25 July – 31 August

The new production of Verdi’s La Traviata was a sensational success; the new “dream couple” Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón were triumphantly acclaimed and Willy Decker’s intelligent production received euphoric approval. Kent Nagano and Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s interpretation of Die Gezeichneten by Schreker was also highly praised as well as Marc Minkowski and Günter Krämer’s production of Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto. However, the new production of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) met with a storm of protest and loud choruses of booing because stage director Graham Vick had transferred the action to an old peoples’ home. The new head of drama, Martin Kusej, who presented his first season under the motto “We, the barbarians”, staged Grillparzer’s King Ottokar. Leading actors Tobias Moretti and Michael Maertens as well as the director were highly acclaimed by the audience. Barbara Frey was successful in Salzburg with her production of Horváth’s Tales from the Vienna Woods; Stephan Kimmig directed Kleist’s Penthesilea and there were also some innovations in Jedermann: Nina Hoss took on the role of the Paramour, and Ulrike Folkerts played Death, the first time ever that this role was taken by a woman. Sebastijan Horvat directed the play Alamut and won the Young Directors Award; António Lobo Antunes and John M. Coetzee were the Guest Writers.

Details of the several years:

2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,