New star at Salzburg: Theresa May
mainLocal intelligence* is reporting an influx of Prominenten at this year’s Salzburg Festival.
Prime among them is the British Prime Minister, who is looking for post-Brexit trade deals. We think she may be the first PM to attend the Salburg Festi since Margaret Thatcher, who used to insist on paying for her own tickets.
*h/t Richard Bratby
If that trip maintains the level of spectacular incompetence which has accompanied that disastrous woman’s efforts with almost anything she touches so far, this will yet again be a complete waste of tax payer’s money. And is she ever seen at UK arts venues?
With a Festival budget of over 60 million euros for 6 weeks, perhaps Madame Mayday is getting some advice on clever fiscal policy from Präsidentin Helga Rabl-Stadler?
Indeed! Rabl-Stadler is aided by a hugely competent musical and administrative staff who ensure the smooth running of Salzburg’s complex machinery, rather than the hapless warring pygmies around May’s cabinet table.
I remember when Ted Heath spent Easters at the Österreichischer Hof, before Nestlé ruined everything.
She has been invited by Chancellor Kurz to the opening ceremony, for which tickets are not sold for money. There is no suggestion that she will stay and attend any performances. To my knowledge she has not shown any particular appreciation for the arts.
“When I tell people that one of Margaret Thatcher’s favourite composers was Bela Bartok, they are dumbfounded. Wasn’t she, whatever else you might think about her, one of history’s undisputed philistines?
No, as it turns out, she wasn’t. ”
https://www.theoldie.co.uk/article/mrs-thatcher-culture-vulture
The positive after Karajan was that the festival opened up to historically informed performances. They also became more flexible with the choices of venues.
The negative, from my viewpoint, was that they turned to Regietheater. No such thing under Karajan: one could follow the plot.