2011 Next Wave Festival NOV 2011

Donald Baechler, Red + Blue Rose (detail), 2011

BAM 2011 Next Wave Festival sponsor

Published by: BAM 2011 Next Wave Festival

Brooklyn Academy of Music presents

Alan H. Fishman, Chairman of the Board William I. Campbell, The Infernal Vice Chairman of the Board

Adam E. Max, Vice Chairman of the Board Comedy: Karen Brooks Hopkins, President Joseph V. Melillo, Confessions of Executive Producer a

BAM Howard Gilman House Nov 17—19, 2011 at 7:30pm; Nov 19 at 2pm

Approximate running time: one hour and 45 minutes, no intermission

A Musikkonzept production Written and directed by Michael Sturminger Music direction and concept by Martin Haselböck

Based on idea by Birgit Hutter and Martin Haselböck BAM 2011 Next Wave Festival sponsor Featuring Orchester Wiener Akademie actor Marie Arnet soprano Kirsten Blaise soprano Louise Fribo soprano Leadership support for the Next Wave Festival provided by the Ford Foundation. Martene Grimson soprano Costume design by Birgit Hutter DeWitt Stern is the leadership sponsor for The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a serial killer.

Endowment funding has been provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fund for Opera and Music-Theater.

Major support for theater at BAM provided by The Shubert Foundation, Inc. and The SHS Foundation. The Infernal Comedy

Music

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–87) Don Juan (1761) “L’enfer”—Chaconne

Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805) Symphony in D minor, G506 “La casa del diavolo” (pub. 1771)­—Chaconne

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) Ottone in Villa (1713) “Sposa son disprezzata”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91) “Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio” K418 (1783)

Christoph Willibald Gluck Orfeo ed Euridice (1762) “Ballo grazioso”

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) “Ah! perfido” Op. 65 (1795–6)

Franz (1732–1809) “Berenice che fai” Hob. XXIVa / 10 (1795)

Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826) “Ah, se Edmondo fosse l’uccisor!” (1815) (Insert for Méhul’s Helena)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart “Ah, lo previdi” K272 (1777) The Infernal Comedy

Photo by Nathalie Bauer

Opera or music drama—call it what you will— Why be surprised, then, that Michael Sturminger has always reveled in transgressions of the most chose to make a piece of music theater for John shocking kind. Regicide, patricide, matricide, Malkovich out of the life and—as will soon be fratricide, sororicide, the premeditated clear—death of the Austrian serial killer Jack of partners, children, and best friends, whole Unterweger? Unterweger was convicted of cities and tribes put to the sword: these have murdering Margaret Schäfer in 1974. He had been raw meat and rough drink to librettists strangled her with her own underwear and he andcomposers since the Florentine Camerata was given a life sentence, which under Austrian first began to experiment with monodic music law meant 25 years —15 in prison and then 10 drama. Audiences have thrilled to the palpable years on parole. While in jail, Unterweger began presence of evil on stage for over four centuries. to write poetry and short stories, plays, and even Indeed, there’s an argument worth pursuing an autobiography. Impressed by his literary gifts, that, as the tide of Christian faith receded in the a number of Austrian intellectuals took up the 19th century, it was in the opera house that prisoner’s case, including the 2004 Nobel laure- men and women who had lost or jettisoned ate for literature . They petitioned their faith now encountered the absolutes of for a pardon, arguing that the murderer was now good and evil. Iago’s credo in Verdi’s Otello, for reformed and properly rehabilitated. Eventually example, with that chilling word “nulla” at the Unterweger was released, in May 1990, having end; or Hagen in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung served his 15 years in jail. Within no time at inciting Gunther and Brünnhilde to acquiesce all he became a national celebrity, with frequent to the murder of Siegfried. appearances on Austrian television where, among other matters, he would argue the case for the rehabilitation of criminals based on his own experiences. The Infernal Comedy

What no one knew was that Unterweger was Michael Sturminger, author and stage director anything but a reformed character. In the year of The Infernal Comedy, argues that the lies go after his release he killed a total of six prostitutes far beyond a killer’s smile; that itself has in Austria. And when a magazine commissioned never owned up to the truth about Jack Unterwe- him to write about crime in , and ger. “His name was constantly in the Austrian in particular to explore the different attitudes on media, but no one seemed particularly interested either side of the Atlantic to the issue of prostitu- in finding out the truth about him. The press tion, Unterweger grasped the opportunity to overlooked much because they relied on things murder three Californian prostitutes. Sherri Ann that Unterweger himself had said in interviews or Long, Shannon Exley, and Irene Rodriguez were had written about himself, at least half of which all beaten, sexually assaulted, and then strangled were not true. So the topic of what could be the with their own brassieres—Unterweger’s signa- truth, and what should be the truth about this ture way of killing his victims. person fascinated me.”

