On the occasion of 2019/20 opera premieres, the Hotel Bristol – the traditional Viennese hotel vis-à-vis the Vienna State Opera – invites opera aficionados to a classical afternoon tea including culinary delights and a glass of sparkling wine five times throughout the coming season. In dialogue with Dr. Thomas Dänemark, Secretary General of the Friends of the Vienna State Opera, the stars of current premières (singers, conductors and directors) will share interesting details about the relevant production and performance.
EIN SOMMERNACHTSTRAUM
Benjamin Britten
Those who only know Benjamin Britten’s tragic works “Peter Grimes” and “Billy Budd” will see a completely different side to the composer in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, which is based on Shakespeare’s play. This opera includes a parody of Italian opera and an instrumental characterization of the world of fairies and the human world. No wonder the work premiered in 1960 is considered one of Britten’s most successful operas. After more than six decades, it now returns to the Vienna State Opera and opens the series of premieres of Dominique Meyer’s last season.
IN DEN HAUPTROLLEN / LEADING ROLES:
LAWRENCE ZAZZO, ERIN MORLEY, THÉO TOUVET, PETER KELLNER, RACHEL FRENKEL
DIRIGENT / CONDUCTOR:
SIMONE YOUNG
REGIE / DIRECTOR:
IRINA BROOK
ORLANDO
Olga Neuwirth
No fewer than two works commissioned by the Vienna State Opera will receive their premieres in the run-up to Christmas. The first is “Orlando” by the now internationally renowned Olga Neuwirth, who selected Virginia Woolf’s novel of the same name as her literary source material. However, we should not expect a conventional adaptation for the opera stage, because Neuwirth has already announced that she plans to continue developing the storyline of the book.
IN DEN HAUPTROLLEN / LEADING ROLES:
KATE LINDSEY, FIONA SHAW, ERIC JURENAS, CONSTANCE HAUMAN, LEIGH MELROSE
DIRIGENT / CONDUCTOR:
MATTHIAS PINTSCHER
REGIE / DIRECTOR:
KAROLINE GRUBER
FIDELIO (Leonore)
Ludwig van Beethoven
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth, Vienna State Opera audiences will have the opportunity to experience the original version of his globally successful opera “Fidelio” for the first time at the opera house on the Ring. “Leonore”, as the opera premiered on 20 November 1805 at the Theater an der Wien was then called, differs significantly from the well-known “Fidelio” both dramatically and musically. There will be plenty to discuss at this Salon Opéra.
IN DEN HAUPTROLLEN / LEADING ROLES:
JENNIFER DAVIS, BENJAMIN BRUNS, TOBIAS KEHRER, THOMAS JOHANNES MAYER, JÖRG SCHNEIDER
DIRIGENTIN / CONDUCTOR:
THOMÁS NETOPIL
REGIE / DIRECTOR:
AMÉLIE NIERMEYER
COSÍ FAN TUTTE
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
If we are to believe the philosopher Don Alfonso, one should not rely on the loyalty of women, because as he proves to Guglielmo and Ferrando, they all do it (=così fan tutte), namely find another man to replace their lover at the first possible opportunity. The dramatic wisdom of Lorenzo Da Ponte’s libretto has been extensively discussed, and thanks to Mozart’s music the work is considered without dispute as one of the crown jewels of opera literature.
IN DEN HAUPTROLLEN / LEADING ROLES:
GENIA KÜHMEIER, MARIANNE CREBASSA, ALESSIO ARDUINI, JULIE FUCHS
DIRIGENT / CONDUCTOR:
RICCARDO MUTI
REGIE / DIRECTOR:
CHIARA MUTI
EIN MASKENBALL
Giuseppe Verdi
Historical facts and a fictional love story are blended in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera”. Swedish King Gustav III was in fact mortally wounded by Count Anckarström at a masked ball, but the reason for the attack was purely political in nature. The romantic drama devised by Antonio Somma merges with Giuseppe Verdi’s inexhaustible wealth of melodies to create a masterpiece that offers the tenor above all the chance to show off every aspect of his skill.
IN DEN HAUPTROLLEN / LEADING ROLES:
FRANCESCO MELI, LUDOVIC TÉZIER, KRASSIMIRA STOYANOVA, MONIKA BOHINEC
DIRIGENT / CONDUCTOR:
MICHELE MARIOTTI
REGIE / DIRECTOR:
JOSEF ERNST KÖPPLINGER
Price per ticket for the event, including afternoon tea and a glass of Schlumberger DOM:
49 EUR
Subscription to all 5 Salon Opéra sessions: € 220,-
Contact & Reservation:
groupsevents.bristolvienna@luxurycollection.com
+43 1 515 16 6100