Heinrich Spängler Helga Rabl-Stadler Don Giovanni Harnoncourt König Kandaules Alfred Hrdlicka Kent Nagano Die Zauberflöte Bertrand de Billy Turandot Die Liebe der Danae Sylvain Cambreling The little match girl Rossini & Gounod Marcello Viotti DaPonte in Santa Fe Corinna Kirchhoff Dance Theatre Guest Poet Shape of Things Les Paravents Guest Orchestras Mozart-Matinees Solo Recitals Helmut Lachenmann Young Composers Peter Ruzicka Susanne Stähr The Camerata

TRIBUTE TO PETER RUZICKA

Great success for the composer and artistic director of the Salzburg Festival

Anyone who really wants to get to know Peter Ruzicka, the new artistic director of the Salzburg Festival, should listen to his music – sounds can often be more eloquent than words. Donald and Jeanne Kahn, long-standing generous patrons of the Festival, also thought along these lines and hosted a private concert devoted entirely to the œuvre of composer Ruzicka. An audience of 150 invited guests, including Marjana Lipovsek and Eliette von Karajan came to the Salzburg Künstlerhaus on 16 March to hear four chamber music works by Peter Ruzicka.

Patrons Donald and Jeanne Kahn (from the left) hosted a private concert of works by Peter Ruzicka.

The programme was very varied and included experimental works such as Tombeau, played by five musicians spread out in the entire hall, the Préludes for solo piano, songs on texts by Nietsche and the Third String Quartet entitled … On a Disappearance, certainly one of Ruzicka’s most moving and personal pieces.

Musicologist Jürg Stenzl, with his informative and humorous introduction, contributed to the great success of the evening. The members of the Austrian Ensemble for New Music, the Stadler Quartet, the magnificent baritone Dietrich Henschel and pianist Michael Schäfer were all highly acclaimed, as was of course the composer himself who became engrossed in stimulating discussions with the hosts and guests at the reception after the concert. Let’s hope there’ll be more evenings like this!

Susanne Stähr