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Handling of your data
Privacy policy and cookie information
It is important to the Wiener Symphoniker , Daffingerstr. 4/DG, 1030 Wien, ZVR-Zahl: 846159385, Spenden-Registrierungsnummer: KK-3320, E-Mail: office@wienersymphoniker.at, Telefon: +43 1 589 79-0, Telefax: +43 1 58979-54, ("Wiener Symphoniker", "wir", "uns") that your personal data is adequately protected. We therefore comply with the applicable legal provisions, in particular the Datenschutzgrundverordnung ("DSGVO") and the applicable Datenschutzgesetz idgF ("DSG") for the protection, lawful handling and confidentiality of personal data and for data security. The data protection and cookie provisions inform you about the collection, use, processing, scope and purposes of the use of your personal data by us in the context of our service provision and our offers - also when using the website www.wienersymphoniker.at ("website").
1. What is personal data?
Personal data is information about data subjects (in this specific case, customers, sponsoring members, interested parties, newsletter subscribers, cooperation partners) whose identity is determined or at least determinable (e.g. name, email address or IP address).
2. Which personal data do we collect from you?
• Registration data: When you register via the website, we collect the personal information you provide (title, name, user name, e-mail address, password, address, date of birth and telephone numbers).
• Order and booking data: In addition to the registration data, we also collect bank and credit card details and, where applicable, club memberships with third-party providers and health data (necessary wheelchair space).
• Data of supporting members: When you register with us as a sustaining member or book a sustaining membership online, we collect the personal information you provide (title, name, e-mail address, password, address and telephone numbers).
• Data of supporters, friends, partners, sponsors and subsidisers: When you register with us as a donor, we collect the personal information you provide (title, name, e-mail address, password, address and telephone numbers). If you make a financial contribution, we also record the intended purpose (e.g. date of birth, earmarking) and your bank and credit card details.
• User data when contacting us: When you actively contact us (e.g. by email), we process the data you voluntarily provide (usually name, email address, content of the enquiry and, if applicable, address and contact details).
• Master data of contractual and cooperation partners: We also process master data of our contractual and cooperation partners in the sense relevant under data protection law, insofar as this information can be traced back to a natural person (e.g. name, e-mail and telephone number of the managing director, sole trader, etc.).
• Technical data: We record the IP address of your device, the internet browser used, the browser language, your operating system, the files requested on our website, your settings for Java, screen resolution, colour depth, your click behaviour on the website (time of access, clicks) and the website from which you visit us (referrer URL).
• Personal portraits and other photos: We also process photos with persons that were taken with the consent of the data subjects for the purposes described in point 4.
3. How do we collect your data?
We process the personal data listed under point 2 for the following purposes and on the basis of the stated legal bases:
4. What do we use your data for?
Contract fulfilment and implementation of pre-contractual measures in accordance with Art. 6 Abs 1 lit b DSGVO:
The registration data is processed for the provision of the online account. In addition, the registration data, the order and booking data, the data of supporters, friends, partners, sponsors and subsidisers, the user data in the context of establishing contact and the master data of the contractual and cooperation partners for contract fulfilment and processing, customer support, advice and information, maintenance of any supporting membership and administration of master and contract data and their changes are processed.
The establishment and fulfilment of the contract are only possible on the basis of this data processing. If the customer does not provide the necessary data, no contract can be established.
Fulfilment of legal obligations pursuant to Art 6 Abs 1lit c DSGVO: The personal data mentioned in point 2 is also processed to comply with association and tax law requirements. In addition, the health data disclosed in the context of the ticket order will be used to fulfil the equal treatment obligations under the Equal Treatment Act.
Legitimate interests of the Wiener Symphoniker or a third party pursuant to Art 6 Abs 1 lit f DSGVO:
The data of supporters, friends, partners, sponsors and subsidisers are contacted directly by us in order to fulfil the statutory purposes of donations, legacies, inheritances and sponsorship. In addition, all data listed under point 2 is used for the purposes of internal market research, statistical analyses and to obtain credit information that is absolutely necessary for the provision of services.
