For more than 500 years, Greinburg Castle has been inviting visitors to enjoy the panoramic view of the Danube. The Arkadenhof could not be a more coherent stage for early music, which can be experienced at the 28th Donaufestwochen in Strudengau. On Friday, the series of 19 concerts with modern counterpoints began under the directorship of Michi Gaigg. Also thanks to 2200 volunteer hours of many helpers, emphasized consultant Walter Edtbauer.
Being able to celebrate the Danube Festival Weeks is a great asset. “It’s an invaluable privilege to live in Austria,” said author and keynote speaker Anna Baar, born in Zagreb in 1973, before her adopted country, which must be defended against stupidity and hate speech. The winner of the Grand Austrian State Prize 2022 spanned the arc from the formative musical experiences of her childhood to the present day: “What are our values in a society that specifically strives for possessions, as a matter of course at the expense of social justice?” She appealed for togetherness and against “a sense of unity that is based on collective egoism and serves to raise oneself above others”: “The endangerers are among us, are those who have forgotten to understand freedom as a duty.”
Words of warning also applied to right-wing extremist tendencies. “If there is only a spark of truth in this, consider the danger of flying sparks, especially in times of drought like we are going through now,” she alluded to the meeting of fighting fraternities planned for autumn and subsidized by the city of Wels in the Wels town hall (the OÖN have reported). The Frankfurt Main Baroque Orchestra, conducted by violinist Martin Jopp, celebrated the art of togetherness on stage: Under the motto “Viva l’Italia!” the ensemble celebrated Italian diversity with works by Brescianello, Ferrandini and Vivaldi. Unbridled joy of playing let you immerse yourself in baroque joie de vivre. Thrilling dancing lightness, which lent the solo flutist Christian Prader a floating elegance, seduced the tips of the toes. Slow sentences invited you to pause. Strong applause, followed by a Bach encore.
- Next concerts: August 3: Hannah Medlam (soprano), Vienna Morphing Soloists, Baumgartenberg; 5. 8. Rosary Sonatas with Elina Viluma-Helling (soprano), Barbara Konrad (violin), Klaus Lang (organ), Windhaag; 6th -14th 8: Stradella’s opera “Moro per amore”, Greinburg, tickets: 072 68 / 26 857, www.donau-festwochen.at
Source: Nachrichten
