Austrian Aplomb

Ioan Holender, director of the Vienese Staatsoper has given a strong demonstration of his new-found reassertedness: After succeding in contracting Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon, arguably the two brightest Vocal Stars at the moment for "Liebestrank", he refused to accept the decision by the ORF, Austrias main public TV station, to show the program in the middle of the night. Holender called the move "an affront, an insult to this house and its audience - and the artists as well." The result being that the program was taken off schedule alltogether.

Apart from this indicent, the Staatsoper has much to celebrate: Audiences are growing, five Operas will be performed in the coming season and some famous conductors are rumoured to maske their appearance - among them Ricardo Muti. All of this will furthermore be made available to music lovers worldwide - as the concert house will increasingly push its record-releases with partners such as the Deutsche Grammophon.

Source: Die Presse