CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 04/2019

SAVOIR VIVRE BEETHOVEN YEAR 2020
INFO
home of Vienna at which Beethoven lived until his
death, is operated by the Wien Museum as one of the
Beethoven sights.
Beethoven Year 2020 Vienna - Selection
EXHIBITIONS:
Flügel des Wiener Klavierbauers Streicher, wie ihn Beethoven gespielt hat (oben). Historische
Musikinstrumente. Piano by Viennese piano maker Streicher, as played by Beethoven (top).
Historic musical instruments.
Philippe Jordan sieht
Beethoven als modernen
und zeitlosen Komponisten.
Philippe Jordan considers
Beethoven a modern and
timeless composer.
how the Irish soprano singer, who is performing both
the role and at the Wiener Staatsoper for the very first
time, summarises the piece. “The message of the opera
will always be relevant, because its ideals address
the core of the human condition. Today, it is just as
important to come to the theatre and see a strong woman
fight and succeed against adversaries as it was in
1805.” The singer is also impressed by the transformation
that the piece underwent since its premiere in
1805 to its final version in 1814. “Vocally, the role of
Leonore was higher in the first version and had moments
of coloratura that did not appear in later versions.
For me personally, it is very exciting to see how
Leonore grew vocally and psychologically over the
years that Beethoven spent with her composing.”
On the traces of the musical genius
Beethoven worked on his opera in the apartment
at the Mölkerbastei which was provided to him by his
patron Freiherr von Pasqualati and where the composer
lived intermittently for eight years. The apartment
in the building on Probusgasse 6 in Heiligenstadt,
one of the around 40 different addresses in his
Oscar-worthy direction
The Theater an der Wien, at which Beethoven also
resided in a service apartment during a period of
time where he debuted many of his works, is likewise
paying tribute to its guiding spirit with a wide-ranging
programme. A special highlight: The opera Fidelio
in its second version which originally debuted
at the establishment in 1806. Hence, Fidelio can be
experienced in all of its three different versions during
the Beethoven anniversary year in Vienna – an
invitation for all of those who would really like to dive
deeply into their study of the great composer’s works.
The cast of the production at the Theater an der Wien
shines with names like Manfred Honeck at the
conductor’s stand and Christoph Waltz as director.
The Oscar-winner was recruited for his third directorial
work on the occasion of the Beethoven Year. For
Manfred Honeck, Beethoven remains the most revolutionary
and exciting composer ever. “Ignoring all
conventions, he dared to embark into entirely new
domains and thereby linked social, humanist and political
endeavours with his art. The revolutionary element
of Beethoven’s work is his compositional technique.
He bursts open forms, goes to the extreme
when it comes to the treatment of dissonances and
expands upon customary instrumentation.” Even for
the celebrated conductor, bringing Beethoven to the
stage at the Theater an der Wien is something very
special. “It is a wonderful and fantastically led establishment.
The fact that Christoph Waltz is directing is
also something exceptional. And in particular: This is
where Beethoven debuted many of his compositions.
For a conductor, this is an indescribable feeling.” The
packed programme of the Beethoven Year 2020 is definitely
creating a lot of buzz and anticipation, especially
in light of the fact that the musical genius’ work
is so versatile, as Philippe Jordan emphasises.
“Beethoven’s work is so rich, so complex, that with
every encounter, every engagement, entirely new
things can be discovered – or even must be discovered.
One continuously grows as one works on Beethoven.
This is what makes him so exciting.” In 2020,
Beethoven will be celebrated around the world and,
of course, also in his birth city of Bonn. Vienna, his
domicile of choice, offers plenty of opportunities to
dive into the great composer’s many works.
PHOTOS: WIENTOURISMUS / PAUL BAUER (3) / WOLFGANG SIMLINGER; JOHANNES IFKOVITS
„Beethoven. Menschenwelt und Götterfunken“
Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, 19.12.2019 - 19.04.2020.
onb.ac.at
„Beethoven. Die Ausstellung“
KHM, 25.03. - 06.09.2020.
khm.at
CONCERTS | OPERAS:
„Beethoven: Akademie 1808“
Wiener Staatsoper, Premiere: 01.02.2020.
wiener-staatsoper.at
„Fidelio Urfassung (Leonore)“
Wiener Staatsoper, Premiere: 01.02.2020.
wiener-staatsoper.at
„Fidelio - oder Die eheliche Liebe“
Theater an der Wien, Premiere: 16.03.2020.
theater-wien.at
„Beethoven-Symphonien 1- 9“
MusicAeterna, Currentzis
Wiener Konzerthaus, 23.- 30.03.2020.
konzerthaus.at
„Simultankonzert Bonn - Wien“
Open-Air-Konzert mit Live-Brücke, 15.05.2020.
Beethoven-Jahr 2020 Wien:
musik2020.wien.info
Beethoven-Jahr 2020 Bonn:
bthvn2020.de
Im Theater an der Wien gelangten viele Werke Beethovens zur
Uraufführung.
Many of Beethoven’s works debuted at the Theater an der Wien.
114 Cercle Diplomatique 4/2019