Features
Welser-Möst in Vienna
An ambition fulfilled
…done in Zurich—and comparing how the orchestra plays now with how it did 12 years ago, I know we started on a different level to where well start in Vienna—is to conduct about 70 performances a year. Over more than 40 Traviatas and all those Flutes my continuous aim has been to push up the quality. You can only push up the overall standard of a house in repertory performances. It may not seem gratifying in the short term, but it is over time.
‘Another area in which I can use my position and influence in the house, even when not conducting, is behind the scenes in putting together the productions. Too often these days the conductor does his own thing, the director and the designer are all doing their different things, so it’s hardly surprising when it doesn’t fit together in the way it should—as one of the most exciting and thrilling art forms. In Zurich, I’ve had good relationships with people like Bechtolf and Pountney. These are the people whose work excites me, and I hope to go on working with them. What you hear and what you see ought to go hand in hand, not in parallel or in different directions. It’s not a matter of modern production versus conservative production. There’s a big difference between the modern-looking show of a director who has worked with the music, and the provocative stage pictures that have nothing to do with the drama or music. Audiences know that, too. It’s interesting to see when they boo and when they don’t. Ultimately, in a house with so many productions, you need a mixture of styles. We live in a wonderful time—so many things are available to us, and there’s no reason for everything to be just one way. Of course, in a repertory house, Carmen has to last ten years. It has to be durable—so you have to be practical. Otherwise, you’ll fail at running an opera house.’
Welser-Möst also talks of expanding the repertory in Vienna. ‘At the moment it starts with Mozart and ends—most of the time—with Strauss. Especially in terms of 20th-century works, theirs is a lot more we could do. I had to laugh when all of a sudden Vienna discovered Peter Grimes. It’s one of the masterpieces of all time, yet Vienna woke up rather late. Then they did Billy Budd, which was also a success. There is an audience there wanting more, and I think we should also be exploring the modern Austrian repertory. It’s a long time since I’ve seen von Einem’s operas, pieces such as Der Prozess and Der Besuch der alten Damen. These are really good works that have been long neglected. As an Austrian house, we should be doing them.’
Until now, Welser-Möst’s career has shown that he is happiest—and produces the best results—working in a good, stable environment.…
