MOZART WEEK 2025 - SALZBOURG 2/02/25

 La chronique d'Eléonore : 

CLOSING CONCERT

To begin the evening immediately with music, Andreas Ottensamer conducted the symphonie in A major KV 201. A magnificent music in a wonderful performance.

Rolando, as the moderator of the concert, presented Andreas Ottensamer, his brilliant career as the best clarinetist and introduced his new "job" : the conducting. Although the artist has conducted several times in several places,This was his first appearance as conductor at the Mozart Week. 

In his closing words to the Festival, Rolando welcomed and thanked the audience for having attended the programmes, summarized the events of the 11 days, and thanked the performers for their outstanding productions. 

He looked forward to the Mozart Week in 2026, a year bringing two greatest celebrations : the 270th anniversary of Mozart and the 70th anniversary of the Mozart Week, with the performances of "The Magic Flute" in staging by Rolando.

Rolando said some introductory words about the performers of the concert : Robin Levin and Ya-Fei Chuang, pianists and the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg.

The two artists played the "Concerto for two pianos in C major" by Bach with breathtaking, riveting virtuosity and exciting tempi, showing at the same time all the lyricism of the piece.  

The second part of the evening included :

- the Ouverture from "L'anima del filosofo" by Haydn, 

- From the Ballet music of "Idomeneo" : Chaconne & Pas seul

- Symphony in G major 'Oxford'

The programme selection was perfect, and, as always, the sound of the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg was fantastic, very clear, with the fabulous virtuosity and a sumptuous mastery of my favorite instruments, the woodwind players. 

A wonderful, rich farewell to the Mozart Week 2025!

KÖSZÖNÖM, ROLANDO!

Eléonore  

Les photos d'Eléonore et Klari : 

                                                   

                                                 

                                                       

                                                

                                                       

                                                    

                                                    

                                                   

                                                         

                                              

MOZART WEEK 2025 - SALZBOURG 2/02/25

 La chronique et la vidéo d'Eléonore : 

ROLANDO IN ARTIST TALK WITH ANDREAS OTTENSAMER

A fantastic opportunity to attend the conversation of two immense artists, friends for a long time and who are on the same wavelength.

It is completely impossible to recall all the topics covered, Rolando's questions that were inspiring as usual and Ottensamer's very intriguing answers.

The conversation basically dealt with Ottensamer's new "occupation": the clarinetist has been conducting for some time, but his conducting on February 2nd in Salzburg is his debut at the Mozartwoche. He spoke about the background of this new artistic path, its antecedents, his thinking on this going back to the times during Covid. when all his performances were cancelled. 

He played in the best orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic for many years and learned from conductors, also made conducting studies and he won't immediately conduct the greatest orchestras.

Rolando asked Ottensamer about his family, his father, Ernst Ottensamer and his brother, Daniel Ottensamer, both solo clarinetists at the Vienna Philharmonic. The artist talked about his studies at Harvard University, mentioned Simon Rattle and Daniel Harding, and said a few words about the evening concert .

Rolando asked him also about his festival, the Bürgensock Festival where Ottensamer is an artistic director and where Rolando sang too.

After this fascinating conversation, it was a special experience to listen to Andreas Ottensamer conducting the closing concert of the Mozart Week 2025.

KÖSZÖNÖM, ROLANDO!

Eléonore.    

                                                                            

MOZART WEEK 2025 - SALZBOURG - 1/02/25

Quelques photos de Wolfgang Lienbacher :

   Concert du Philharmonique de Vienne                                                  

                                                  

                                                     

Rolando y remplaçait, à la dernière minute, son collègue Juan Diego Florez, souffrant.

Direction d'orchestre : Oksana Lyniv

Soliste(violon) : Rainer Honeck

                                                          

                        

MOZART WEEK 2025 - SALZBOURG 31/01/25

 La chronique d'Eléonore : 

A POWERFUL BRIGHT CULMINATION OF THE BRILLIANT ORFEO-SERIES

In this third and last performance, Rolando's art reached a new height.  

Every moment brought its vocal magic .The extremely beautiful voice was clean, rich, with notes of drama and majesty, able to strongly convey all emotions, tragic dimensions, sublime feelings ....., with all its softness and suppleness. 

"... Ed io respiro" - The pianissimi were delightful, of unbelievable shading and greatest delicacy.

All the trillos, also the "goat trill" (this rapid vibrato sounding like the bleating of a goat) were present in Rolando's perfect performance.   

As always, L'Arpeggiata with Christina Pluhar, brought a vivid, energetic life to this fabulous music. The sound of the theorbos was a great, special artistic joy, Rolando's singing in "Tu se' morta" and the accompaniment by these magnificent instruments were of unearthly beauty and emotional force.

After this intense and amazing Orfeo-period, I will miss this piece very much!

KÖSZÖNÖM, ROLANDO!

Eléonore 

Les vidéos d'Eléonore : 

                                               

                                                 

                                                         
                                                                                   

ANNONCE MOZART WEEK 2026 !

