"John G. Deacon" writes:
>Anthony G Morris gave us an interesting list of Salzburg broadcasts but I
>did not think that anyone expressed any doubt that there are good things
>happening in Salzburg? The list of broadcasts indicates that I, for one,
>regret greatly that neither Austrian Radio/ORF nor TV are to be found on
>the EU satellite systems?
Moreover, the list of broadcasts indicates that the Austrian Broadcasters
have a sound notion of what listeners, not only Salzburg patrons, expect
of the Festspiele. The stuff that ORF selected was the classical sort of
Salzburg offering, with just a couple changes of pace thrown in for the
sake of variety. Thing is, even the set-piece Salzburg repertoire has
undergone an aggiornimento that, I think will certainly surprise, and
perhaps appal ORF viewers/listeners.
A propos of that, where Salzburg '99 transposed Zauberfloete's setting
to a modern-day circus, it has moved Don Giovanni to an ugly minimalist
setting in the 20th century, replete with an automobile, a locomotive
and a wheelchair. Luca Ronconi's doing, Maazel conducting. And, again,
Joachim Kaiser, reviewing for the Sueddeutsche Zeeitung, tore the
production apart--though he credited some of the voices, and Maazel for
a good, meditative chamber music-like rendering of the work, which Kaiser
regretted because it was totally in conflict with the brash and busy
doings goin on in Rnconi's staaging. Nonetheless, Kaiser's tone was more
in hurt than in anger. But he did make one point that surely deserves
consideration: why can't these directors simply come to terms with the
proposition that the sort of rococo lightness and subtlety that Mozart
dealt in was a value precious enough, in itself, to try to pass along to
contemporary audiences? Why the need to distort? Just for distorition's
sake? Kaiser noted that the opening-night audience's applause, though
spiritless, lasted at least long enough to bring Ronconi on stage. He
was booed.
Denis Fodor Internet:[log in to unmask]
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