Police arrest disrupter at Vienna State Opera

Police arrest disrupter at Vienna State Opera

News

norman lebrecht

October 31, 2022

A man who hurled verbal abuse at other operagoers before La traviata and then proceeded to disrupt the performance was eventually removed by police and arrested.

The disrupter was a German national, male, 55 years old.

A police officer in the house requested support, which arrived after 30 minutes. The man was removed bodily and is still being held.

Comments

  • Pianofortissimo says:

    Activism or just good old common insanity?

  • bright side of opera says:

    In our days, it s called climate activist. They re mostly german, they shout and they hate art. They are called heroes, as well. They like to destroy and aren t showing any respect. They are allowed to, since they re on the good side. Untypically, he s male, like the terrorists (good old days) they re mostly female.

  • Agatha Myriam says:

    he was sitting only a few feet away from us. he was drunk. harassed everybody around him and then continued to harass the stuff. it escalated very quickly. we all applauded while he was being removed. it took a while to get back to normal. he was shouting obscenities and profanities. very out of place!

    • soavemusica says:

      Sounds like a director of a contemporary production.

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      This can be a frightening situation as these unstable types can be very unpredictable. If I know anything at all about the Viennese their Polizei won’t tolerate such things.

      • Igor says:

        “…these unstable types can be very unpredictable.” <— Not always true. There are plenty of serial posters on here who are very predictable. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them owns a voodoo doll named "Richard."

  • music lover says:

    Achim Mentzel?

  • Anonymous Bosch says:

    Before and during the performance:

    https://www.kleinezeitung.at/oesterreich/6209266/Bei-La-Traviata_Polizei-befoerderte-poebelnden-Mann-aus-Wiener

    It would appear Agatha is correct in that he was most likely inebriated.

    • MMcGrath says:

      How can “most likely“ drunk mean something is “correct” let alone a fact?
      It’s all pretty gossipy, it seems to me. The man may be a schizophrenic or someone with Tourette Syndrome or OCD who had a sudden episode.

  • M McGrath says:

    Those eurotrash productions in Vienna really get people mad, apparently.

  • Sisko24 says:

    Was he shouting obscenities because he was drunk or because he saw the production and wished he were drunk? (Just sayin…..)

  • Charles1986 says:

    The man really doesn’t care for Verdi.

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