Is the clickbait narrative about the Vienna Philharmonic’s alleged withdrawal from Salzburg just an old men’s fantasy? Letter from Brüggi. backstageclassical.com/liebes-fests...
Posts by BackstageClassical
Exclusive: Composer and conductor Peter Ruzicka has taken legal action against GEMA, filing a complaint with Germany’s Federal Cartel Office to halt a planned reform of cultural funding. backstageclassical.com/ruzicka-ford...
Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden has died at 88. Founder of the Tölzer Boys’ Choir, he shaped generations of singers and achieved global acclaim. Yet his legacy is mixed, as former members recall a harsh, humiliating teaching style. backstageclassical.com/tod-eines-um...
The new opera season is just around the corner. In the first installment, BackstageClassical reviews the programs of the major houses: diversity is the motto – along with quite a few run-of-the-mill names. backstageclassical.com/der-grosse-s...
Italian daily Il Mattino reports that prosecutors are investigating alleged fraud and irregularities at Naples’ Teatro di San Carlo. Twelve people, including Stéphane Lissner, Emmanuela Spedaliere, and tenor Jonas Kaufmann, face probes over fake masterclasses. backstageclassical.com/ermittlungen...
Witiko Adler, longtime head of Berlin’s historic Hans Adler Concert Agency, has died at 97. For decades he shaped Germany’s postwar classical scene, launching careers of stars like Barenboim and Mutter. backstageclassical.com/witiko-adler/
What does a music journalist learn when he switches sides? Above all, that our theaters are true powerhouses of ideas. But also how difficult it is to remain alert to the world outside. An account from experience. backstageclassical.com/zwischen-rou...
In Berlin, you pay an average of €62.20 for an opera ticket — the state adds €251.60. Per ticket. The tabloid press protests — but all we really need to do is explain it. backstageclassical.com/liebe-kuenst...
During his first visit to Bayreuth, Stephan Knies met the Wagner expert Stefan Mickisch. From his passion for Wagner’s leitmotifs, a book project has now emerged that continues his unique analysis of the “Ring.” backstageclassical.com/mickischs-le...
Newsletter Day: What lies behind the mutual termination agreement in Salzburg? Does it always have to be a Stradivarius? Who conducts Wagner best? And what should be the future of Bonn’s classical music scene? backstageclassical.com/reale-und-id...
At the Komische Oper Berlin, MOOR MOTHER’s radical sound art meets Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. An evening about collective memory, liberation, and the deep resonances of trauma and triumph in music. backstageclassical.com/entkommt-dem...
Everyone wants a Stradivari. Really everyone? There are outstanding instruments being built today. In the BackstageClassical podcast, violin maker Julia Pasch explains why a new instrument can offer advantages for soloists as well as for orchestras.
backstageclassical.com/probier-doch...
Bonn’s theater leaders Bernhard Helmich, Dirk Kaftan and Steven Walter urge unity in the city’s debate over whether to rebuild or renovate its stages. Writing on BackstageClassical, they call for trust, cooperation and a shared cultural vision. backstageclassical.com/bonn-braucht...
The planned GEMA reform will significantly raise licensing costs, threatening classical music. Mid-level repertoire may disappear as budgets shrink and expenses rise. backstageclassical.com/intendanten-...
Karin Bergmann is set to become the new artistic director of the Salzburg Festival. Axel Brüggemann writes her a letter explaining why this is a brilliant choice. backstageclassical.com/liebe-karin-...
Die Salzburger Festspiele bekommen erstmals eine Intendantin: Karin Bergmann soll interimistisch die künstlerische Leitung übernehmen und damit Markus Hinterhäuser nachfolgen. backstageclassical.com/karin-bergma...
Die Salzburger Festspiele bekommen erstmals eine Intendantin: Karin Bergmann soll interimistisch die künstlerische Leitung übernehmen und damit Markus Hinterhäuser nachfolgen. backstageclassical.com/karin-bergma...
After the Berlin Philharmonic’s departure, Baden-Baden’s festival reinvented itself with slightly lower ticket sales but high artistic quality. backstageclassical.com/baden-badens...
A new petition in Salzburg protests the dismissal of festival director Markus Hinterhäuser. However, allegations of misconduct suggest it will not change the decision, highlighting ongoing resistance among some artists to accept his removal.
backstageclassical.com/versteht-er-...
Der Wolf von st. Pauli
Monday is newsletter day: today’s topic is responsibility — in music education, in cultural journalism, in arts funding, in our spaces for debate — and, of course, at the Salzburg Festival.
backstageclassical.com/mehr-verantw...
In the dispute between the city of Erfurt and the former general director of Theater Erfurt, Guy Montavon, an out-of-court settlement may be emerging. backstageclassical.com/erfurt-erwae...
At the Salzburg Easter Festival, Kirill Petrenko approaches Wagner like Nikolaus Harnoncourt did Mozart: as a meticulous explorer of structure and depth. His Rheingold reveals unheard details and fluid orchestral colors without distorting the score. backstageclassical.com/so-haben-sie...
In this BackstageClassical-Podcast, the Vienna Philharmonic defends its independence, rejecting political pressure and artistic criticism. Daniel Froschauer and Michael Bladerer stress their self-governance, unique sound, and commitment to music over politics. backstageclassical.com/selbstverwal...