Exhibition Luigi Nono & Emilio Vedova in Salzburg

Reconstruction of a projection template by Emilio Vedova for the world premiere of Intolleranza 1960 by Luigi Nono using a quotation by Angelo Maria Ripellino — ‘Vivere è attendere il sole nei giorni di nera tempest’ / ‘Living means waiting for the sun on days of gloomy tempest’ —, which also was part of the libretto of Intolleranza 1960.

Intolleranza 1960 will be performed for the first time at the Salzburg Festival this summer, 60 years after the world premiere of Luigi Nono’s ‘scenic action’ at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice on 13 April 1961. Markus Hinterhäuser, who laid the foundation for today’s broad reception of Nono’s work as the organizer of Zeitfluss, has consistently and enthusiastically promoted the composer’s music ever since, both as concert director and now as artistic director of the Festival. This new staging is therefore of particular importance to him, especially considering the volatile times in which we live: ‘We are seeking to critically engage with the question of what constitutes tolerance, justice, charity and co-existence.’

In putting on an exhibition in the Foyer of the Haus für Mozart and on the Gallery of the Karl-Böhm-Saal, our aim is to give insights into the creative process behind Intolleranza 1960, document the noisy protests of the world premiere, and show the working methods of the composer and his artistic partner Emilio Vedova. The two Venetian artists enjoyed a long friendship, which was also reflected in their creative output. Vedova designed the set for Intolleranza 1960 and the ‘barca’ for the world premiere of Prometeo, while Luigi Nono dedicated his first electronic composition, Omaggio a Vedova, to his friend and was also inspired by Emilio Vedova’s visual art in his Guai ai gelidi mostri. The close ties between the Salzburg Festival and the visual arts have endured for as long as the Festival itself. Oskar Kokoschka, Fritz Wotruba, Jean Tinguely, Jörg Immendorff, Robert Longo, Alfred Hrdlicka, Daniel Richter, Jonathan Meese and William Kentridge: as stage or costume designers, all these figures turned Festival productions into a Gesamtkunstwerk. The involvement of the most important visual artists of their time with the ephemeral ‘great world theatre’ in Salzburg runs like a red thread through the history of the Festival. In addition, many of them created permanent works for the Festival’s venues. In recent years, there was an even stronger focus on the visual arts through regular exhibitions closely related to the programme of the Salzburg Festival. Since 2007, the Festival has selected and invited artists whose work chimes with the dramaturgical direction of the programming. Our special thanks this year go to all those who shared their artistic insights into the creative context of Intolleranza 1960: Nuria Schoenberg Nono, the Archivio Luigi Nono, the Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova, and particularly to Thaddaeus Ropac — without his huge personal commitment, this exhibition could not have happened. For our centenary, we look forward to writing another chapter in the history of this exciting bond between the visual and dramatic arts.

Helga Rabl-Stadler, Markus Hinterhäuser, Lukas Crepaz
Board of Directors of the Salzburg Festival