Distinction: Oper! Award for the Salzburg Festival

The Salzburg Festival’s Artistic Director Markus Hinterhäuser personally accepted the award at the ceremony held at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, expressing his gratitude for the distinction:

“In this opera, Weinberg managed to create one of the most remarkable pieces in 20th-century opera literature. Apart from the work’s importance, the distinction also underlines the excellent staging by director Krzysztof Warlikowski and the outstanding musical achievements of the singers and Mirga GražinytėTyla at the helm of the Vienna Philharmonic.” Jury Statement “It is a political piece, the last of seven operas by a composer who almost perished unnoticed in the maelstrom of 20th-century catastrophes, along with his oeuvre. It subject is the impotence of a good person in a society marked by greed, nihilism and decadence. Krzysztof Warlikowski staged this parable in a shockingly dense manner, within a stage space that was horizontally mobile, perfect for simultaneous scenes. The outstanding ensemble of singers brought the action to life with breathtaking veracity; the identification of the conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla with the score was compellingly poetic. Yes, this is exactly what festivals are for! To discover lost masterworks for the repertoire: for example, Mieczysław Weinberg’s The Idiot at the Salzburg Festival.” With this jury statement from the journal OPER!, the opera The Idiot won the distinction “Production of the Year”.