Performer: Agnes Baltsa

In a city where the Vienna State Opera ball is considered the climax of the carnival season and where the local news would lend itself to great libretti (were operetta still in fashion), it is not too surprising that music and theatre performances occasionally mirror the headlines.

The legendary mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa received a standing ovation while collecting her Lifetime Achievement Award, while other awards went to artists and companies from around the globe.

The background to Berlioz' great song cycle Les Nuits d’été with a musical analysis and playlist