The Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival 2008

In July/August 2008, the Vienna Philharmonic took part in the Salzburg Festival for the 84th time, playing 11 concerts and 26 opera performances.

July 27&29 – Large Festival Hall
Maurice Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales; Béla Bartók: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 (Soloist: Daniel Barenboim); Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete Version 1910). Conductor: Pierre Boulez. The concert was broadcast time delayed on July 29th on 3sat.

August 4&8 – Haus für Mozart
Johann Sebastian Bach: Fuga (Ricercata) a 6 voci from the Musical Offering, BWV 1079 (setting for orchestra by Anton Webern); Gustav Mahler: Songs on the Death of Children (Vesselina Kasarova, Mezzosoprano); Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question (Orchestral Version from 1930-1935); Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 7 in B Minor, D 759 ("Unfinished"). Conductor: Jonathan Nott.

August 15, 16 & 18 – Large Festival Hall
Johannes Brahms: A German Requiem, op. 45 (Genia Kühmeier, Soprano; Peter Mattei, Baritone; Concert Formation of the Vienna State Opera Chorus, Preparation: Thomas Lang). Conductor: Riccardo Muti.

August 23 & 24. – Large Festival Hall
Anton Webern: Im Sommerwind. Idylle für großes Orchester; Hector Berlioz: Les Nuits d’été, op. 7 (Elīna Garanča, Mezzosoprano); Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, op. 73. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.

August 29 & 30 – Large Festival Hall
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (Lilli Paasikivi, Mezzosoprano; Concert Formation of the Vienna State Opera Chorus, Preparation: Thomas Lang; Salzburg Festival Children's Chorus, Preparation: Wolfgang Götz). Conductor: Esa-Pekka Salonen.

The two concerts provided our orchestra with the experience of working for the first time with this Finnish conductor, who for the past 16 years was the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and, beginning this present season, has assumed the chef conductor position of the Philharmonia Orchestra London.

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July 27, 31,  August 3, 8, 11, 16, 19, 25 & 29 – Haus für Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "Don Giovanni" (Viennese Version from 1788) (new production). Conductor: Bertrand de Billy.

August 1, 5, 10, 17, 21, 24 & 27 – Large Festival Hall
Giuseppe Verdi: "Otello" (new production). Conductor: Riccardo Muti. The performance on August 10 was broadcast time delayed on 3sat.

August 6, 14, 18 & 23 – Large Festival Hall
Béla Bartók: Four Orchestral Pieces, op. 12; Cantata profana ("Die neun Zauberhirsche") for Tenor, Baritone, Mixed Double Chorus and Orchestra (Lance Ryan, Tenor; Falk Struckmann, Baritone; Concert Formation of the Vienna State Opera Chorus, Preparation: Jörn H. Andresen); "Duke Bluebeard's Castle", op. 11. Conductor: Peter Eötvös. Due to the illness of Peter Eötvös, the performance on August 23 was conducted by his assistant, Gregory Vajda.

August 13, 20, 22, 26, 28 & 30 – Large Festival Hall
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "The Magic Flute" (repeat production). Conductor: Riccardo Muti. The performance on August 30 was conducted by Peter Schneider.

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