The 100th year of the Salzburg Festival goes down in history. The pandemic strangles the world, travel restrictions and security requirements apply; The state of emergency, as evoked in many comments, is a reminder of the Spanish flu, the global influenza that also raged worldwide from 1918 to 1920 – and cost more lives than the First World War. At that time, Salzburg, which was busy laying the foundation stone for the festival that later became known across the borders, was not spared.
Fright and shock, then as now. The 2020 Festival was on the brink due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Director Markus Hinterhäuser is fortunate that instead of the glamorous anniversary edition, at least one modified version will take place; Instead of celebrating with pomp and glory for a summer, Salzburg has to be content with a narrow-gauge festival from August 1st to 31st – overshadowed by security concepts and the risk of infection, as well as the fearful question of whether the masses will get together as usual.
The exhibition “Great World Theater – 100 Years of the Salzburg Festival”, from July 26 to October 31, in the Landesmuseum is the start of the anniversary season. The modified Salzburg Festival, traditionally associated with the “Anyone” kick off. The opening will be broadcast by ORF2 at 9:15 p.m., before that the documentary will run “The Great World Theater – Salzburg and its Festival“(20.15). The Opera “Elektra” will be broadcast live on August 1 at 7.30 p.m. on Ö1 and on August 10 at 10.30 p.m. on ORF2. On orf.at/100Pieces as well as on the classic platform myfedilo.at archive recordings from the festival history can be seen.
–
–
–
On the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the Salzburg Festival appears vulnerable in a way that one would hardly have expected with such a traditional institution. Contradictions and legends have always determined summer activities in Salzburg. The founding myth already shakes. The Salzburg Festival as a pan-European peace project that made its mark with art in a society torn apart by war and misery? The festival as a kind of European cultural memory that ultimately overcomes ruinous nationalism with revived mystery play, ancient and modern materials? Sounds good, but only partially true.
Think Big
In fact, there has always been a struggle for power, money and influence behind the foundation and development of the festival. Too many actors (and hardly any actors) with diverging interests were at work.
The orientation oscillated between cosmopolitanism and nationalism, enlightenment and conservatism, art and church, modernity and backwardness. The festival is accompanied by ambivalences and conflicting content through the ups and downs of its long history; to this day they move between the tense poles of avant-garde and mainstream.
The first considerations for the establishment of a nationally important festival date from the middle of the 19th century: The Mozarteum aimed at a purely musical theater event that was to exclusively pay homage to Mozart, the city’s most famous son; The ideas were fueled by the Bayreuth Festival, founded in 1867. Comparable to the Bayreuth Festival Hall on the green hill, a stage on the Mönchsberg was planned, which should offer space for 1500 spectators. Motto, even then: Think Big! Salzburg was an impoverished small town at the time, which played a subordinate role in the Habsburg Empire.
The economic aspect of a festival of international importance came into focus early on. From the beginning, the festival was also seen as a motor to help prosperity, both for yourself and the city. Mission accomplished! Today they are an essential economic factor for the region; the facility itself is largely financed through card receipts and sponsors. On this point, at least, the Festival has remained true to itself for decades: tickets cost a lot.
The artistic founding fathers appeared on the scene during the First World War, pursuing tangible self-interest rather than pan-European interests. Director Max Reinhardt intended to expand his theater empire in Berlin and Vienna with another lucrative venue; if it had been up to him, Salzburg would have been a drama festival today. The poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal, in turn, wanted to step out of Arthur Schnitzler’s long shadow; for the composer Richard Strauss, the conductor Franz Schalk and the stage designer Alfred Roller, Salzburg was a welcome opportunity to present their work outside of Vienna and to expand the art networks that had been set up. There was no director in the modern sense in the founding years. The artistic figurehead that shaped and polarized the festival only appeared in the post-war years: Herbert von Karajan and Gerard Mortier should be mentioned here. Max Reinhardt was the art high priest, not Salzburg’s showman.
Everyone, the filler
A very specific piece is inextricably linked to the Salzburg Festival. “Everyone”, it sounds every summer over the Salzburg Cathedral Square. Also in the 100th year is the “game of the death of the rich man” of the Crowd-puller, the Cashcow.
Everything was planned differently. “Everyone” was originally a temporary solution. In Max Reinhardt’s words: a “provisional loophole”. The director wanted to open the season with the commissioned work “The Salzburg Great World Theater”, but author Hofmannsthal had not finished and Reinhardt quickly put an old production on the program. Hofmannsthal’s revision of the “Jedermann” mystery game was premiered in Berlin in 1911; At that time, the piece, which proved itself in numerous guest performances, was panned by critics and loved by the audience. Hardly anything has changed in over 100 years.
The performance venue on Domplatz was also a fix. Originally it was supposed to be played in the Felsenreitschule; In the post-war years, however, not enough timber could be found for the grandstand. Reinhardt turned to the Archbishop of Salzburg Ignatius Rieder and asked him to be allowed to play outside the cathedral. The act of mercy became permanent.
By the way, Hofmannsthal’s “The Salzburg Great World Theater”, an adaptation of Calderon de Barca’s mystery play, was premiered in 1922. The play could not build on the success of “Everyone” and soon disappeared from the game plans.
Salzburg in 2020: an anniversary game plan as a temporary solution. A celebration in the shadow of crisis and illness. A birthday that seems to remind of the clammy circumstances of the festival foundation.
–
