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Baden-Baden Gala 2018
July 8, 11, and 14
A long journey capped with Die Zauberflöte
With Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte, the Festival Hall Baden-Baden will be celebrating its Baden-Baden Gala 2018 on July 8, 11, and 14 as part of this year’s Summer Festival. For already the sixth time, Music Director Designate of New York’s Metropolitan Opera Yannick Nezét-Séguin and opera star Rolando Villazón will be bringing together a world-class ensemble in Baden-Baden for the concert performance of a Mozart opera.
A few years ago conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Rolando Villazón, and Festival Hall Baden-Baden Artistic Director Andreas Mölich-Zebhauser had an idea that was as good as it was difficult to realize: to present concert performances of as many Mozart operas as possible with a star ensemble in Baden-Baden, and to have them recorded by music label Deutsche Grammophon. The underlying idea was to form an ensemble out of soloists who would scarcely be able to come together at a theater for any extended period of time – in its essence, a “festival idea.”
By now everyone involved can look back on a highly successful series. Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosí fan tutte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and La clemenza di Tito have already been performed in Baden-Baden to great acclaim, and the recordings with Deutsche Grammophon form a sizeable block on CD shelves.
With Die Zauberflöte, audiences will get to experience a new chapter in this project that features a beloved highlight of Mozart’s oeuvre. The enchanting comedy, written in 1791, is known as the most popular opera in the German language. The plot centers around Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, who have to pass through difficult trials before being united in love at the end. Meanwhile, the Queen of the Night and the high priest Sarastro wage a bitter feud that threatens to sabotage the young people’s love. We also encounter a “comic pair” in the tradition of the old Viennese popular theater, as the bird catcher Papageno accompanies Prince Tamino in outlandish circumstances before he finally finds “his” beloved Papagena.
In this Baden-Baden Gala concert performance, the orchestra, choir, and soloists will all share the concert stage together, offering a special appeal not found in classical staged opera performances: being able to see how all the musicians interact with one another significantly enhances our opera experience. Further artistic features will also enrich the Baden-Baden performances: between the arias and ensembles, film actor André Eisermann (Kaspar Hauser, Brother of Sleep) will be narrating newly-written texts that offer a summary of the opera’s dialogues, while taking on all the roles in the process.
Audiences will get to see many familiar faces in the ensemble of soloists for this opera production, which includes singers who featured in the Mozart series in previous years. But Baden-Baden’s “Mozart family” will also be greeting a number of new faces and voices, including tenor Klaus Florian Vogt as Tamino. “I am looking forward to the opportunity of singing the part of Tamino again after many years,” says the singer, who has already performed many times in Baden-Baden as a Wagner tenor. He gave his debut here as Lohengrin in 2006 in Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s production of the Wagner opera. Also making her first appearance at the Baden-Baden Gala is Albina Shagimuratova. The coloratura soprano is currently well on her way to becoming an international opera star. She has already sung the role of the Queen of the Night at Milan’s La Scala as well as at other renowned opera houses. At the opening concert of the Soccer World Cup on Moscow’s Red Square, she sang alongside Anna Netrebko and Placido Domingo. Bass Franz-Josef Selig will be making his second appearance at the Baden-Baden Gala. At the 2018 Baden-Baden Easter Festival, the German singer earned high praise for his portrayal of Gurnemanz in the opera Parsifal. His Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Baden-Baden Gala 2014) also made a very memorable impression.
Many other artists participating in the new Baden-Baden Zauberflöte production have already gathered a wealth of positive experiences in the project. Christiane Karg (Pamina) has us previously delighted as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, as did Regula Mühlemann (Papagena) in both Figaro and La clemenza di Tito (Baden-Baden Gala 2017).
This time around Rolando Villazón will be celebrating his debut as Papageno, enriching his repertoire with a completely new role. The Mexican-French artist has often spoken of his love of Mozart, and was recently named Artistic Director of the Salzburg Mozart Week – a special honor for the singer and director.
For the Baden-Baden Gala on July 11, 2018, Austrian tenor Martin Mitterrutzner will be stepping in for Klaus Florian Vogt, who is unable to sing in this performance due to other commitments, in the role of Tamino. Mitterrutzner sang the first child-spirit in Die Zauberflöte at the age of ten and is currently a member of the ensemble of the Oper Frankfurt.
Conductor Yannick Nezét-Séguin has already led many other performances in Baden-Baden in addition to this Mozart cycle. Born in Montreal, the artist is one of the great beacons of hope of his profession. He is currently Principal Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and will be taking on the post of Music Director of New York’s Metropolitan Opera this fall. He also serves as Principal Conductor of the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal.
The Chamber Orchestra of Europe has accompanied the Baden-Baden Mozart cycle since its inception. Named “the finest chamber orchestra in the world” by the BBC, it was founded in 1981 by young musicians who, in addition to their involvement with this ensemble, hold positions in some of the world’s leading orchestras. Artists who have played a decisive role in shaping the COE include Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Claudio Abbado, and Bernard Haitink.
Further information: www.festspielhaus.de/en [2]
Assistance and reservations by phone: +49 (0) 7221 / 30 13 101.
FESTIVAL HALL BADEN-BADEN
July 8, 11, and 14, 2018
BADEN-BADEN GALA
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Die Zauberflöte
Concert performance
In cooperation with Deutsche Grammophon
CAST:
Yannick Nezét-Séguin Conductor
Rolando Villazón Papageno
Regula Mühlemann Papagena
Franz-Josef Selig Sarastro
Albina Shagimuratova Queen of the Night
Christiane Karg Pamina
Klaus Florian Vogt (July 8/14)/ Martin Mitterrutzner
(July 11) Tamino
Paul Schweinester Monostatos
Tareq Nazmi Narrator
Johanni van Oostrum First lady
Corinna Scheurle Second lady
Claudia Huckle Third lady
Levy Sekgapane First priest / First armoured man
Douglas Williams Second priest / Second armoured man
André Eisermann Narrator
Three boys from the Aurelius Sängerknaben
RIAS Kammerchor
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Further information:www.festspielhaus.de/en [2]
Information and personal assistance: Tel. +49(0)7221 / 30 13 101
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