In time, the Austrian police made four from two At one point in his libretto Sturminger, speaking plus two. (To be fair, Jack Unterweger was a through the character of Unterweger, tells us prominent celebrity who was rarely out of the that even Jack’s Wikipedia entry peddles fiction public eye and we are at our most credulous in rather than truth about his background. For John the face of fame.) But when the police called to Malkovich these lies, or half-truths, began at the arrest him, Unterweger had fled. It was the FBI very beginning. “The women in Unterweger’s who tracked him down, in , and when life were victims in some way or other... even his he was returned to Austria the murderer-turned- own mother. He made it up that she was a Vien- literatus was charged with the 11 . He nese prostitute when in fact nothing could have was found guilty of nine crimes by a majority been further from the truth. She was just a very jury and was again sentenced to life imprison- young girl, really a kind of country bumpkin, who ment but this time without parole. Returned to got pregnant by an American GI who went back prison, Jack Unterweger took his own life: on home a few weeks later without ever knowing June 29, 1994 he hanged himself with a rope about his unborn son.” he had made from his shoelaces and the cord from his tracksuit trousers. It was reported that As Sturminger says, Jack Unterweger made the knot was the same type he had used to people believe in him. “It’s fascinating to see strangle his victims. that a lot of the women he was involved with didn’t believe he was guilty even after the trial So how did Unterweger avoid detection? Charm, and [having heard] all the evidence against him says John Malkovich, who takes the part of the —and that includes his young girlfriend. They serial killer in The Infernal Comedy. “I saw him couldn’t accept that the person they knew had more than once on television. He became quite a killed all these women. He must have been a celebrity here in and hung out at a café, very charming and interesting and lovely man. It about five minutes’ walk from where I am now. was a little bit of a Jekyll and Hyde situation.” He was quite the man about town at the time. If What, then, is the truth that Sturminger puts on you visit that café where he used to go you can stage about the serial killer? “It’s a cynical story talk to people who will tell you that he was nice about a man who is tricking the whole world. and funny and always had a smile on his face. At the same time it’s a story of a person who In retrospect, and given the events of his life, we believes he can do anything because no one un- should remember one of the things that he wrote derstands who he really is.” To which Malkovich —that the first thing he had learnt was to smile adds, “I think that in Judeo-Christian society the and that the smile was already a lie.” notion of redemption is so powerful and neces- sary that we’d all like to believe that we could be redeemed, even for things that don’t measure at The Infernal Comedy all on the same scale as Unterweger’s crimes. So delio. Weber uses the same device in the “Wolf’s it’s understandable that someone should present Glen” scene in Der Freischütz. Music raises the themselves as a model prisoner, one who has emotional temperature of the drama, hinting at learnt to write and has been rehabilitated, and so things that cannot be said. on. On that level I think The Infernal Comedy is about the notion that because we believe some- Then there are two sopranos on stage, perform- thing, it must be true. And that what we believe ing by Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, is borne out by the facts. It’s something that you and Weber. They depict heroines from the have to be careful of: philosophies and ideologies Baroque and Classical periods singing of their scare me.” grief and torment, their fury and their resigna- tion—the emotional red meat of opera and the Put another way, The Infernal Comedy would concert aria. “The two sopranos begin as concert seem to circle that current cultural conceit, singers,” Sturminger explains, “artists who are particularly with respect to celebrities, that what going to provide a bit of classical music between we see or are shown is the truth, that the outer Unterweger’s monologues, but gradually they self must be the same as the inner self. “Sure,” become characters in his life. Not always fully says Malkovich, adding that we confuse even defined characters with names but their stories ourselves. “That’s Unterweger. I think it’s a tragic and those that make up Jack’s life somehow and haunting story. But that’s not in any way to merge together.” Malkovich takes up the idea. excuse anything he did!” “Their arias are chosen to... represent the women in Unterweger’s life, all of whom were Malkovich had originally intended to direct what victims in some way or other... they kind of call was about to become The Infernal Comedy rath- him out from the grave in the piece.” er than appearing in it. But before that decision was made, in the spring of 2008, Sturminger What is so modern about this dramatic idea is and the conductor Martin Haselböck—the third the blending of the elaborate and often highly member of the creative triumvirate—had to agree artificial musical worlds of Baroque and early on how they would turn Unterweger’s history Classical arias with that of a serial killer cum into music theater. Their solution was to look to modern celebrity. It’s as if Handel had turned the past as well as the present. So Sturminger Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood into an opera. wrote a sequence of monologues for Malkovich John Malkovich believes that’s why it works. which began with the notion that he comes back “There’s a kind of pure, God-given talent, such from the dead. Unterweger steps out before the as Mozart’s, which affirms all mankind’s audience to promote a new book: “The piece potential for creating beauty, set against Unter- starts out as if it’s stand-up comedy,” Sturminger weger, who encapsulates mankind’s potential explains. “Jack comes in saying ‘hello’ and being for mayhem and cruelty. I think that this mix, charming and funny. After he died, he tells us, which was Martin Haselböck’s idea, is unusually he wrote his true-life story. Now he’s going to potent.” The potency of powerful music com- present it to the public for the first time. But his bined with dangerous emotions: the very stuff publisher has forced him to have this strange of music theater. kind of old-fashioned music around it because of a concern about the [need for] dramatic impact.” Christopher Cook teaches cultural studies on the British programme of the University of Syracuse Music underpinning speech looks back to and theater history for the British American an almost entirely forgotten 18th- and early Drama Academy in London. He is currently a 19th-century tradition, the melodrama. There visiting professor at the University of the Arts are melodramas in Mozart’s opera Zaïde, and and a regular contributor on music and musi- Beethoven acknowledges the form when Rocco cians for BBC Radio. and Leonora are digging Florestan’s grave in Fi- John Malkovich Photo by Nathalie Bauer The Infernal Comedy