Consent to data processing in accordance with Art 6 Abs 1 lit a DSGVO:
We obtain the consent of newsletter subscribers, patrons, friends, partners, sponsors and subsidisers as well as cooperation partners, provided that none of the above-mentioned justifications apply. In particular, the Wiener Symphoniker require the voluntary consent of the aforementioned data subjects, which can be revoked at any time, for electronic and postal contact for marketing purposes. This can be given by users either during the registration and purchase process or via the homepage by entering the data and ticking the checkbox. When purchasing event tickets that we organise with cooperation partners, customers can also consent to receiving direct marketing information by email from these cooperation partners. We use personal portraits to document, announce and advertise Wiener Symphoniker events and activities in both digital and print media and archive them exclusively for these purposes. The exact purposes are listed conclusively in the respective declaration of consent. The prospective recipients are the general public via various print media and via the internet, YouTube etc.
Your consent also serves as the legal basis for the setting of cookies that are not technically necessary for the operation of the website (see "Cookies" below). We use these cookies for analyses and to increase user-friendliness, advertising and social media (marketing and tracking cookies).
Consent can be revoked at any time free of charge and with effect for the future for all or individual purposes (e.g. via an unsubscribe link in the e-mail newsletter, by contacting us by e-mail at office@wienersymphoniker.at, via the cookie settings)
5. Transmission to third parties
For events that we organise in cooperation with the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft, personal registration, order and booking data will be transmitted to the cooperation partners in order to fulfil the contract. In the case of events organised in cooperation with the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Musikverein), the data will be transmitted exclusively to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Musikvereinsplatz 1, 1010 Vienna.
In addition, the data voluntarily provided when purchasing tickets for a cooperation event (surname, first name, address, e-mail) will be transmitted to the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft (Lothringerstr. 20, 1030 Vienna, telephone number: +43 1 242002, e-mail: datenschutz@konzerthaus.at) for the following direct marketing purposes: To send marketing and product information, in particular on concert dates, background reports, radio/TV dates, competitions, discount campaigns, surveys and videos relating to the Wiener Symphoniker and/or the cooperation partner by our cooperation partner by contacting us by e-mail in accordance with the § 107 TKG.
We also transmit your personal data in connection with orders to the Ticket and Service Centre of the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft as a processor for the purpose of contract processing.
As stated in the following detailed information, when cookies are set on the basis of your voluntary consent, your personal data may be transferred to recipients in third countries outside the EU. If there is no adequacy decision by the EU Commission pursuant to Art 45 DSGVO for the third country concerned, the transfer will take place in individual cases subject to suitable guarantees pursuant to Art 46 DSGVO or, if necessary, by consent for specific purposes.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies. These are small text files that are temporarily stored on your computer and saved by your browser. With the help of cookies, the website can store important data. This makes your use of the website more convenient.
Like most websites, if you have given your consent, we use cookies for a variety of purposes to improve your use of our website. You can withdraw your consent at any time. If you do not give your consent, we only collect anonymous data, e.g. to determine the total number of visitors to our website, as well as cookies that are technically necessary for the operation of the website. We also use social plugins on our website.
Google Analytics
If you give your consent via the cookie banner or the cookie settings, this website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland ("Google"). Google Analytics uses cookies to help the website analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is transmitted to a Google server and stored there. We only use Google Analytics with activated IP anonymisation by adding the code "anonymizeIP" to this website. This guarantees that your IP address is masked so that all data is collected anonymously. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server and truncated there.
Google will use this information for the purpose of analysing your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.