 Après avoir fêté l'anniversaire de MOZART, à Salzbourg, cette année encore avec Los Mariachis  Negros, lors de la "Serenata Mexicana" ....

                                          

                                           

Photos Mozartwoche

la vidéo de Rolando qui annonce sa prochaine mise en scène à la semaine Mozart 2026 : 💝💝💝

https://mozarteum.at/mozartwoche/die-zauberfloete#video

                                               

MOZART WEEK 2025 - SALZBOURG 30/01/25

La chronique d'Eléonore :

SEELENFRIEDEN - SEELENTROST and ARTIST TALK

Mozartwoche gave us the occasion of hearing jewels of early music, organizing a concert of pieces by Johann Philipp Krieger, Dietrich Buxtehude, Heinrich Schütz, Johann Rosenmüller, Andreas Hammerschmidt, Johann Theile, Christof Bernhard. And, of course, a piece of Mozart was also included in the concert with his "Kommet her, ihr frechen Sünder", 

Buxtehude and Schütz are played rarely, from time to time, but the other composers are practically missing in the concert halls. The reason remains unknown, because these pieces have a great beauty, and their mode and style of performance demands  virtuosity from the singers, the ornamentations being extremely difficult and diversified.

The wonderful musicians of lautten compagney BERLIN under the conduction of  Wolfgans Katschner, the tenor Martin Platz and the soprano Maria Ladurner (who jumped in to replace the sick Hanna Herfurtner) performed these superb musical pieces demonstrating beauty and an incredible professional ease. 

After the long and deeply enthusiastic applause of the audience, Martin Platz sang an encore, a song by Buxtehude.         

ARTIST TALK

Conversation with Wolfgang Katschner

Rolando presented the artist and his orchestra, mentioning their common work in "Viaggio dell'anima" first performed in Merano in 2024 and their future performance in Salzburg in 2025. It is impossible to touch on all the topics that the conductor talked about. Rolando asked exciting questions in a large scale of themes and subjects. Wolfgang Katschner told some words about his musical studies. His extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for early music were impressive. We heard his opinion on music education in Germany, the involvement of young people in music, the difference between modern music instruments and those used for early music ...   

Early music at its top!

(A personal remark : Both the Renaissance and the Baroque periods adored the colours, the very bright and flamboyant ones, the glowing and radiant outfits and overly decorated clothes. In all the concert halls I've been to for a Renaissance or Baroque concert, all the orchestra members always wore exclusively black clothing ...) 

KÖSZÖNÖM, ROLANDO!

Eléonore

                 

Photos : Eléonore et Klari 

                                             

                                             

                                                            

                                                         

                                                              

                                                             

MOZART WEEK 2025 - SALZBOURG 28/01/25

 "BACH TO THE FUTURE" :

Ce concert réunissait la "Camerata Salzbourg,"François LELEUX (direction d'orchestre et hautbois), Lisa BATIASHVILI (violon)  et Tsotne ZEDGINIDZE (piano).

Photos : Wolfgang Lienbacher

                                                      

                                                                

                                                           

                                                               

                                                        

MOZART WEEK 2025- SALZBURG 26/01/25

 La chronique d'Eléonore : 

MASS IN C MINOR AND ARTIST TALK

Since at the age of 15, I first heard the Mass, this incredible gem with its exceptionally beautiful and rich music, it is one of my favorites.

It was an exciting experience to listen to it in its new version by Jordi Savall and Luca Guglielmi. 'La Capella Nacional de Catalunya'', its unbelievably fantastic singers, "Le Concert des Nations' with its amazing sound, Jordi Savall, Giulia Bolcato, Elionor Martinez, Lara Morger, David Fischer, Matthias Winckhler, Lluís Vilamajó gave a uniquely surpassing performance.

The Mass was followed by a conversation with the presence of Rolando and Ulrich Leisinger, musicologist and director of research of the Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg, and of Jordi Savall and Luca Guglielmi, an Italian conductor, composer, soloist of keyboard instruments (harpsichord, organ, clavichord, fortepiano, modern piano) .

It was an extremely powerful experience to listen to these great scientists and experts in their fields. They analysed the mass, mentioning that its origin is not clear, maybe it is a tribute to Constanze, the wife of the composer.

We had full details of the intention of the creation that remains secret. The Mass is considered as one of his greatest works of Mozart. It is a fragment in more than one respect : Mozart has not set to music all parts of the "ordinarium missae"; it lacks large parts of the Credo and the entire Agnus Dei. In addition, parts of Mozart’s original manuscript were lost early.The reasons for abandoning the composition as well as many details of the premiere performance are still unclear. It is notable that the Mass, although it was never completed, was performed at all during Mozart’s last visit to Salzburg.

One of the greatest musical experiences of Mozart Week 2025'

KÖSZÖNÖM, ROLANDO!

