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Mozart and also Strauss are popular in Wien

September 27, 2006 at 11:11 AM

Mozart and also Strauss are popular in Wien.
Most readers consider Strauss as a second rank composer, mostly played by Andr♪é Rieu, who also played at that time in Wien. Mozart is now considered as a first rank composer, he is even on the 1 eurocoin in Austria, but he is now controversial because in Berlin they cancelled his opera Idomenea, because it could be insulting for muslims and could be insulting for cristians as well.
Here some concerts of both composers I found in ahotel in Wien and some Mozartgadgetslinks I got from Pauline Lerner.





some Mozartgadgetslinks I got from Pauline Lerner




Bram,
I picked up that Mozart Strauss programme, but was really disappointed at its 1)contents and 2) the prices...for us as a family 4 it seemed a lot of money to go and see some "easy-listening" songs and make money for tourists who you must not put off with anything too serious. (Have a look at what they are playing). I guess you can regard it as a fees for getting in and seeing the concert hall.
Bram, thanks for posting the images for the Mozart gadgets for me.
I just looked up Idemeneo on Wikipedia to find out abouth the security threat, and this is waht i found:

On September 26, 2006, Berlin's Deutsche Oper announced the cancellation of four performances of the opera planned for November 2006, citing concerns that the production's depictions of the Islamic prophet Mohammed raised an "incalculable security risk."

"To avoid endangering its audience and employees, the management has decided against repeating 'Idomeneo' in November 2006," the opera house said in a press release.

The "Idomeneo" production, directed by Hans Neuenfels, shows King Idomeneo staggering on stage carrying the decapitated heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad; a departure from the libretto and score. According to the BBC, the German press agency DPA said Berlin police have so far recorded no direct threat to the opera house.[3] However, the New York Times reported that there was an anonymous threat in August against the theatre.[4]

I note that the decapitated heads of various gods is "a departure from the libretto and score." The staging could be revised accordingly. If it's an insult to Muslims, it's an insult to Christians, too. Has anyone in Berlin ever cancelled a performance of music by Wagner because it's insulting to Jews? There is plenty of ethnic warfare and gore in the Bible.

Are you IN Wien?

I went to see that golden statue of Strauss today. It was nice.

I went to one of those Mozart/Strauss Concerts, mainly because I thought it was pretty cool the Kursalon was the same hall Strauss conducted in. The program was very easy listening, but I enjoyed it. It was well... Fun. Not moving to tears, but fun. ;) Prices are killer though.

Dan: Did you see Strauss (The statue that is) at night yet? Its eyes glean red.

I wrote:
"Mozart .....is now controversial because in Berlin they cancelled his opera Idomenea, because it could be insulting for muslims and could be insulting for cristians as well."
Nothing controversial about Mozart. The artistic interpretation in the Berlin opera of the Mozart opera Idomeneo from Hans Neuenfelds with the decapitated heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad are or could be insulting or blasfemic for Christians, Buddistst and Muslims. But Mozart wrote nothing about that in his libretto (story of the opera) of Idomeneo.
Dan, I was in Wien in the summer when it was so very hot several weeks ago. In my blog on 31-7-2006 I have a foto of the golden Strauss statue.