After the technical director, Klaus Kretschmer, was found mangled under a bridge just outside of Salzburg in a failed suicide attempt, even more attention has been focused on the yearly Salzburg Easter Festival, founded by Karajan in 1967. Klaus Kretschmer was relieved earlier of his duties when it seemed he was connected with the festival executive director’s, Michael Dewitte, ongoing fraud.
Michael Dewitte on the other hand was relieved of his duties in December, after being exposed of regularly diverting 5% of the sponsor’s funds to a secret bank account (approximately €2 million/$ 2.8 million according to Audit Services Austria). The executive director also transfered a €300,000 part of a festival donation to a non-existent Carribean based company with a northern Cyprus bank account. Michael Dewitte fled to his Belgian homeland in an attempt to avoid Austrian law. Exactly the extent of damages might never be known. Perks such as Dewitte’s wife on the payroll, or that €585 could even be claimed for a taxi cab ride from Salzburg to it’s airport, are hard to factor in. In a Der Standard article today a list of some of the most embarrassing findings are:
Dewitte’s wife hired “without a job description” earned €6,000 in 2006, rose to €43.673 in 2009.
17.983 tickets sold in 2001 sank to 14.186, yet tickets given away went from 728 to 3.307 in 2001, in 2006 free tickets rose to 6,350
Dewitte’s salary rose from €133.834 in 2001 to €233.677 in 2009
travel/board costs rose from €33.000 to €91.000 in 2009
Eight other names have since been released in involvement with the embezzlement among Michael Dewitte and Klaus Kretschmer, according to Gabi Burgstaller, president of the festival and governor of the state of Salzburg. However, Burgstaller’s haste for the spotlight may be her undoing as more questions surface as to why she was unaware about the financials for so many years. In the meantime everyone is quickly washing their hands of the affair. The festival’s two auditing firms have each backpedaled their way out, one claiming it was only responsible for compiling annual reports and not detailed audits, the other stated it only audited the annual reports not the books themselves.
The festival runs from March 27th to April 5th, and will feature Richard Wagner’s “Goetterdaemmerung,” conducted by Sir Simon Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Last week the annual world renowned Viennese competition, Hans Gabor Belvedere, completed it’s final round with some dramatic results.
The 28th international Belvedere opera competition received around 3,000 singers for the qualifying rounds that took place in nearly 50 cities around the world. This has been whittled down to 143 singers for the Vienna finals.
Pretty Yende (South African competitor, age 24) won 1st place for Opera, 1st place for Operetta, Prize of the Audience, Prize of the International Media-Jury, Special Prizes of: Der Deutschen Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf-Duisburg, Des Opernhauses Graz, Des Stadttheaters Klagenfurt, Teatro alla Scala Milano, Fundaçao Calouste Gulbenkian Lisboa, Chambre Professionnelle des Directeurs D´Opera Paris, and Soroptimist International – Wiener Clubs.
The US did really well with tenors Gaston Rivero and Sean Panikkar winning 2nd place for Opera and Operetta.
Having rehearsals nearly every day for the last several months combined with a seemingly endless Austrian winter has really taken it’s toll. So it’s the perfect time to talk about some local all-natural aids here in Europe to help sing through a cold.
After getting over a nasty cold recently, I couldn’t seem to shake off the congestion. It made it difficult for me to sing in my top range. If I took however the strong decongestants I brought with me from the States, my voice would suffer, something I did not have the downtime for. My Austrian voice teacher recommended Tavipec, which can be bought in any pharmacy for less than 4 euros for a box of 30 without prescription here. It looks like small fish oil capsules, but is instead filled with a type of spike lavender oil. When the spike lavender oil is ingested, it acts as an expectorant clearing out the mucus without drying you out. Oddly, I could only find spike lavender oil sold in the US as a topical oil to treat the skin. Suggested use is 3 capsules a day, but I personally take about 5.
Propolis tincture was recomended by an interpreter friend of mine. Very popular in the interpreting community to speak comfortably for hours with a sore throat, Propolis both soothes the throat while boosting the immune system. If you are wondering why it smells a little like wood floor cleaner… Propolis is created by bees as a hive sealant and contaminant sterilizer and may have been used by Stradivari in his wood resins.
Recently, the Neapolitan’s San Carlo was reopened after renovations. What a lovely little gem. I’ve pulled some pics off of La Republica to see just what I’m talking about.
