Salzburg Festival: history and repertoire, 1922–1926

Salzburg Festival: history and repertoire, 1922-26 lists all opera productions of the Salzburg Festival in its founding years.

The Salzburg City Theatre, performance venue of the first opera productions at the Salzburg Festival

Concept

The first Salzburg Festival took place in 1920 — without operas although all concepts for the festival included operas as a main part of the endeavor. The first festival consisted of open air performances of the drama Jedermann [Everyman] by Austrian poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal who wrote several librettos for operas by Richard Strauss. The play was performed at the grand square in front of the Salzburg Cathedral. The play describes the life and death of a rich man and is based on several medieval mystery plays. Jedermann was directed by world-famous Max Reinhardt and was a stunning success. The play is still today performed every year at the same place.[1][2]

In 1921, concerts were added to the festival program. Concerts of the world's best orchestras, singers and soloists still today represent an important pillar of Salzburg Festival. In 1922, Richard Strauss and Franz Schalk brought opera to the festival. Both were famous conductors and since 1919 functioned also as general managers of Vienna State Opera. They chose four works of Salzburg born genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for the first season — the three Da Ponte operas and Die Entführung aus dem Serail [The Abduction from the Seraglio]. In the founding years the festival did not have the means to produce entire opera productions. So Strauss and Schalk brought the settings, the singers, the orchestra and the chorus from Vienna State Opera to Salzburg. The press critically noted that the opera program of the festival constituted ″the summer residence of Vienna State Opera″.[3] Nevertheless, the performances were superb due to the orchestra, the chorus and the great singers. They came from all over Europa and created excellent ensembles for the Mozart operas, later on also for works by Donizetti, Johann Strauß and Richard Strauss. An important role was also given to set designer Alfred Roller who dominated the visual aspect of the first Salzburg Festival opera performances.[4]

All performances listed took place at the Salzburger Stadttheater.

1922

Orchestra, Choir, Conductor Director, Set Designer Female singer Male singer
Don Giovanni by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 14 to 26, 1922 (five performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Richard Strauss
Hans Breuer
Alfred Roller settings
Gertrud Kappel Donna Anna
Claire Born Donna Elvira
Lotte Schöne Zerlina
Alfred Jerger Don Giovanni
Richard Mayr Leporello
Franz Markhoff Der Komtur
Richard Tauber Don Ottavio
Viktor Madin Masetto
Così fan tutte by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 15 to 27, 1922 (three performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Richard Strauss
Hans Breuer
Alfred Roller settings
Felicie Hüni-Mihacsek Fiordiligi
Rosette Anday Dorabella
Elisabeth Schumann Despina
Hermann Wiedemann Ferrando
Fritz Krauß Guglielmo
Josef von Manowarda Don Alfonso
Le nozze di Figaro by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 16 to 28, 1922 (four performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Franz Schalk
Harry Stangenberg, Hans Breuer
Alfred Roller settings
Elisabeth Rethberg Gräfin Almaviva
Elisabeth Schumann Susanne
Hermine Kittel Marcellina
Lotte Schöne Cherubino
Paula von Hentke Barbarina
Hans Duhan Graf Almaviva
Alfred Jerger Figaro
Hans Breuer Basilio
Julius Betetto Bartolo
Viktor Madin Antonio
Hermann Gallos Don Curzio
Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Johann Gottlieb Stephanie and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 17 to 29, 1922 (four performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Franz Schalk
Hans Breuer
Alfred Roller settings
Selma Kurz Konstanze
Elisabeth Schumann Blondchen

Gerhard Stehmann Bassa Selim
Richard Tauber Belmonte
Hermann Gallos Pedrillo
Nikola Zec Osmin

Cast changes in repeat performances:

In 1923 there were no operatic performances at the Salzburg Festival. In 1924, the Festival had to be suspended due to an economic crisis in Austria.

1925

Orchestra, Choir, Conductor Director, Set Designer Female singers Male singers
Don Giovanni by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 24 and 28, 1925 (two performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Karl Muck
Hans Breuer
Alfred Roller settings
Helene Wildbrunn Donna Anna
Claire Born Donna Elvira
Lotte Schöne Zerlina
Alfred Jerger Don Giovanni
Richard Mayr Leporello
Franz Markhoff Der Komtur
Hermann Gallos Don Ottavio
Viktor Madin Masetto
Le nozze di Figaro by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 25 to 30, 1925 (three performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Franz Schalk
Hans Breuer
Alfred Roller settings
Claire Born Gräfin Almaviva
Lotte Schöne Susanne
Hermine Kittel Marcellina
Rosette Anday Cherubino
Paula von Hentke Barbarina
Karl Renner Graf Almaviva
Alfred Jerger Figaro
Hans Breuer Basilio
Franz Markhoff Bartolo
Viktor Madin Antonio
Hermann Gallos Don Curzio
Don Pasquale by Giovanni Ruffini and Gaetano Donizetti, August 26 and 29, 1925 (two performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Bruno Walter
Hans Breuer Maria Ivogün Norina Richard Mayr Don Pasquale
Hermann Wiedemann Malatesta
Karl Erb Ernesto
Viktor Madin Notar

