Vienna celebrates Antonio Salieri: A Leibniz in music and history!

Vienna celebrates Antonio Salieri: A Leibniz in music and history!

Antonio Salieri will be celebrated in Vienna this year to honor his musical legacy and his often misunderstood role in music history. Jürgen Partaj, who has been director of the Vienna Court Music Orchestra since 2019, has initiated an extensive program to increase Salieri's awareness. Partaj is particularly irritated by the fact that Salieri is now often only perceived as “Mozart's murderer”. With the “Salieri 2025” festival he would like to focus on Salieri’s actual achievements, which were long overshadowed by Mozart. The celebrated composer will be presented at various events in the city that will show him in a new light. Small newspaper reports that Partaj self-deprecatingly notes that he does not see himself as Salieri's successor, but rather as the longest-serving court music director in the institution's 527-year history.

The events to commemorate Salieri are varied and begin, among other things, with a musical program in the Hofburg Chapel. On April 12th there will be a concert with works by Salieri and Mozart, conducted by Pablo de Pedro, entitled “Impulse in the Hofburg Chapel”. This concert is part of the commemorative year and features both Scherzi by Salieri and a string quartet by Mozart. Admission is free and participation is carried out by scholarship holders from the Balthasar Neumann Orchestra. Court music band highlights the co-production between the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble and the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle.

Salieri's legacy and programs

Salieri, who lived from 1750 to 1825, was the last Italian court conductor in Vienna. He came to the Viennese court in 1766 and became an important part of the city's musical life. In 1788 he was appointed court conductor and held this post until his retirement in 1824. During his career, Salieri wrote over 40 operas, numerous vocal works and instrumental concerts. His church music, especially the Mass in D major, was intended for the court band and is characterized by humility and devotion. The mass will be performed on April 27th under the direction of Jimmy Chiang. Court music band informs that Salieri's music places particular emphasis on text comprehensibility and avoids operatic elements.

The highlight of the celebrations will be Salieri's Requiem, which will be performed in the Hofburg Chapel by students of the Antonio Salieri Institute on May 7th, the anniversary of his death. Discussion formats and concerts are also planned on this day in the Brahms Hall of the music association. There will also be a premiere of the Salieri opera “The Twisted World – Il mondo alla rovescia” on April 26th at the Salzburg State Theater. Riccardo Muti will conduct the Hofkapellmeister Mass in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein on May 17th and 18th.

A lasting legacy and new discoveries

Partaj also highlighted a newly discovered cantata co-authored by Mozart and Salieri, as well as a reader titled “Rediscovering an Unrecognized One,” which will be presented on April 30. Establishing a Salieri Society is also on his agenda, and he is searching for the lost Walk of Fame star Salieris. The aim is to anchor Salieri's musical legacy in the public consciousness and to break down the prejudices that surround him and his work.

Through these diverse measures, the Vienna Court Music Orchestra hopes that Antonio Salieri will be recognized not only for his well-known works, but also for his important role in the musical dialogue of his time.