Donizetti composed 16 operas for this venue included Lucia di Lammermoor. Verdi had an orchestra pit added to better suite his works, and wrote Alzira, Luisa Miller, and Un ballo in maschera for this theater. Click on the photos for a larger view.
Well I finally got a new “Handy” (what Austrians call mobile phones). The first thing I did after charging it, was to find some practical software for my shiny unlocked travel phone. I came across the Internet Dictionary Project (IDP) and the Freedict organization. Both offer free dictionaries that can be installed on mobile phones and PDAs.
Because I wanted to install more than one dictionary, it was necessary to rename some of the executable files so that they would not be replaced by the previous language installed. Also, the amount of entries are nowhere near as large as I would have liked: so don’t throw away that Langenscheidt. However, unlike my dictionary I always have my cell phone on me.
For convenience I’ve added the dictionaries I use on my blog:
Linz, Austria will be the EU city of culture in 2009 making its New Years celebration extra special.
The tiny steel-industry city, proud of it’s 1.9 kilometer subway, is undergoing a massive public transport overhaul as well as a contruction boom thanks to the 100 million euros it received to prepare Linz for it’s new role. Taxis will be upgraded to eco-friendly hybrids, natural gas, or electric cars, and numerous parking garages are being built throughout the city. On top of that, for the first time Linz will have 24/7 public transportation. Cars will be strictly limited on December 31st requiring many to use the new public transportation for their New Years plans.
Entitled “Best of Austria”, the 90 most prized Austrian museum pieces on loan from 30 Austrian museums will be on display in the Lentos art museum (see picture of blue building above). A 400 singer choir will perform on the 1st of January. Dennis Russell Davie’s Brucknerorchester will perform the newest Phillip Glass symphonie in addition to the more traditional fare in the Bruckner house. The concert will also be projected live in the main city square.
With only one exception in 2010, Thomas Hampson has decided to no longer perform in Austria: a country that has been his home for some years now. Both his apartment on the outskirts of Vienna and his office near the Vienna Staatsoper were sold recently. “My career interests for the United States have been increasing more and more. I feel it is the right place for my art” said Hampson recently to Der Standard. He will be heading to NYC to work with the Library of Congress, Manhattan School of Music, and the New York Philharmonic.
Since Hampson’s Austrian partner Andrea Herberstein was arrested for tax evasion (claimed too many private zoo animals for tax exemption that didn’t indeed exist in Tierpark Herberstein), his life has been under scrutiny and continuous harassment by the tax authorities. The singer’s house and office has been searched and he will be required to pay taxes for 2003/2004, a time of transition for him from the States to Austria (he paid US taxes instead).
Thomas Hampson has decided not to participate in the much anticipated Vienna Staatsoper production of Macbeth. In 2010 he will be performing in Parsifal for one night only: the evening of the retirement of Vienna Staatsoper Director Ioan Holender.
As an alumni of Manhattan School of Music I’m pleased to see where he’s placing his focus… but I will miss having an American star living here.
This is certainly a week of firsts. No I’m not talking about the first black American president, or the fact that I stopped introducing myself as Canadian to Europeans (why?).
I’m referring to the historic event this week at La Scala. According to “Der Standard” newspaper, for the first time in the history of this venue, they will perform an operetta! Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow) by Franz Lehár will take the honor of being the first operetta ever allowed onto the La Scala stage. This is an oh so important artform in Vienna, but in Milan??? Yes, it will be performed in German. I’m tremendously courious on how it will fare… will it get boos or bad reviews? Or will one of the oldest and most prized opera houses in the world actually succeed in diversifying in front of a traditional opera crowd? As a lover of operetta, I will keep my fingers crossed. If any of you see it, please let me know how it went.
While Robert Dornhelms’ film “La Bohème” is playing in cinemas, there are plans already underway towards the next big opera movie (see previous articles on this topic here and here). Georges Bizets “Carmen” will be filmed with top stars: Elina Garanča (title role), Anna Netrebko (as Micaela) and Rolando Villazón (as Don José). “We would like to make a new opera film every 18 months in order to give a boost to this art form through modern medium” said Jan Mojto, Director and owner of Unitel. Don’t hold your breath; Mojto also went on to say that they need to schedule the 3 singers 2 years in advance because of their booked up schedules in order to get them all together for the 4-5 weeks needed. It will likely begin in 2010.