Cast change in repeat performances:

1926

Orchestra, Choir, Conductor Director, Set Designers Female singers Male singers
Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Johann Gottlieb Stephanie and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 9 and 28, 1926 (two performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Bruno Walter
Alois Moira
Alfred Roller settings
Maria Gerhart Konstanze
Anni Frind Blondchen
Hans Duhan Bassa Selim
Richard Tauber Belmonte
Hermann Gallos Pedrillo
Paul Bender Osmin
Don Giovanni by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 10 and 22, 1926 (two performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Franz Schalk
Marie Gutheil-Schoder
Alfred Roller settings
Mária Németh Donna Anna
Claire Born Donna Elvira
Maria Rajdl Zerlina
Hans Duhan Don Giovanni
Richard Mayr Leporello
Franz Markhoff Der Komtur
Richard Tauber Don Ottavio
Viktor Madin Masetto
Die Fledermaus by Karl Haffner, Richard Genée and Johann Strauss II, August 13 to 29, 1926 (five performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Bruno Walter
Josef Hietz Wanda Achsel Rosalinde
Rosette Anday Orlofsky
Fritzi Massary Adele
Paula von Hentke Ida
Karl Ziegler Eisenstein
Hans Duhan Frank
Erik Wirl Alfred
Karl Renner Dr. Falke
Viktor Madin Dr. Blind
Hans Moser Frosch
Ariadne auf Naxos by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss, August 18 to 25, 1926 (three performances)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Staatsopernchor
Clemens Krauss
Lothar Wallerstein
Oskar Strnad settings
Lotte Lehmann Primadonna/Ariadne
Maria Rajdl Komponist
Maria Gerhart Zerbinetta
Luise Helletsgruber Najade
Hermine Kittel Dryade
Karola Jovanović Echo
Viktor Madin Haushofmeister
Hans Duhan Musiklehrer/Harlekin
John Gläser Tenor/Bacchus
Georg Maikl Tanzmeister/Brighella
Hermann Gallos Scaramuccio
Franz Markhoff Truffaldino
Heinrich Berthold Brighella (Vorspiel)

Cast changes in repeat performances:

  • Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Blondchen: Stella Eisner, Osmin: Karl Norbert.
  • Die Fledermaus. Eisenstein: Richard Tauber, Adele: Paula Beck.
  • Ariadne auf Naxos. Conductor: Richard Strauss (on August 21); Musiklehrer/Harlekin: Karl Renner, Ariadne: Claire Born.

See also

Sources

  • Gallup, Stephen (1989). Die Geschichte der Salzburger Festspiele. Wien: Orac. ISBN 3-7015-0164-5., pp. 3556
  • Jaklitsch, Hans (1991). Die Salzburger Festspiele, Band III , Verzeichnis der Werke und der Künstler 1920-1990. Salzburg: Residenz Verlag. ISBN 3-7017-0639-5., pp. 18
  • Kaut, Josef (1982). Die Salzburger Festspiele 1920-1981, Mit einem Verzeichnis der aufgeführten Werke und der Künstler des Theaters und der Musik von Hans Jaklitsch. Salzburg: Residenz Verlag. ISBN 3-7017-0308-6., p. 244–249.

References

  1. Andres Müry: Jedermann darf nicht sterben, Geschichte eines Salzburger Kults, re-edition of 2014, Verlag Anton Pustet, ISBN 978-3-7025-0769-5, p. 29-31 (German)
  2. 70 Jahre Jedermann, Wandlungen eines Inszenierungskonzepts, catalogue to the exhibition 70 years Jedermann at the Salzburg festival 1990, Faistauer-Foyer, Orpheus-Foyer, published by Ferdinand Wögerbauer, Wolfgang Willaschek and Hans Widrich, [Salzburg 1990], p. 17-24
  3. Josef Kaut: Die Salzburger Festspiele 1920-1981, Mit einem Verzeichnis der aufgeführten Werke und der Künstler des Theaters und der Musik von Hans Jaklitsch, Salzburg: Residenz Verlag, ISBN 3-7017-0308-6, p. 41.
  4. Stephen Gallup: Die Geschichte der Salzburger Festspiele. Wien: Orac 1989, p. 17, 28, 52 and 59
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