July 26 – August 30

Days of mourning in early summer: on June 8, Festival President Josef Kaut dies, a member of the Festival’s Directorate since the 1950s who knew the mechanisms of the Festival, its secret laws, like no other. Despite the opposition in Salzburg, Karajan insists on Albert Moser, the Director of Vienna’s Musikverein, as Kaut’s successor – the maestro even threatens to resign if his “suggestion” is not heeded. On June 12, Salzburg also loses Clemens Holzmeister, the architect of the Festspielhäuser. Ponnelle’s and Levine’s Mozart cycle is completed with Idomeneo; Luciano Pavarotti interprets the title role. On the drama side, the prominent Swedish director Ingmar Bergman makes a guest appearance, offering his interpretation of Molière’s Dom Juan. The Festival’s PR office starts a campaign: on June 18, the population is invited to a day of open rehearsal stages and workshops; furthermore, August 27 is “Karajan for everyone” day, with the live broadcast of the Berlin Philharmonic’s concert onto Cathedral Square. Jedermann, played for the first time by Klaus Maria Brandauer this year, goes on tour to Rome and is performed there on the Piazza del Campidoglio.

1983: Klaus Maria Brandauer, the new Jedermann, rehearsing with Marthe Keller (Buhlschaft) and director Ernst Haeusserman

New production
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Jedermann
Stage director: Ernst Haeusserman
Sets and costumes: Veniero Colasanti and John Moore
Domplatz / Großes Festspielhaus

New production
Molière
Dom Juan
Stage director: Ingmar Bergman
Sets and costumes: Gunilla Palmstierna-Weiss
Landestheater

New production
Richard Strauss
Der Rosenkavalier
Conductor and stage director: Herbert von Karajan
Stage sets: Teo Otto
Costumes: Erni Kniepert
Großes Festspielhaus

New production
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Idomeneo
Conductor: James Levine
Stage director, sets and costumes: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Felsenreitschule

Revivals: Der Zerrissene, Torquato Tasso, Die Zauberflöte, Così fan tutte, Fidelio

Concert performance: Einem's Dantons Tod

3 Ballet Performances, 15 Orchestral Concerts, 9 Chamber Concerts, 7 Serenades, 10 Matinees, 6 Solo Recitals, 9 Lied Recitals, 1 Church Concert, 3 Literary Recital, Commemorial Ceremony for Max Reinhardt

Opening Speach by Leo Gabriel: „Sprache und Gespräch – Schöpferische Weltgestaltung“
 

Details of the several years:

1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989,