You can prevent the installation of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in the cookie settings or in your browser software; however, we would like to point out that in this case you will not be able to use all the functions of this website. You can also prevent Google from collecting the data generated by the cookie and relating to your use of the website (including your IP address) and from processing this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available at the following link http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de
The data sent by us and linked to cookies, user identifiers (e.g. user ID) or advertising IDs are automatically deleted after 50 months. Data that has reached the end of its retention period is automatically deleted once a month.
Further information on the use of data by Google, setting and objection options can be found in Google's privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads?hl=de) and in the settings for the display of adverts by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).
a. Use of social plugins
This website uses social plugins (plugins) from various social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Use of Facebook
Plugins from the social network Facebook Ireland Ltd, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland ("Facebook") are integrated on our website. You can recognise the Facebook plugins by the Facebook logo (white "f" on a blue tile) or the terms "recommend on Facebook" sign on our website. You can find an overview of the Facebook plugins here:
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins.
When you visit our website, a direct connection is established between your browser and the Facebook server via the plugin. Facebook thereby receives the information that you have visited our websites with your IP address. If you click on the Facebook button while you are logged into your Facebook account, you can link the content of our websites to your Facebook profile. This allows Facebook to associate your visit to our websites with your user account. We would like to point out that we have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by Facebook. Further information on this can be found in Facebook's privacy policy at
https://www.facebook.com/policy.php.
If you do not want Facebook to be able to associate your visit to our websites with your Facebook user account, please log out of your Facebook user account before accessing our website.
Use of Twitter
Our website uses plugins from the microblogging service Twitter, which is operated by Twitter Inc, 1355 Market St, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA ("Twitter"). The plugins are labelled with a Twitter logo, for example in the form of a blue "Twitter bird". An overview of the Twitter plugins and their appearance can be found here: https://dev.twitter.com/web/tweet-button.
When you visit one of our websites that contains such a plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to the Twitter servers. The content of the plugin is transmitted by Twitter directly to your browser and integrated into the page. Through the integration, Twitter receives the information that your browser has accessed the corresponding page of our website, even if you do not have a Twitter profile or are not currently logged in to Twitter. This information (including your IP address) is transmitted directly from your browser to a Twitter server in the USA and stored there. If you are logged in to Twitter, Twitter can directly associate your visit to our website with your Twitter account. If you interact with the plugins, for example by clicking the "Tweet" button, the corresponding information is also transmitted directly to a Twitter server and stored there. The information is also published on your Twitter account and displayed to your contacts there.
The purpose and scope of the data collection and the further processing and use of the data by Twitter as well as your rights in this regard and setting options to protect your privacy can be found in Twitter's data protection information: https://twitter.com/de/privacy.
If you do not want Twitter to assign the data collected via our website directly to your Twitter account, you must log out of Twitter before visiting our website. You can also completely prevent the loading of Twitter plugins with add-ons for your browser, e.g. with the script blocker "NoScript" (http://noscript.net/).
Use of Instagram
On our websites, we use plugins from the social network Instagram, which is operated by Instagram LLC, 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. The plugins are labelled with an Instagram logo, for example in the form of an "Instagram camera". An overview of the Instagram plugins and their appearance can be found here:
http://blog.instagram.com/post/36222022872/introducing-instagram-badges.
When you visit our website, your browser establishes a direct connection to Instagram's servers. The content of the plugin is transmitted by Instagram directly to your browser and integrated into the website. Through this integration, Instagram receives the information that your browser has accessed the corresponding page of our website, even if you do not have an Instagram profile or are not currently logged in. This information (including your IP address) is transmitted directly from your browser to an Instagram server in the USA and stored there.
If you are logged in to Instagram, Instagram can directly associate your visit to our website with your Instagram account. If you interact with the plugin, e.g. by clicking the "Instagram" button, this information is also transmitted directly to an Instagram server and stored there. The information is also published on your Instagram account and displayed to your contacts there.
The purpose and scope of the data collection and the further processing and use of the data by Instagram as well as your rights in this regard and setting options to protect your privacy can be found in Instagram's data protection information:
https://help.instagram.com/155833707900388.
