Beethoven blues for Salzburg Festival boss
mainThe role of Festival Intendant – artistic director – is being readvertised.
The incumbent, Markus Hinterhäuser, has a five-year contract that runs to September 2021. He has let it be known that he would like a renewal.
But the board, in its wisdom, has decided that nothing must be allowed to overshadow the Great Beethoven Summer of 2020. Everything else, therefore, is being out on hold.
The Festival President Helga Rabl-Stadler, who is due to retire in September 2020, has been given a three-month extension in order to allow her to mop up the Beethoven mess.
Ridiculous.
It is not the “Beethoven Mess”. It is mainly the 100th anniversary of the Festival.
He must have meant the “Beethoven Mass (in C).”
They did a Beethoven symphony cycle last year with Currentzis so they’ll hardly repeat. As you note, it’s more likely they want to get the 100th anniversary out of the way.
Still waiting to hear if I got the tickets I applied for this year. A number are already shown as being sold out so I’m not hopeful. I’m not going the week of 15th August any more. Too hard to get what you’re looking for. Wish I’d gone for the week before. There’s some good stuff and it’s all still available.
And the problem is?
Sometimes you wonder whether less public money should be spent on culture.
Hinterhäuser is doing a sterling job, the best Intendant they’ve had in a long time.
They are giving the entire schnitzel to Bartoli. Beethoven has little to do with it.