In the meantime the search for a good conductor for this future production is ongoing. Surely some of you conductors reading this would jump at an opportunity like this?
Japan’s first opera house (Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo) is sold out with some tickets as high as 500 euros for the 97th Vienna State opera’s Japanese performance. The 100th performance will be celebrated with Fidelio conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Next to the Austrian flag in the foyer hangs an enormous photo of the Vienna State Opera that audience members line up to take photos in front of.
No other opera company has guest-performed in Japan so often. More than 300 cast and crew (including stars such as: Michael Schade, Angelika Kirchschlager, Edita Gruberova, Barbara Frittoli, Laura Tatulescu, Natale De Carolis, and conductors Seiji Ozawa and Riccardo Muti) are flown in from 60 different flights for a week of an old European art before an audience of excited opera-learned Japanese.
Villazón pictured with his wife at the world premiere.
The opera-movie world premiere of La Bohème (see previous article about this movie here), like every opera-centric event in Austria these days, has been an orgy of VIP’s and hype abound. Finger food was served by caterers dressed like the title roles. The star role tenor, Rolando Villazón, was only able to make it to the cinema thanks to a private jet from London to Vienna, and after event trip Vienna to Paris (jet rental 20,000 euros). I suppose this is what Ioan Holender meant by Netrebkoismus (see Netrebkoismus article here for clarification). Ironically Netrebkoismus did not involve Netrebko herself. The media was very disappointed that Anna Netrebko didn’t show up; recent motherhood can really get in the way of the media’s wishes.
Austria isn’t exactly known for premiering a movie first. Usually a few months behind with Hollywood movies released in the States; this time Austria’s got it first!
La Bohème the movie will premier October 10th in a theater near me. On the other hand, is it really a shock that an opera movie is shown in an Austrian movie theater first?
No my blog isn’t becoming political all of a sudden. But this article struck a chord.
“I talk a bit too much about politics, right?” – No, of course not. But it’s a bit unusual, on the occasion of an operetta premier interview, more than half of the time to talk about politics. “Yeah I am perhaps a bit political for an opera singer,” said Rebecca Nelson.
Like many Americans in the last eight years inexpressibly afflicted and ashamed by their country’s politics, the Texas soprano is no exception. “Most of the time I’m bothered by what my country doesn’t do. What it does do is bad enough, but what it allows to happen is terrible – take Darfur for example. It could easily be the richest land in the world.”
She goes on to talk about her Fulbright stipend that brought her to Vienna in 2004, her involvement in the opening season production for the Vienna Volksoper (“Vetter aus Dingsda”), operetta as an art form, and naturally her Obama mania.
Americans living and working abroad have become ambassadors for their country whether they like it or not. Being questioned on Bush politics is the norm here in Europe. Talk about breaking the ice! What this article does not explain is why hired Americans in Europe feel it necessary to give disclaimers in the first place.
Being born and raised by my European parents in the States, I traveled many summers to Europe. I remember the most annoying questions I was often asked were:
Do you like Coca-Cola or Pepsi more? Do you like McDonald’s or Burger king? What’s your favorite band?
Looking back, those were good times! Never would I have expected regularly crafting answers to common questions to be a rehearsal to what I’m asked these days.
I can only hope that we ex-pats do not need to provide disclaimers indefinitely.
Every season the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) house changes its stage curtain to a new abstract artistic rendition.
When I first moved here in 2006 we had a curtain designed by the Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija with the saying “Angst essen Seele auf” (“Fear eats away at the soul”) over the familiar television SMPTE test pattern.
Then for the 2007/2008 season, American artist Jeff Koons created the curtain “Geisha” with its splattering of colors and strange japanimation looking monkey faces at bottom with a female in center.
This season’s 16 ton 176 square meter curtain will be a work by Rosemarie Trockel from Germany. It features a photo by her from 1988 entitled “Keller” (“Basement”); a spider web magnified more than 300 times original size.
The international Haydn festival in Eisenstadt, Austria began with the oratorio “Il ritorno di Tobia” last Thursday. This yearly celebration of Hadyn’s flourishing years spent working at one of the Esterházy families’ castles is a little bit extra special this time around. This year’s festivities are especially important since it marks 20 years of the recurring festival. A “20 Years” Gala concert will be held on the 9th and 10th of September. The program of this year’s festival will be especially emphasized with music that we just don’t hear enough of, said Artistic Director Walter Reicher. Haydn lieder sung by Soprano Patricia Petibon, and less than common examples of Haydn’s music, such as Symphony Nr.94 and Military Symphony Nr. 100 will be performed.