Use of YouTube
We have also integrated YouTube plugins on our websites, which redirect you to the Wiener Symphoniker channel at www.youtube.com when you click on the plugin button.
When you click the YouTube button, YouTube cookies are stored on your computer and data is transmitted to Google, Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA, as the YouTube operator. The following personal data is transmitted to Google, Inc.: IP address and cookie ID, the specific address of the page accessed on our websites, browser language setting, system date and time of access and your browser ID. Data is transmitted regardless of whether you are registered with Google and logged in. If you are logged in, this data is assigned directly to your account.
If you do not wish to be associated with your profile, you must log out before activating the button. YouTube or Google, Inc. stores this data as user profiles and uses it for the purposes of advertising, market research and/or customised design of its websites. Such an evaluation is carried out in particular (even for users who are not logged in) to provide customised advertising and to inform other users about your activities on our website. You have the right to object to the creation of these user profiles, whereby you must contact Google Inc. as the operator of YouTube to exercise this right. Further information on the purpose and scope of data collection and its processing by Google, Inc. can be found at http://www.google.at/intl/de/policies/privacy/. We do not process the personal data collected when the YouTube video is accessed.
b. Facebook Custom Audience
If you give us the appropriate consent, we also use Facebook "Custom Audience" technology, a service provided by Facebook Ireland Limited Hanover Reach, 5-7 Hanover Quay, Dublin 2 Ireland. The data collected through the integration of cookies, web beacons or similar third-party technologies allows us to measure and design our advertising activities on Facebook more effectively and, for example, to display posts or adverts only to visitors to our website. We only use cookies, web beacons and similar, proven and widely used third-party technologies to collect this data. The data collected in this way is only transmitted to Facebook in encrypted form. Any personal data of individual users is anonymised and cannot be viewed by us. Further information on this can be found in Facebook's privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/. If you do not wish data to be collected via "Custom Audience", you can deactivate "Custom Audience" here:
https://www.facebook.com/ads/website_custom_audiences/.
c. Google Remarketing (Google Ads)
If you give us your consent, we use Google Remarketing technology, a service provided by Google Inc, 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States. This function allows us to analyse data from Google Ads and the double-click cookie for statistical purposes and to support the display and management of ads on the web. When you visit a website and view or click on an advert placed via websites in the Google advertising network, a double-click cookie may be stored in your browser. The DoubleClick cookie identifier assigned to your browser is the same as that used when you visit websites that use DoubleClick advertising programmes. If your browser already has a Double-Click cookie, no further Double-Click cookie should be stored. The information generated by the cookie is transferred to a Google server, stored there and can be analysed by us for statistical purposes and used to create interest-based advertisements. Google may transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf.
If you do not want this, you can deactivate it via the Ads Preferences Manager (https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=de).
Further information on the use of data by Google, setting and objection options, can be found in Google's privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads?hl=de) and in the settings for the display of adverts by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).
d. Shopping cart cookies
Technically necessary cookies are used to register the reservations in the shopping basket across all pages. This allows you to continue to move around the website with your browser without losing your data. The cookies set are not stored permanently on your computer, but are deleted when you close your browser. You cannot deactivate these cookies.
e. Hotjar
If you give us your consent, we use Hotjar (http://www.hotjar.com, 3 Lyons Range, 20 Bisazza Street, Sliema SLM 1640, Malta, Europe) to optimise and improve the usability of our website. Hotjar enables us to measure and evaluate user behaviour (mouse movements, clicks, scroll height, etc.) on our website. For this purpose, Hotjar places cookies on users' end devices and can store user data such as browser information, operating system, time spent on the page, etc. You can find more information about data processing by Hotjar at www.hotjar.com/privacy.