On Jack Unterweger their political persuasion. Another group of peo- ple said he had not redeemed himself, and that This guy comes out and he’s kind of goofy and fit in with their worldview. Very often, you just charming and funny and he has a lot of silly cannot know what people can do and what they jokes and is clearly quite haunted and awkward, are capable of doing. That is part of the human but also clever and entertaining and then, even- condition. Whether we like it or not, whether we tually, they realize that it’s a continuous series accept it or not, and, of course, whether we do of screens: behind that screen is a monster and it or not, does not mean we are not potentially behind it a person, and behind it a monster, and capable of a lot of not very nice things. behind it a person... This is someone who never should have been out in public. Ever—for any On playing Jack Unterweger reason. But in our modern system, he is. Here I finally get the possibility to play a bad, I don’t think he felt when he was killing any bad guy, which I really like. more than a person would feel stepping on a piece of grass. You know, they’re not big on em- Without saying something as mundane as it pathy, these people. The thought of getting away being therapeutic, it’s kind of good exercise—it’s with it, the thought that they’re too clever to get like going to an emotional gym. caught, all of that I think they find exciting—and some people probably do it when they’re feeling I try to give my characters the fullest, most com- really good about themselves. It’s kind of, like, plex life you can in the time you have. And pres- “OK, I’m out of prison, I’ve become celebrated, ent them to the public, and let the public then I’ve been on TV and stuff. You know what? I make a judgment about what they saw. I am not think I’m gonna kill someone...” a judge. People’s reactions will always be differ- ent. The Infernal Comedy, for example, has had For me, it’s inconceivable to want to harm a very different reactions in just about every city person you don’t know who’s done nothing to we have been in. You never know. Some people you—whom you have to seek out and also is have seen the production as an attempt to glorify less powerful than you. In other words, this isn’t Jack Unterweger. But it is really not that. a person who could represent any kind of threat back. And this isn’t a person who has personally The Infernal Comedy is an attempt, in a way, to made you angry or personally made you suffer create the situation that arose when Unterweger something or personally done anything to you. was released from prison. Here comes this guy, I mean, to me that’s the definition of barking he is in a white suit, he is charming, he is funny, mad. It’s a weird, sad pathology and a weird, he tells silly jokes, he is childish. People gener- sad world. ally are charmed by him, but then they begin to find out who he is. And that recreates the experi- Obviously the sexual thrill was part of it, but I ence I think that a lot of the Austrian populous think a lot of it was just power and once you had. I do not see it as in any way glorifying him decide to elevate yourself to a kind of god status, at all. I cannot say all monsters, because I do not as the final arbiter of life and death, I’m done know, but a lot of monsters have a human face. with you. They have some human feelings, maybe even a lot of them. Maybe they have some good quali- I think his celebrity was part of the killer’s attrac- ties—maybe a lot of them. This piece shows it, tiveness to women and it helps if they’re cute, but I do not think the production glorifies the of course, like Jack Unterweger or Ted Bundy, monster in any way. because girls love that.. And, of course, they’re attracted to that element of danger. —John Malkovich

