The programme opens with a performance of G.F. Handel's opera Theodora in the Grosses Festspielhaus (Grand Theatre) and a concert, the Beethoven Cycle, in the Mozarteum.
Operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and dramas such as Crime and Punishment, Krapp's Last Tape and Everyman are among the attractions which will draw art and music lovers from around the world.
There will also be a number of performances on the streets of Salzburg, ensuring that the festival reaches out beyond the concert halls, and a spectacular fireworks display above the city's Hohensalzburg Castle.
The Origins of the Salzburg Festival
The origins of the modern Salzburg Festival can be traced back to 1917 when three distinguished men decided to organise and hold a festival in honour of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was born in Salzburg on 27 January 1756. Hugo von Hofmannsthal, the author, Richard Strauss, the composer and conductor, and Max Reinhardt, the theatrical director, helped organise the inaugral series of events, held in 1920.
In doing so they revived a tradition which had come to an end in 1910. That was the year in which an annual festival, which had ran from 1877, was discontinued.
The popularity of the new Salzburg Festival grew in the 1920s and 30s. Eventually the palace stables were converted to house the Grosses Festspielhaus (at Hofstallgasse 1), which has a stage that is 100 metres wide. This was achieved under the supervision of the architect Clemens Holzmeister. The auditorium, which was completed in 1960, can host over 2,000 spectators and is known for its acoustics. Along with the House for Mozart and the Felsenreitschule it forms the core area of the festival quarter.
The Salzburg Festival's Venues
Performances are also held on the square in front of the cathedral (Cathedral Square), in the Kollegienkirche and in venues such as Schloss Mirabell.
One of the traditional highlights of the festival is the staging of von Hofmannsthal’s play Everyman (Jedermann is the title of the original German work) on Cathedral Square. Incidentally, it was a performance of Everyman that opened the first Salzburg Festival back in 1920. Select performances of operas and concerts are also relayed from the concert halls and onto the square’s big screen.
Over 100 concerts, exhibitions and events can be visited for free from the the first day of the festival, which attracts members of Europe's cultural and artistic elite in addition to visitors from further afield and, of course, casual visitors.
How to Obtain Salzburg Festival Tickets
There is a heavy demand for tickets for the festival's concerts, plays and operas. Some of the festival's events sell out in long in advance of the performance. Remaining tickets can be reserved via the official Salzburg Festival website or by calling +43 (0) 662 8045 500, or emailing info@salzburgfestival.at. The Salzburg Festival Box Office (at Hofstallgasse 1, open from 9:30 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday) is also an option for people already in the city.
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