Eléonore

Les photos d'Eléonore et Klari :

SALZBURG - MOZART WEEK 2025 - 26/01/25 : ORFEO

 

La chronique d'Eléonore : 

THE SECOND L'ORFEO - THE SECOND MAGIC

Completely impossible to imagine, but this second performance brought another magnificent vocal wonder, and perfection in ROLANDO's stage presence and acting. 

It is always a privilege to have the occasion to see for a second time the same production, not for comparing, but for enjoying the experience. 

If I try to choose vocal highlights in Rolando's singing, the enumeration would be endless, the listing hopeless...  'Tu se' morta ... A dio Terra, a dio Cielo e Sole, a dio' and "Possente spirto', the most ornamented one of all arias of the piece had particularly a heavenly and tragic beauty.

With her expressive voice and great simple acting in portraying, Luciana Mancini brought the news of Eurydice's death with a captivating sincerity. She is an absolutely outstanding Messagera.

Tamara Ivanis, Céline Scheen, Cyril Auvity, Eric Jurenas, Alessandro Giangrande, Joao Fernandes, the musicians of L'Arpeggiata, the dancers, the choir, the puppeteers were fantastic. With Christina Pluhar's conducting, we had the best of Monteverdi.

Long rhythmic applause with standing ovation! And everyone who was on stage danced with the energetic music of the orchestra!  

KÖSZÖNÖM, ROLANDO!

Eléonore

Les photos d'Eléonore et Klari : 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                   

                                                 

                                                       

                                                  

                                                    

                                               

                                                   

                                                      

                                                     

                                                      

                                                      

                                                    

      


                                                

                         

"ORFEO" - Semaine MOZART 2025 - SALZBOURG : PRESSE

 Voici quelques articles de presse et photos pour l'évènement de cette semaine MOZART : "ORFEO" ! 

                                                    

Photo : Werner Kmetitsch

https://www.meinbezirk.at/salzburg-stadt/c-lokales/rolando-villazn-startet-mozartwoche-mit-opern-premiere_a7119669

                                                                            

Photo : Ludwig Olah

https://www.visionsalzburg.at/lieder-von-heute/

Et pour patienter... jusqu'à la prochaine publication (Chronique et photos d'Eléonore et Klari) de la seconde représentation d'ORFEO, une petite vidéo du nouveau  triomphe de Rolando ... 

Merci, chère Eléonore ! 

SALZBURG - MOZART WEEK : 24 /01/25 - ORFEO

 La  chronique d'Eléonore : 

Salzburg, 24 01 25 - Opening night of Orfeo

DEEPEST POETRY AND TIMELESS BEAUTY

After so many evenings with ROLANDO at the Haus für Mozart (recitals, Cinquantanero, Mozart/Gluck, several performances of Lucio Silla, Iphigénie, Ariodante), it was emotional to attend the premiere of his new series at the Haus with Monteverdi's Orfeo.

Just two weeks passed after my previous Orfeo experience with Rolando and Christina Pluhar in Hanover. And came this Orfeo production with the same powerful singing and acting, and the same dynamic conducting.

Rolando's voice was at the top of the tops, with all its loved characteristics, its impressive beauty, energy, dramatism, luminosity. Monteverdi composed extraordinary arias for Orfeo, with extreme refinement and extremely difficult ornamentations. Rolando's trillo was a perfect one. 

"Orfeo son io", Rolando sings, and he IS Orfeo in every moment, every feeling, emotion, movement and gesture. An absolutely ideal and unique match of singer and role.        

In "Tu se' morta', the dramatic tension was palpable, nearly unbearable, and further reinforced by Rolando's facial expression and posture. For me, apogee and crowning point. 

I love Christina Pluhar's Monteverdi and Orfeo conception, the exceptional, attractive sound of her orchestra, the forceful presence of the wind instruments, the tension she creates with her rhythms.

Since the first time I saw the staging of Nikolaus Habjan, it remains for me exceptionally rich, both exciting and grandiose. There were some changes that made the piece even more powerful. 

We had uncommon, remarkable singers in every role : Luciana Mancini (Messagiera), Céline Sheen (La Música and Proserpina), Tamara Ivanis (Euridice), Cyril Auvity (Pastore III and Apollo), wonderful, excellent singers I know from other performances, and also Johanna Rosa Falkinger (Nimfa), Eric Jurenas (Speranza), Elizabeth Kirchner (Pastore I), the marvelous Philharmonia Chor Wien 

The puppets add a touch of drama to the opera that makes it breathtaking, unforgettable in every details. The "bond" between Orfeo and the puppet is particularly touching. Rolando's moments and gestures with it bring tears to the eyes.

During the incredibly strong applause, the orchestra started to play and all the artists on stage to dance.

One evening of the greatest one !

KÖSZÖNÖM, ROLANDO!

Eléonore.  

Les  photos d'Eléonore et Klari : 

                                                   

                                                    

                                                      

                                                      

                                                     

                                                       

                                                         

                                                     

                                                

                                                          

                                                       

                                                     

                                                        

          La vidéo d'Eléonore : 

                                           
    Photos : Franz Neumayr