I think a lot of people were actually able to see through him. There was a group of people who said he had redeemed himself and was rehabili- tated because this fit in with their worldview, and Who’s Who

Martin Haselböck (conductor/musical concept), Tongue; and Landford Wilson’s Burn This in New is from Austria and comes from a musical family. York, London, and Los Angeles. Malkovich has Following studies in Vienna and Paris, he initially directed numerous plays at Steppenwolf, includ- forged an international reputation as an organist, ing the celebrated Balm in Gilead in Chicago and with over 50 CDs to his name and works special- off Broadway; The Caretaker in Chicago and on ly written for him by Krenek, Schnittke, Cristóbal Broadway; and Libra, which he adapted from Halffter, and Amy Gilbert. He established the Don LeLillo’s novel. Malkovich’s 2003 French period-instrument Orchester Wiener Akademie stage production of Hysteria was honored with in 1985. In addition to giving an annual series five Molière Award nominations including Best of concerts in Vienna’s Musikverein, he and his Director. Malkovich’s latest film roles include orchestra are regular guests and resident artists that of a zany ex-CIA agent in Summit Entertain- in concert halls and theaters around the world. ment’s Red, opposite Bruce Willis, Morgan Free- He has also made over 60 recordings with the man, and Helen Mirren; and famed racehorse ensemble, several of which have won awards. trainer Lucien Laurin in Disney’s Secretariat, op- They are currently recording Liszt’s complete posite Diane Lane. Malkovich was also recently orchestral works. Haselböck is also in demand seen in the Coen brothers’ comedy Burn After as a guest conductor with orchestras such as the Reading, opposite Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the De- Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton. Previ- troit, Hamburg, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, ous film acting credits include Spike Jonze’s Vancouver, Vienna, and Washington Symphony Being John Malkovich; Jane Campion’s The orchestras, Philadelphia Orchestra, Leipzig Portrait of a Lady; Wolfgang Petersen’s In the Gewandhaus, Orchestre National de Lyon, and Line of Fire; Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Sheltering the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others. Sky; Stephen Frears’ Dangerous Liaisons; Steven In 2004 he became music director of the Musica Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun; Roland Joffé’s The Angelica Baroque Orchestra in Los Angeles. The Killing Fields; and Robert Benton’s Places in the BAM engagement of The Infernal Comedy is part Heart. Malkovich has twice been nominated for of a tour that has encompassed major venues the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, in , Luxembourg, Belgium, Turkey, for Places in the Heart (1985) and In the Line Spain, the Czech Republic, and North and of Fire (1994). His performance in Places in the South America. A new collaboration with John Heart also earned him the Best Supporting Actor Malkovich and Michael Sturminger, The Giacomo Award from the National Society of Film Critics Variations—with music by Mozart and in which and the National Board of Review. In 1999, he John Malkovich plays Casanova—premiered in won a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Vienna in January and tours throughout 2011, Best Supporting Actor for Being John Malkovich. 2012, and 2013. In 1998, Malkovich created the production com- pany Mr. Mudd, which counts Terry Zwigoff’s John Malkovich (actor) has a body of work span- Ghost World, Malkovich’s feature directorial ning over 25 years. His performances span every debut The Dancer Upstairs, and the indie hit genre, and range from roles in thought-provoking Juno, among its high-profile projects. In addi- independent films to big-budget franchises. tion to his many accolades in the world of the In addition to being an accomplished actor, performing arts—on stage, on the big and small Malkovich is also a director, producer, cloth- screens, and behind the camera—Malkovich ing designer, and artist. As a guiding member has also delved into the world of fashion design of Chicago’s landmark Steppenwolf Theatre as the creative force behind the menswear line Company, Malkovich had a profound impact on Technobohemian by John Malkovich. He resides the American theater landscape as a producer, with his family in both the and director, and actor. Between 1976 and 1982, France. he acted in, directed, or designed sets for more than 50 Steppenwolf Theatre Company produc- Michael Sturminger (stage director/writer) tions. His debut on the New York stage in the studied direction and screenwriting in Vienna Steppenwolf production of Sam Shepard’s True and since 1990 has been a freelance writer and West earned him an Obie Award. Other notable director of films, theater