6. How long do we store your data?
Personal data is stored until the expiry of the statutory and contractual retention, guarantee, warranty and limitation periods. Beyond these periods, personal data is only stored for as long as it is required for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims. If you have registered as a user, we will store your order history for 10 years in the account provided. If you are not registered with us, we will only store your order history for a period of 10 years after you have given your consent. If you have only registered to receive newsletters and advertising information and are not a customer of ours, we will store your data until you withdraw your consent and for a maximum of three years after the last contact.
7. How do we protect your data?
We take appropriate technical and organisational security measures within the meaning of Article 5(1)(f) and Article 32 DSGVO to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, alteration, damage or loss and against unauthorised disclosure or access. We also conclude confidentiality agreements with all our employees who have access to your personal data in accordance with Section 6 of the DSG to protect your data confidentiality. We also take numerous precautions on our website:
a. Encryption on the website
Your data is secure on wienersymphoniker.at. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra uses the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol on the entire website. This encrypts the data during transmission between the user and the Symphoniker server so that it cannot be read by third parties.
- Data is transmitted using an SSL connection (Secure Socket Layer, -256 bit) with at least 128-bit encryption.
- The secure protocols TLS 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 are used. The SSL 2.0 and 3.0 protocols are deactivated.
- Encrypted transmission ensures the greatest possible security of your data against unauthorised access and/or manipulation. Furthermore, the SSL connection guarantees that you only establish and maintain a connection with the Symphoniker server.
- The Symphoniker server has been certified by GeoTrust Inc.
- How do you recognise that the website is secure? The address (URL) begins with https:// and a lock or key can be seen in the status bar.
- The security certificate belongs to the Wiener Symphoniker, was issued by GeoTrust Inc. and is valid. By clicking on the GeoTrust Inc. symbol in your browser (lock or key in the status bar), you can display detailed information on the security certificate.
8. Your rights as a data subject
You have the right to receive information in a clear, transparent and easily understandable way about how we process personal data and about your rights as a data subject (Art 13 ff DSGVO):
Right to information pursuant to Art 15 DSGVO
You have the right to ask the Wiener Symphoniker for a copy of the personal data we hold about you (subject to certain restrictions).
Right to rectification pursuant to Art 16 DSGVO
You have the right to ask the Wiener Symphoniker to correct your personal data if it is incorrect or no longer up to date and/or to have missing information completed.
Right to erasure/being forgotten pursuant to Art 17 DSGVO
You have the right to request that the Wiener Symphoniker erase your personal data without undue delay. Please note that this is not an absolute right, as there may be legal or legitimate reasons to retain your personal data.
Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Art18 DSGVO
You have the right to obtain from the Wiener Symphoniker restriction of processing where one of the conditions set out in Art. 18 DSGVO applies.
Notification obligation in connection with the rectification or erasure of personal data or the restriction of processing pursuant to Art 19 DSGVO
The Wiener Symphoniker will inform all data subjects of any rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing in accordance with Article 16, Article 17(1) and Article 18, unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort.
Right to data portability according to Art 20 DSGVO
You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you from the Wiener Symphoniker in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and any person has the right to transmit those data to another controller without hindrance from us. This only applies to data that you have provided, where the processing is based on a contract or your consent or where the processing is carried out automatically.
Right to object to direct marketing including profiling and to any consent given to data processing in accordance with Art 21 ff DSGVO
If the processing serves to safeguard the legitimate interests of the Wiener Symphoniker, you have the right to object to this at any time for reasons arising from your particular situation. However, compelling legitimate grounds of the Wiener Symphoniker may prevail. In this case, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra may continue to process the data.
In addition, you have the right to object to the processing of your data at any time if the processing is for the purpose of direct marketing.
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority pursuant to Art 77 DSGVO
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection authority if you believe that the processing of your personal data violates the DSGVO or the DSG. The competent data protection supervisory authority is the Österreichische Datenschutzbehörde, Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna.
9. Final Provisions
The further development of the internet, our internet offering, and our range of services may also affect the handling of personal data. We therefore reserve the right to change this data protection declaration in the future within the framework of data protection regulations. Therefore, you should regularly access these data protection provisions to stay informed about the current status.
