The Salzburg Festival does not stop due to the coronavirus

The Salzburg Festival has decided to celebrate its 100th anniversary despite the Covid-19 pandemic, from August 1 to 30, while its European counterparts have been falling one after another. It certainly helps that Austria was one of the countries least hit by the virus.

However, the veteran musical event will abide by the new health regulations that try to mitigate the spread of the disease. A particularly harsh regulation for workers and performers who must undergo tests for the virus almost constantly although there are unbreakable traditions, for the moment, such as hugging on stage, sharing orchestra lecterns and others, which could be improved, such as the place of a plastic screen in front of the horn section.

Despite the happy news of the celebration of the 100th Salzburg Festival, financially it will not have such a desired outcome. The capacity has been reduced by half and the wealthy Asian and North American listeners are out of the game, therefore, the festival is played for its Austrian atendees and those of neighboring Bavaria in Germany.

Among the festival's program there is a new production of Richard Strauss ‘Elektra’ with a cast starring Ausrine Stundtyte (Elektra), Asmik Grigorian (Chrysothemis) and Tanja Ariane Baumgartner (Klytämnestra) and a new staging by the Polish artist Krzysztof Warlikowski.

Also outstands in its programming of 110 shows of the 200 planned before the coronavirus the premiere of the play Zdenek Adamec, by Peter Handke (Nobel Prize), and a new production of ‘Cosi fan tutte’ by Mozart by the German director Christof Loy.

Likewise, Plácido Domingo received the Austrian Musical Theater Award 2020 for his career in Salzburg on Thursday, August 6, without the latest accusations of improper conduct of the tenor having had weight when choosing the tenor as the winner. The artist has received this award with joy, noting that it is 45 years since his debut at the festival.