The Titanen fight: Giulio Cesare opens the 2025 Salzburg Festival!

The Titanen fight: Giulio Cesare opens the 2025 Salzburg Festival!

Salzburg, Österreich - On July 26, 2025, the Salzburg Festival begin with the new production of the baroque opera "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" by Georg Friedrich Handel. This masterpiece, according to director Markus Hinterhäuser, is staged by the renowned director Dmitri Tcherniakov, while the learned conductor Emmanuelle Haïm takes over the musical direction. The premiere takes place in the house for Mozart at 6 p.m. and will continue with another seven performances by August 17th.

The staging promises to offer a profound psychological portrait of the characters. Tcherniakov describes the protagonists as trapped in a constant struggle, which strongly emphasizes the topic of distrust and the impossibility of carefree relationships. The figures that act in an isolated environment are reminiscent of the forms of existence in Sartre's "Huis Clos". This psychological setting is intended to enable the audience not to recognize the characters as an ancient heroes, but as modern people in borderline situations.

a spectacle of emotions

The staging aims to preserve the structure of the DA Capo arias and recitative by preventing applause between the arias. This should support the flow of the event and intensify the emotions shown. The stage design is designed in such a way that it extends to the audience, which makes the actors appear mentally "naked" and allows the viewer to dive into the emotional strategies of the characters.

A central element of the opera are the erotic relationships that are discussed as part of the power games between the characters. The staging should show the characters in their vulnerable moments and respond to the challenges of human nature in critical situations. Tcherniakov already makes a comparison between the conflicts of the opera and contemporary political disputes that are often carried out under a civilized pretext.

occupation and program of the festival

The occupation of the staging is made up of experienced baroque music singers: Christophe Dumaux will be seen as Giulio Cesare, followed by Olga Kulchynska as Cleopatra and Lucile Richardot as Cornelia. Further roles are occupied by Federico Fiorio (Sesto), Yuriy Mynenko (Tolomeo), Andrey Zhilikhovsky (Achilla), Jake Ingbar (Nireno) and Robert Raso (Curio).

The Salzburg Festival 2025 are under the motto "Heart of Pain - Beauty Beauty of Earth" and extend from July 18 to August 31. During this period, a total of 174 performances are presented at 16 different venues, including 12 operas, seven of which are listed scenic. In addition to "Giulio Cesare", other works such as Verdi's "Macbeth" and the production "Hotel Metamorphosis" are planned.

The festival also promotes young talents through programs such as Herbert by Karajan Young Conductors Award and the Young Singers Project, and offers a comprehensive concert program with renowned orchestras and international artists.

The Salzburg Festival promises a special cultural experience in 2025 that not only deals with traditional topics, but also raises modern questions and gives the audience a deep insight into human emotions and conflicts. For more information about the premiere of "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" and the other program items Visit vienna.at or SalzburgerFestSpiele.at as well [Opera-online.com] (https://www.operaonline.com/de/articles/die-salzburger-festspiele-2025-herz-des-schmerzes-schonheit-der-erde