacheva.
In November it is expected the first ballet premiere ballet Mahler, Liveпоставит the new head of Vienna state ballet Martin Slapper.
on the 13th of December – presentation of the Opera by the German composer Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012) on the novel by Yukio Mishima “the Sailor who fell out of love with the sea” – the first of the promised Rossicum modern operas. In December Jordan will be conducted by the restored “Knight of the rose” Richard Strauss in a classic Viennese staged by Otto Schenk, and January 24, will stand in in the other important recovery old Vienna “marriage of Figaro” Jean-Pierre Ponnala returning is bad, frankly, in��of rsii coming here since 2011.
Anita Rachvelishvili and Charles Castronovo are expected on 6 February in which has already become a classic of modern Opera production of Bizet’s “Carmen” by the Spanish Director Calixto bieito of survivor 29 scenes and landed on its now turned into a stamp poszarpane cars to the Vienna scene. And in less than a month, March 4, Vienna waits for “La Traviata” in the version of the talented young Director Simon stone, who impressed last summer in Salzburg his “Medea”. This “La Traviata” with South African soprano pretty Gjende in the main party already saw Paris last fall, and now a co-production of Paris and Vienna should appear in the Austrian capital, where the last years living stone.
But the main event is expected in early April, when – according to tradition, on Holy week and Easter, there will be the “Parsifal” of Richard Wagner. This time in the new version of Kirill Serebrennikov with the stars team Jonas Kaufmann – Louis these of Elina Garanca. Evil tongues had already frightened of what awaits the audience in this sacred drama. And the participants of the Vienna state Opera celebrated the musicianship of cult Director, who writes his notes to the actors in the score. Characteristically, the previous Parsifal in Vienna were made by Alvis Hermanis only four years ago and, although it was criticized for its superficiality, for such a speedy rejection of it – is another sign of denial “Meyer era” the new management of the theatre.
In April – premiere of “Faust” by Gounod directed by Frank Castorf with Bernard de Billy at the console and Juan Diego flórez on stage. At the end of may – “the Coronation of Poppea” Monteverdi staged by Yana Louvers, memorable to the audience at the Salzburg festival 2018. On June 10, – new to Vienna “Macbeth” by Verdi at the Zurich version of Barry Koski with Anna Netrebko and Luca Salsi in the main roles.
Your dose of the stars of the theatre will regularly be offered to the public throughout the season. Netrebko will be released on the Viennese stage and in “Tosca” in December. In January to replace her in this beloved public Opera will be Sonia Yoncheva. And Jonas Kaufmann, in addition to “Parsifal,” more expected in the French version of “don Carlos” in September, along with Ildar Abdrazakov and Igor golovatenco. Another star name – Placido Domingo – standing Billboard in September, “Simone Boccanegra” with Hibla Gerzmava, and in January – in “Nabucco” by Verdi.
the names of the prominent Russian singers still visible in the Vienna poster. Dmitry Korchak few times per season will take the stage of the state Opera in “Don Pasquale” by Donizetti, together with Boris Pinkhasovich, and Irina Lungu in “Romeo and Juliet” by Gounod.
the New management of the theatre was greatly reduced and updated a permanent troupe, and also established a youth programme. From over a thousand applicants SEL��twelve lucky Ali, with whom he entered into contracts for two years, said Roscic. Many familiar names, including Russian artists, disappeared from the posters. But they were replaced by new ones, including a young Russian baritone Sergey kaydalov.
Abandoning the children’s stage at the basement theatre on the next street, the Vienna Opera will deliver two performances for children in his famous building on the Ringstrasse. This is “the Barber of Seville for children” on the main stage and a children’s version of “the Abduction from the seraglio” which will take place in the format of boardwalk on the stairs and in different theater lobby. None of the previous children’s operas remained in the repertoire.
one more important innovation of the new season: it has a days, sometimes several in a month that say “Closed for the rehearsal.” When “conveying” the work of the Opera house with the largest repertoire, where, under the former directorship played 280 performances over 300 days of the season, constantly had to hear complaints about the lack of orchestral and stage rehearsals. We assume that these rehearsal days – part of the installation of the new management of theatre quality.
– I never liked the idea to evaluate an institution as the Vienna Opera, in the occupancy of the hall, said in a television presentation of Bogdan Roscic, in absentia polemizing with its predecessor Meyer, who was proud that the hall was always filled. The Vienna state Opera exists to be gorgeous, to offer experiences of the absolute highest level that no one else can offer and without which life would be poor. But if you do, then you will have a room full.
