An homage to the Viennese “Musikanten” tradition

In a program originally scheduled for the Musikverein in Vienna, Martin Haselböck and his Orchester Wiener Akademie played Beethoven and Schubert both familiar and curiously obscure. 

Music-making in the concentration camp at Theresienstadt/Terezín continues to fascinate, baffle and inspire us.

The Giacomo Variations takes its time really getting down to business – the business Giacomo Casanova was in – the business of love.It begins with a lot of theatre business. The set, designed by Renate Martin and Andreas Donhauser, consists of three gigantic Marie-Antoinette skirts. Lift one and there’s a bed for romping.

"Stellen Sie sich vor, Sie leben im Leipzig des 18. Jahrhunderts," entführt Dirigent Haselböck sein Publikum in die Welt von überirdisch strahlenden Klängen der Geigen, Pauken und Trompeten und des jubelnden Chors - die Welt von Bachs Kantaten.

The Vienna Philharmonic's first concert at this year's Salzburg Festival pairs Oedipus Rex with the Symphonie fantastique, with Esa-Pekka Salonen stepping in for Lorenzo Viotti. 

An all-day Beethoven experience European style with both highs and lows: much diversity revealed and exploited but of variable quality.