Photographs from Vienna State Opera productions are reproduced by kind permission of Wiener Staatsoper through their Press Office. This photographic material is subject to their copyright , and may not be used without their consent. The usage of these pictures for advertising purposes is not allowed.

I am very grateful to Wiener Staatsoper for the availability of these photos, and accept their conditions.

Ariadne auf Naxos September 2011
Camilla Nylund (Primadonna/ Ariadne)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper/ Michael Pohn

Falstaff September 2011
Ambrogio Maestri (Falstaff)
C) Wiener Staatsoper/ Michael Pohn

Kayja Kabanova November 2011
Janice Watson (Katja)
C) Wiener Staatsoper/ Michael Pohn

L’italiana in Algeri November 2011
Ildar Abrazakov (Mustafa), Vesselina Kasarova (Isabella)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper/ Michael Pohn

From the House of the Dead (Aus einem Totenhaus) December 2011
from left, clockwise
Herwig Pecora (the very old convict), Herbert Lippert (Skuratov), Misha Didyk (Luka Kusmitsch), Sorin Coliban (Gorancikov)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper/Michael Pohn
Christopher Maltman (Siskov)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper/ Michael Pohn
Marcus Eiche (Don Juan), Peter Jelosits (Kedril), Donna Ellen (Dirne)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper / Pohn
Misha Didyk (Luca) , Herwig Pecora
(c) Wiener Staatsoper/ Pohn
Herbert Lippert ( Skuratov)
(c) Wiener Saatsoper/ Pohn

Le Nozze di Figaro December 2011
Christina Carvin (Contessa d’Almaviva), Anita Hartig (Susanna), Adam Plachetka (Figaro) , Marcus Pelz, (Antonio), Adrian Erod (Conte d’Almaviva);
Adrian Erod (Almaviva)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pohn

La Forza del Destino January 2012
clockwise, from left
Violeta Urmana (Leonora)
Nadia Krasteva (Preziosilla)
Alberto Gazalle (Don Carlos)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pohn

Die Frau ohne Schatten / March 2012
Adrianne Pieczonka (Empress); Wolfgang Bankl (Priest), Birgit Remmert (Nurse); Evelyn Herlitzius (Dyer’s Wife) , Adrianne Pieczonka (Empress)
(c) Wienerstaatsoper / Michael Pohn

La Clemenza di Tito May 2012
Elina Garanca (Sesto) and Julianne Banse (Vitellia) ; Julianne Banse (Vitellia) and Serena Malfi (Annio) ; Michael Schade (Tito)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pohn

Elektra June 2012
Linda Watson (Elektra) ; Agnes Baltsa (Clytaemnestra) ; Albert Dohmen (Orestes)
(c) Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pohn

I am indebted to Andrea Wren and her fortnightly Guardian series How to Create A Profitable Blog (2011 -2012).
This was published in conjunction with Glen Alsopp’s online BlogginCaseStudy.com.

Andrea’s enthousiasm and Glen’s inspirational tutoring made blogging possible and enabled me to set up this web site.

Le Nozze di Figaro
In an interview for Prolog (January 2014) , Simon Keenlyside , who played Count Almaviva, suggests Le Nozze di Figaro is never only one thing. Keenlyside compares Le Nozze to ‘a slippery fish’ that can’t be held down.

Mussorgsky’s Khovanschina

I’m indebted to David Lloyd Jones for his erudite contribution on Mussorgsky’s operas in the Viking Opera Guide (1993).

Don Pasquale

Irina Brook cited from her interview with Oliver Lang (‘When the Staging is Written in the music’), published in Don Pasquale programme notes, Wiener Staatsoper (26.4.2015.)

The Tempest

In my introduction , I have made use of Wiener Staatsoper’s excellent programme notes, especially Oliver Lang’s interview with Thomas Adès , and also Meredith Oakes’ complete libretto.

Because the review was already overlong, I did not state that, although this was the Austrian premiere (first performance in Vienna June 14th 2015), the opera premiered in London at the ROH Covent Garden in 2004. Adès’ opera has already been performed in Frankfurt, Quebec, and at the New York Met.

Most importantly, this Vienna Staatsoper staging was a co-production between New York’s Metropolitan Opera and l’ Opera de Québec in collaboration with Ex Machina.

Madama Butterfly: another view

Citations from Samuel Boyer from Für 39 Dollar pro Monat (For 39 Dollars per month)
in Wiener Staatsoper programme, Puccini Madama Butterfly (1991)

Rossini’s Elizabeth Queen of England (Elisabetta Regina D’Inghilterra)

I have freely used Theater an der Wien’s excellent programme notes for background to the opera and Rossini’s ‘reform operas’. It’s a shame that Elisabetta is not in repertory , as I , and many others, would love to experience it again.

” I know I have the bodie , but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a King, and a King of England, too…” quoted from the so-called Tilbury speech (9th August 1588), Elizabeth I addressing her troops about to sail to confront the Spanish Armada.
Cited from Louis Montrose, The Subject of Elizabeth , University of Chicago, 2006.

Der Bettelstudent

Citation from Richard Traubner’s contribution on Der Bettelstudent in Viking Opera Guide, eds. Holden, A, with Kenyon, N. and Walsh,S.

Once again I’m indebted to this informative and authoritative guide.

Verdi’s Die Räuber (The Robbers)

References to Verdi’s I masnadieri (based on Schiller’s play Die Räuber) from Viking Opera Guide.

I masnadieri premiered (1847) in London at Her Majesty’s Theatre Haymarket, but ‘London’s arbiters of taste found Verdi’s music disagreeably violent.’

ADRIANA LECOUVREUR

Elena Garanca on her role as the Princess of Bouillon 2021

cited from her interview in the October 2021 edition of Wiener Staatsoper’s OPERNRING ZWEI.

We were lucky to see the performance live (5th November 2021) before Vienna went into lockdown again (its fourth) in December2021.

Wonderful theatre! Thank you Elena Garanca, Ermonela Jaho, Brian Jagde, Nicola Alaimo especially, and all the splendid cast.

MUSSORGSKY’S BORIS GODUNOV at Vienna State Opera

For Musorgsky’s indebtedness to Pushkin’s text, I gratefully acknowledge David Lloyd-Jones’ (D.L.-J’s) authorative contribution on Musorgsky in Viking Opera Review.

Also, I acknowledge Vienna State Opera’s excellent, brief programme notes; particularly in stressing the important role of the Chorus in the Opera, and the originality of Mussorgky’s musical style.