26 July – 31 August

A series of illnesses led to several programme changes at short notice. Both Wilhelm Furtwängler and Karl Böhm had to cancel their summer appearances. In compensation, Clemens Krauss returned to the Festival for the first time since 1944 to conduct the world première of Richard Strauss’s Liebe der Danae. The reason for this comeback lay in the composer’s wish that only Krauss or, if necessary, Karajan be allowed to give his opera its first hearing. A keenly awaited new production of Jedermann by Ernst Lothar turned out to be a moderate reworking of Max Reinhardt’s original conception. Will Quadflieg received universal accolades in the title role.

1952: Will Quadflieg (Jedermann) and Lola Müthel (Paramour) rehearsing Ernst Lothar’s new production of Jedermann.

New production
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Jedermann
D: Ernst Lothar
Ds: Caspar Neher
Cathedral Square / Festspielhaus

New production
Johann Nestroy
Die Träume von Schale und Kern
(“The Dreams of Husk and Kernel’)
D: Axel von Ambesser
Ds: Wolfgang Znamenacek
Cs: Erni Kniepert
Landestheater

New production
Carlo Goldoni
Der Lügner (“The Liar’)
D: Oskar Wälterlin
Ds/Cs: Caspar Neher
Felsenreitschule

New production
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Le nozze di Figaro
C: Rudolf Moralt
D: Herbert Graf
Ds/Cs: Stefan Hlawa
Festspielhaus

New production
Gaetano Donizetti
Don Pasquale
C: Mario Rossi
D: Oscar Fritz Schuh
Ds/Cs: Caspar Neher
Landestheater

World première
Richard Strauss
Die Liebe der Danae
C: Clemens Krauss
D: Rudolf Hartmann
Ds/Cs: Emil Preetorius
Festspielhaus

Revivals: Otello, Die Zauberflöte

8 orchestral concerts, 6 chamber concerts, 3 serenades, 4 matinées, 1 solo recital, 1 choral concert, 1 church concert, 6 concerts of sacred music

Details of the several years:

1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959,