In opera production

Bartoli pushes her limits at the Festival this year

Always celebrated for her commitment on stage: Cecilia Bartoli as Orfeo in Salzburg last year.(Bild: © Marco Borrelli)

The Artistic Director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival gives exclusive insights into rehearsals around a week before the premiere.

Power and intrigue take center stage in the opera "La clemenza di Tito" at the Whitsun Festival: Vitellia has her sights set on the throne - and she plots her way there. While there are fierce power struggles between the characters in the Mozart opera, the artists behind the scenes are all the more amicable: "We trust each other very much. This allows us to push our limits together as an ensemble," says Cecilia Bartoli, Artistic Director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival.

And this is despite the fact that there are some very young talents in the ensemble this year. For example, the 26-year-old Israeli mezzo-soprano Anna Tetruashvili and Alexandra Marcellier. The latter began her violin studies at the age of six, but at the age of 19 preferred to devote herself to singing.

Director Robert Carsen will soon be devoting himself to the theater. The Canadian-born director will be staging the new Jedermann with Philipp Hochmair this summer. What he particularly appreciates about the Salzburg Festival is the extensive rehearsal time available. "That's a real privilege for us artists."