productions, and . plays include Death of a Salesman; Slip of the Highlights of his career include collaborations Who’s Who with the opera houses of Zurich, Vienna, , performances of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Cologne, Wiesbaden, Wuppertal, and Innsbruck, Giovanni, Cleopatra in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, and with the Toronto, Sydney, Bregenz, Salzburg, Polissena in Handel’s Radamisto, Lisa in Lehár’s and White Nights festivals. Sturminger has also Land des Lächelns, and Handels’ La Resur- devoted much of his career to contemporary rezione. She made her debut in 2008 at the musical theater, including new productions of Beethoven Easter Festival (Warsaw) singing works by Ligeti, Zimmermann, and Penderecki, Mozart concert arias with the Bremen Kam- and first performances of Irmin Schmidt’s merphilharmonie, and has been a regular guest Gormenghast, Peter Turrini’s Jedem das Seine, with the Staatsoper (Stuttgart). She performed and HK Gruber’s Der Herr Nordwind. He is with the Washington Bach Consort, and at currently working on a new opera project with the Karlsruhe Handel Festspiele, the Ludwigs- HK Gruber which will be presented at a major burger Schlossfestspiele, and the Halle Handel festival in 2013. He has also worked in cinema, Festspiele. She sang Mozart’s Coronation Mass including his award-winning film Hurensohn. with the Edmonton Symphony, and Bach’s Peas- DVDs include his 2008 documentary Malibran ant Cantata and Monteverdi’s Vespers with the Rediscovered with Cecilia Bartoli and The Bachakademie (Stuttgart). She sang the role of Infernal Comedy. A DVD of his new opera project Woglinde in Wagner’s Ring cycle at the Theâtre with John Malkovich and Martin Haselböck, The du Châtelet conducted by Christoph Eschenbach Giacomo Variations, is forthcoming. and directed by Robert Wilson. Since making her professional debut with the Indianapolis Cham- Marie Arnet (soprano) was born in Sweden ber Orchestra in 1996, she has sung with the and studied at the Royal Academy of Music BBC Symphony, London Sinfonietta, Netherlands in London and at the National Opera Studio. Radio Philharmonic, Netherlands Opera, Opera Her concert repertoire includes works by Bach, Theatre of St. Louis, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Berlioz, Brahms, Bruckner, Fauré, Handel, American Classical Orchestra, Oregon Bach Haydn, Mahler, Mozart, Rossini, Stravinsky, and Festival, and Le Parlement de Musique, among Tippett. She has worked with conductors such others. Blaise has recorded for Hänssler Clas- as William Christie, James Conlon, Colin Davis, sics, Harmonia Mundi USA, Assai and Decca René Jacobs, Paul McCreesh, and Simon Rattle. DVD, Gluck’s Ezio and Cimarosa’s Gli Orazi e Arnet’s operatic roles have included Susanna i Curiazi for Oehms Classics, and Sacchini’s (The Marriage of Figaro), Diane (Iphigénie en Oedipe a Colone for Naxos. Recent performances Aulide), Ilia (Idomeneo), Mélisande (Pelléas et include Handel’s La Resurrezione with the NDR Mélisande), and Drusilla (L’incoronazione di Radio (Hannover), performances of Antigona in Poppea) at the Glyndebourne Festival; Sophie Handel’s Admeto (Göttingen Handel Festival and (Der Rosenkavalier) and Giulietta (I Capuleti e Edinburgh Festival), and Mahler’s Symphony i Montecchi) for Opera North; and Susanna for No. 2 (Sapporo Festival). She currently resides in English National Opera. She made her European Germany. kirstenblaise.com debut singing Eurydice (Orphée et Eurydice) at the Opéra de Lausanne, a role she has reprised Martene Grimson (soprano) graduated from the in Stockholm. Other recent engagements include Sydney Conservatorium of Music before moving The Magic Flute with Los Angeles Opera, to London, completing her studies at the Royal (Handel’s Admeto) at the Göttingen Festival, College of Music’s Benjamin Britten Opera and the current tour of The Infernal Comedy. School and the National Opera Studio. She was Future engagements include a revival of Orphée awarded second prize in the 2006 Kathleen et Eurydice in Stockholm and Oslo, Donna Clara Ferrier Competition and has given recitals at the (Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg) for the Liceu in Barce- Aldeburgh Festival, Wigmore Hall, Royal Opera lona, Pamina (The Magic Flute) for the Spoleto House (Linbury Studio and Crush Room), and Festival (USA), and Despina (Così fan tutte) with the Harrogate Festival, among others. Recent Royal Swedish Opera. concert engagements include Pulcinella (Scottish Chamber Orchestra); Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti Kirsten Blaise (soprano) was a featured artist (Bayerischer Rundfunk; Prinzregententheater, with the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe Munich); Dorinda Orlando (Independent Opera; from 2007 to 2009, where she sang her first Wigmore Hall); a Strauss tour of the UK for Who’s Who

