A Concert of Superlatives

10,000 happy, cheering people in the Burggarten, with thousands more gathered in front of the big screen on Vienna’s Rathausplatz and in front of their TV screens. This year’s second “Opern-Air” concert by the Vienna State Opera on September 6 September, gave Vienna, the city of music, its first unforgettable highlight of the new season that had just begun!

Amid the picturesque backdrop of the Hofburg, the Palm House, the starry sky, and the lush greenery of the late-summer park, an enthusiastic, diverse audience followed all the passionately and unforgettably performed, electrifying gems from the opera repertoire, which, in a sense, served as an unofficial season opener and left the audience wanting more. Is it any wonder? After all, the star-studded lineup—featuring Asmik Grigorian, the two chamber singers Piotr Beczała and Juan Diego Flórez, as well as Ludovic Tézier—together with ensemble members of the house, the chorus and orchestra, as well as the children’s choir, a spectacular preview of planned new productions and revivals for the next ten months.

It was only natural that, once again after the concert, many audience members gratefully made their way to the neighboring State Opera to take pictures of the building, and immediately began checking the upcoming schedule on their cell phones was, therefore, a logical consequence!