Intermezzo

Digital Wiener

The Vienna State Opera has launched a new streaming service.

Beginning with Der Rosenkavalier on 27 October, selected performances will be shown live. There is no download capability, and no facility to watch later.

Unlike Munich, whose streaming is free, Vienna will charge 14 euros per show. "We believe our work has a value, so we didn't want to give it away for free," said the State Opera Director Dominique Meyer.  "It costs us no small amount from our budget." 

There is also an on-demand service. 5 euros buys the opportunity to watch the same show as many times as you like during one week. It's not clear whether the new live performances will be available through this service, or whether it's just for old shows.

Meanwhile, if you find yourself in Vienna and don't mind spending a few hours on your hind legs, a standing room ticket for the real thing can be purchased for just 4 euros.

Fanci that

Speedy preservation advised.

Jonas Kaufmann Dick watch

And I haven't even started with the Johnson 'jokes'.

Marco Arturo Marelli's new production of La Fanciulla del West opens tomorrow night in what looks like traditional Vienna State Opera style.

There are several options for watching and listening, not all of which may be accessible to y'all outside Austria.

Alagna family reunion

From the diary of the Vienna State Opera:

4, 7, 10, 13 September - Carmen with Roberto Alagna  as Don José

3, 6, 9, 12 September - La traviata with Aleksandra Kurzak asVioletta Valéry

5, 8, 11, 15 September - Tosca with Angela Gheorghiu as Floria Tosca

Vienna State Opera head lashes out. At toilet.

"It's terrible. It annoys me and our visitors too. When you come out of an opera performance, you don't want to be forced to listen to other music."

The outrageous aural effrontery that Vienna State Opera Intendant Dominique Meyer refers to is the infamous 'Opera Toilet', situated in Karlsplatz underground station, just a few metres away from the opera house.

Some might agree with him.

On the other hand, the jolly operetta it blasts out night and day is at least enthusiastically and accurately performed, qualities sorely lacking in recent performances of his own orchestra.

Vienna Parsifal - the casualties mount

Vienna's last two iterations of Parsifal were deprived of Jonas Kaufmann due to unspecified "illness".

Now it transpires that Franz Welser-Möst only managed to conduct one act last night. After being gripped by lumbago (surprised Slipped Disc hasn't picked up on this little gift), he had to leave his assistant James Pearson (below) to finish the job.

Austrian newspapers have been swift to point out that Franz has conducted four operas in five days - a feat he has previously described as "unacceptable".