-=- Intense Melody -=-

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 [...]

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, [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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!
The trailer can be seen on the official website here:  http://www.labohemefilm.com/
For a movie interview (German only) with star tenor Villazón: http://kurier.at/kultur/209655.php
La Bohème the movie will premier October 10th in [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

“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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]