“The biggest danger I see today is with ‘Netrebkoismus’” said the Vienna State Opera director Ioan Holender in an interview with Bühne magazine. “It is all about the events and what’s around them. We see what is playing out in Salzburg.” Mr. Holender went further to say that theater managers are increasingly more interested on media coverage than judging the quality of singers and hiring quality singers. “Directors not only do not understand the voice, they have no interest in understanding it.”
Mr. Holender has also criticized the new Austrian law preventing gifts of over 100 Euros from being given to sponsors and business associates. A common practice of the Salzburg festival was the giving of free tickets to donors; the tickets are usually worth well over 100 Euros each and are very difficult to come by. “That all gifts over 100 Euros are criminalized as payoffs… I can understand why sponsors are nervous, to attend operas and concerts with tickets from business partners.”
Director Martin Kusej, who will produce The Rake’s Progress at Theatre an der Wien with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, had this to say in the trade magazine article: “The Opera industry is a machine that is a total enemy of the arts.” He also suggested that it was about time for opera singers and directors to stand together and “hurl a cruise missile” at the establishment for a new beginning with a clean slate.
Opera as bloodsport? The Viennese opera singer Alejandro Gallo (age 38) was stabbed in the face by a dagger during a Romeo and Juliet production staging rehearsal in Malta (National Theater Teatru Manoel). The dagger had travelled through his nose into his brain. The injuries were life threatening, and after a risky surgery, his career as a tenor is uncertain. “Suddenly my colleague playing Tybalt shoved his dagger in the area of my face and thereby stabbing me.”The National Theater Teatru Manoel has denied him his 4,000 euro fee as well as his 20,000 euro damages.
You would think that after Russian Opera Star Anna Netrebko got a bun in the oven she’d have to sit down in the audience for a change. Not this fleissige Frau!
While pregnant the Soprano has recently recorded a single, Strauss’s “Lullaby”, as a fundraiser for the “SOS Kinderdörfer” organisation. One euro will be donated for every single sold.
Why scan music scores? Well for one, it is easier to carry your music library on a single DVD; you only print what you need as you need it. Scanned scores are also a great way to instantly give a copy of music to a voice pupil if you teach. Thirdly, scanning music is a way to preserve aging falling apart scores (I personally buy used scores, and improve them digitally better than the original).
Note recognition software (e.g. Finale), will not be discussed in today’s article, but that method allows for easy and accurate transposition to other keys, and the ability to arrange different instrumentation, if you don’t mind composing a bit.
I personally use an all-in-one scanner printer. I find it is more bang for the buck than buying a separate printer and scanner. Furthermore, it’s easier to move from apartment to apartment as singers tend to do. Mine is the Canon MP160, I have always had good experiences with Canon, and this was the cheapest all-in-one model available where I live.
Each scanner comes with its own scanner software. There are many different kinds, but what matters are:
1. That you scan in Grayscale (Black and White) not Color; it is much easier to edit.
2. That you save the image of every page of music you scan, as a photograph (e.g. JPEG or GIF formats). TIP: Scan and Save the pages in high enough quality so that the final edit is still sharp and clear (400dpi should do the trick).
3. That you work on a copy of the scanned images; keep the originals for do-overs.
In my next part of this series on scanning music scores, I will write on how to improve the backgrounds of your scanned pages so they print clearly and beautifully.
When googling for “opera business cards” to get new ideas for my next prints, I stumbled onto a blog with the title “7 Ways That Blogging is Like Opera.” Considering that I’m an opera singer with a blog, it’s no surprise that it appealed to me. However, I highly recommend it to both opera singers and bloggers alike (even better if you are both). The comparisons were dead on and beautifully written.
After the technical director, Klaus Kretschmer, was found mangled under a bridge just outside of Salzburg in a failed suicide attempt, even more attention has been focused on the yearly Salzburg Easter Festival, founded by Karajan in 1967. Klaus Kretschmer was relieved earlier of his duties when it seemed he was connected with the festival executive director’s, Michael Dewitte, ongoing fraud.
Last week the annual world renowned Viennese competition, Hans Gabor Belvedere, completed it’s final round with some dramatic results.
Linz, Austria will be the EU city of culture in 2009 making its New Years celebration extra special.
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