Raymond Gubbay; Haydn with the Orchestra of cluded Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, the Age of Enlightenment (London and Bris- Don Giovanni, Il sogno di Scipione, The Marriage tol); Gretel in Hansel and Gretel (BBC Concert of Figaro, Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and several Orchestra, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Chichester Haydn operas. In 2009, together with the actor Festival); and Brahms’ Requiem (Royal Albert John Malkovich, the Wiener Akademie gave the Hall). Operatic engagements include her role premiere of The Infernal Comedy in Vienna’s debut as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro (Opera Ronacher Theatre, touring the work extensively East); Melia in Apollo and Hyacinthus; Ilia in throughout 2010 and beyond. A new work with Idomeneo (Pinchgut Opera, Sydney); and roles Malkovich, The Giacomo Variations, about Ca- in Dido and Aeneas (Opera North), Floyd’s Su- sanova, premiered in January in Vienna and has sannah, and Bizet’s Le Docteur Miracle (Wexford since toured to Australia and Germany, with fu- Festival). With the Classical Opera Company she ture performances in Finland and Hamburg and has sung Hyacinthus (Apollo and Hyacinthus), throughout North and South America. The Wie- Aminta (Il Re Pastore), and Cinna (Lucio Silla). ner Akademie has a discography of more than She made her debut for Nationale Reisopera 30 recordings, including works by Bruckner, Fux, as Glauce Medea, and performed in Howard Graun, Haydn, Porpora, and Schubert. Future Goodall’s Requiem Eternal Light (Rambert Dance releases include symphonies by Beethoven and Company), with the BBC Concert Orchestra Schubert and Haydn’s The Creation. (Watford Colosseum), Handel’s Israel in Egypt (French tour with Arsys Bourgogne), Handel Wiener Akademie (Classical Opera Company, King’s Place), Gluck’s Conductor Martin Haselböck Le Cinesi (Bampton Classical Opera, Wigmore Violin Ilia Korol Hall), and Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni David Drabek (Longborough Festival Opera). Engagements Piroska Batori this season and beyond include Despina (Così Maria Kaluzhskikh fan tutte, Longborough Festival Opera), Nanetta Inigo Aranzasti (Falstaff, Mid Wales Opera), and The Giacomo Christiane Bruckmann-Hiller Variations with John Malkovich (Vienna, Sydney, Gerlinde Sonnleitner Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, and on tour Anna-Maria Smerd in ). Diana Kiendl-Samarovski Veronika Schulz-Eckart Orchester Wiener Akademie Thomas Trsek The Orchester Wiener Akademie was founded Katarzyna Brzoza in 1985 by conductor and organist Martin Hasel- Agnes Petersen böck and has since gained acclaim for its period- Florian Hasenburger instrument performances of music from the Viola Peter Aigner Baroque to the late-Romantic eras. It presents Éva Posvanecz a regular series of concerts at Vienna’s Musikv- Martina Reiter erein, which this season includes concerts of Cello Balázs Máté Schumann and Schubert with violinist Isabelle Nikolay Gimaletdinov Faust, Handel’s Messiah, Bach cantatas, and a Michal Stahel program of Liszt and Schubert with mezzo-so- Double Walter Bachkönig prano Elisabeth Kulman. The orchestra also tours Jan Krigovsky extensively to international festivals and concert Alexandra Dienz series at prestigious music venues around Flute Christian Gurtner the world. The Wiener Akademie is also Orches- Oboe Gonzalo Ruiz tra-in-Residence at the International Liszt Festival Peter Wuttke in Raiding, Burgenland, where it is performing Clarinet Peter Rabl and recording the complete orchestral music of Ronald Sebesta Franz Liszt, the first such cycle on period instru- Bassoon Mrs. Laszlo Zoltanne Vörös ments. The initial CD in the series was released Rainer Johannsen in January. Opera also forms a key part of the Horn Hermann Ebner orchestra’s activities. Recent productions have in- Ferenc Varga