July 26 – August 31

The political events of the past year, which brought Europe the fall of the Iron Curtain separating East and West for forty years, are reflected by the Festival: the keynote address is given by the Czech author and former dissident Václav Havel, who has been President of the Czech Republic for half a year. The Festival celebrates its 70th anniversary this summer with a grand gala presenting texts and documents of the Festival’s history and an exhibit about Jedermann at the Kleines Festspielhaus. Helmut Lohner takes on the title role in Hofmannsthal’s “Play of the Rich Man’s Death”; the idea of freshening up Jedermann by presenting night performances illuminated by spotlights, however, cannot be realized because of the costs involved. Salzburg treads a new path regarding the financing of its Festival: five-year sponsorship agreements are signed with the corporations ABB, Allianz and Nestlé, money provided by third parties that is to enable the Festival to expand its artistic program and the number of premieres.

1990: Václav Havel, newly elected president of the Chekhoslovakian Republic, gives the Festival's opening speech. With him are Sir Georg Solti, Lady Valerie Solti and Plácido Domingo.

New production
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Jedermann
Stage director: Gernot Friedel
Stage sets: Imre Vincze
Costumes: Jorge Jara
Domplatz / Großes Festspielhaus

New production
Franz Grillparzer
Die Jüdin von Toledo
Stage director: Thomas Langhoff
Sets and costumes: Jürgen Rose
Landestheater

New production
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Idomeneo
Conductor: Seiji Ozawa
Stage director: Nikolaus Lehnhoff
Sets and costumes: Ezio Toffolutti
Felsenreitschule

New production
Ludwig van Beethoven
Fidelio
Conductor: Horst Stein
Stage director: Peter Brenner
Stage sets: Günther Schneider-Siemssen
Costumes: Waltraut Engelberg
Großes Festspielhaus

Revivals: Das Mädl aus der Vorstadt, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Un ballo in maschera, Capriccio

Concert performances: Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, Haydn's L'anima del filosofo ossia Orfeo ed Euridice, Krenek's Orpheus und Eurydike

19 Orchestral Concerts, 13 Chamber Concerts, 6 Serenades, 15 Matinees, 6 Solo Recitals, 5 Lied Recitals, 5 Church Concerts, 3 Concerts „Soloists playing Chamber Music“, 4 Literary Recitals

Opening speach by Václav Havel: "Die Poesie ist zu Ende"

Details of the several years:

1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,