Mozart without cosmetics

First of all, I feel a great sense of gratitude for a wonderful premiere, gratitude to everyone involved, and in addition to the singers, I would particularly like to emphasize the performance of the wonderful orchestra and, of course, the wonderful choir.

Of course you're a bit exhausted the day after, but the tension that we all feel in the run-up to such an evening has also fallen away. When the premiere goes well, there is a general sense of relief.

But: in addition to the Tannhäuser follow-up performances, rehearsals for the Ring des Nibelungen cycle are just starting and I'm very happy about that, because the worst thing is to fall into a hole after a premiere. But this way it continues and that's a good feeling!

The center was Mozart from the very beginning. He was the basis, and it was always clear that many influences emanate from this center and are drawn in circles, regardless of whether you are playing Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Wagner, Verdi or Puccini.

The Countess in Le nozze di Figaro could also be a wonderful Eva in Wagner's Meistersinger, the Count could also sing Onegin or Wolfram in Tannhäuser. Mozart was the source of energy whose effect radiated throughout the repertoire. So it was only natural that we worked consistently on Mozart.

We wanted to and have formed an ensemble from international forces that has gradually grown together. Over the years, we worked on a common musical language, not only among the singers, but also in the orchestra and choir. It was about playing styles, about reacting to each other, about a special style.

We started this in the first year: With a revival of the old Le nozze di Figaro production. Then came a new Da Ponte cycle with director Barrie Kosky. It was important that all three works were created by one director, because even if each opera has its own scenic interpretation, there was still a common stage language.

By the first premiere of the Da Ponte cycle, Don Giovanni, the course had already been set and we were delighted to see how the overall concept ultimately worked out. How lucky we were when we performed the whole cycle in the spring: a wonderful unity, such homogeneity!

The concertante Giovanni guest performance in Paris was also a highlight: from the overture onwards, the whole thing was like one piece!

It's less about the sound, because the Staatsopernorchester has a wonderful Mozart sound in itself and everyone knows about the extraordinary sensitivity of the orchestra and that the musicians listen very carefully to the stage.

You don't have to explain much here, especially with Mozart. That is precisely why I have never rehearsed Mozart with the orchestra alone. What's the point? You don't do that with a Mozart piano concerto either... It's better to work on an opera together with the singers!

Of course you have to come to an agreement: In which direction do you want to make music? Something more traditional? Do you allow for new influences? The challenge here is that there are so many different influences in the orchestra at the same time and it takes time to create a consistent sound.

Personally, transparency and articulate playing have always been important to me when working with the orchestra. That's another reason why this cycle was so crucial.

I like doing this because the recitatives are actually the inner motor of the Da Ponte operas. They in particular have to be filled with life in order to capture the respective theatrical situation exactly.

When you work with such a wonderful director as Barrie Kosky, who has got the recitatives down to a tee, this works particularly well. Of course, much is developed in the course of rehearsals.

But you can also intervene from the pianoforte at the moment of the performance, for example by setting an accent, holding something back or pushing it forward. Apart from that, it's more pleasant to play along than just sit there; at the fortepiano I'm part of the whole thing.

(laughs) That's really for others to judge!

Firstly, as I mentioned earlier, I'm interested in uniformity. Secondly, the less fuss there is with Mozart, the better. So: no cosmetics. Because everything is already contained in the music, and if you play it as it is written, it works best.

As you know, I'm not a big fan of added ornaments, even if some things might have been done that way in Mozart's time. Here and there: yes. But essentially, I prefer purity and the pure, both in the vocal parts and in the orchestra.

Thirdly and fourthly: beauty of sound and, of course, good intonation. Fifthly, lightness and liveliness are important to me. Even if some things are sometimes played a little slower in the repertoire for safety's sake, I am a friend of brisker tempi. It simply needs this inner motor, a certain brilliance and speed.

And sixthly: although perfection is required, you can't lose yourself in it. You always need spontaneity, immediacy and vitality.

Much simpler! There are now so many different approaches to Mozart, some of which are extremely contradictory.

Of course! For my part, I hope I have given something to the house, but of course the house has given me an incredible amount!

Just interacting with this orchestra every day is incredibly enriching. I've always noticed how I've passed on a lot of what I've learned here to other orchestras in other places. Sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously.

That was a difficult time, but I think we can be proud of how well the house has coped with this phase.

We didn't close down, but showed that we were there for the audience, albeit in a different form, namely via television.

That is simply the reality here at the opera house and, for me, a duty of the conductor's profession in the best sense of the word. In the past, it was quite common to conduct Madama Butterfly one evening, Tristan and Isolde the next and then a Figaro .

It's simply part of the job, perhaps even without a rehearsal. For the orchestra, it's also part of everyday theater life. I see that as a sign of vitality; it's an advantage, not a disadvantage.

Of course, each work stands on its own. But at the same time it fertilizes all the others, it's a give and take. Even Verdi's Don Carlo musically influences the way I do Tannhäuser. In addition, there are the technical experiences that arise in everyday conducting, which are also not tied to a specific piece.

Especially Richard Strauss, of course - let's think of Der Rosenkavalier or Salome , for example - and Alban Berg's Wozzeck. An incredibly formative project for me!

Probably the Meistersinger, Figaro and, close behind, the current Tannhäuser. Everything was just right: wonderful direction, a fantastic orchestra, a great ensemble of singers, a happy audience, a unity of music and scene. And everyone pulled together. Of course, there were also many other wonderful things, Salome, Trittico and so on.

Of course it is! Nowhere else is there an audience that lives so much for the music, for the music and the theater. They are so familiar with it, go along with it and react so intensely. Take Paris: music and theater also play a role there, but there are many other equally important things: literature, visual arts, fashion, film.

Here in Vienna, the focus is on music, i.e. opera, concerts and spoken theater. And then there is this wonderful coexistence with the music, with this house and the repertoire. How many people in the audience keep coming back to see Bohème or Wozzeck? Where else can you find that? I don't know it in this form.

The warmth of the audience! That is something very special. I would say it's the best thing that can happen to you. After all, we do all this for the audience... And the language, this Viennese rubato that you can feel everywhere, even in the orchestra's playing. There's something incredibly musical about it.

That art and music really are an elixir of life. Here in Vienna, compared to other places, there are always very dark and cold winters. So it's clear that many people go to concerts, the opera or the theater at this time of year. Or to balls. There's no need for that in California.(laughs) But apart from that: Taking it with me is very relative, as I will probably continue to live in Vienna.