Editor, publisher, media owner
Wiener Symphoniker
Daffingerstraße 4/DG
1030 Wien
Österreich
UID: ATU16363101
Vereinsregister: ZVR-Zahl 846159385
tel +43 (1) 58979 - 0
fax +43 (1) 58979 - 54
office@wienersymphoniker.at
Responsible according to press law
Jan Nast, Intendant
Editor
Laura Kobler, Digitales Marketing & Vertrieb
Programming and web design
![Preisträger:innen WSY-Talent 2023](/sites/default/files/styles/sc_1200_800/public/2024-02/20231015_WSYTalent23_RadioKulturhaus_c_Lukas_Beck%201920x1280.jpg?itok=SqlyVBRa)
WSY-Talent 2024
Emotional Attachment
So far only two conductors have been honoured with the title of Honorary Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker; both true legends of music history: Georges Prêtre and Wolfgang Sawallisch.
Georges Prêtre †
Georges Prêtre †
There is no doubt that when it came to Prêtre concerts, the term “conventional” never applied. Prêtre, who was born in Waziers in 1924, never saw himself as a conductor, and many orchestral musicians did agree with him on this point. He thought of himself more as an Interprêtre in the absolutely French sense of the word: an ecstatic high priest of music, an intermediary for the inspiration that flows from the great works. Criticism ceases entirely in the face of such Greats – unless they express critical opinions about Austrian affairs. And since Georges Prêtre did never do so, because music was his mother tongue, the Viennese critics didn't have to oblige to observe their well-documented, standoffish scepticism and were able to gratefully lose themselves in reverie at Prêtre concerts. As in medieval representations of benefactors, we saw small figures of critics all over the concert hall, holding rosaries in lieu of musical scores. They kneeled humbly before their patron saints at priedieux and, on the morrow, offered up their panegyrics as donations in feuillton offering boxes. A little splendour from their marvellous superlatives fell upon the orchestra, as well.
The musicians saw things from a more straightforward perspective coloured by professional experience, and they were the ones who had to play the concert after all. Nevertheless, they were of one mind in their admiration for the mental and physical feats of the French Maître, who assumed the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker more thaan 30 years ago. He still performed at an age when orchestral musicians of the same age had been retired for almost a generation. And even if we concede that conducting offers the ideal basis for preserving vitality through a combination of calisthenics, sublimated exercise of power and public renown, many important conductors have faced physical limitations that never seemed to apply to Georges Prêtre. The way in which his mental and physical agility transmitted to the orchestral musicians was nothing short of magical: it spurred them on to give their utmost and provides motivation for peak performance, which was also due to the extreme, heightened and ultimately exhausting tension that efficacious decoding of Prêtre’s cryptic, not to mention oracular gestures required.
What gave Prêtre’s music–making its shock-like, intensely experiential character was the constant “breach of the stimulus barrier”, to use Freudian terminology. And this is precisely the meaning that Walter Benjamin conveyed in his remarks on Beaudelaire: “The greater the amount of shock factor in individual impressions, [...] the sooner they meet the definition of non-integrated experience”, and “the less they are integrated into experience.” Benjamin’s illuminating recognition places Prêtre’s artistic singularity within the great French tradition at a time when Paris was the “nineteenth-century capital”. Conversely, it also explains the truly remarkable fact that, even in the case of frequently interpreted works, no “tradition” has been able to spring up around Prêtre’s musical renditions. And where the experiential approach fails to satisfy, we become addicted, incessantly exposing ourselves to unexpectedly fascinating and astonishing surprises.
Perhaps the secret of his success lies in the wise decision to connect times of secluded leisure with clearly defined “repertoire sans repertoire”, i.e., an intensively studied canon of works that are not in danger of becoming routine.
Georges Prêtre died in January 2017. The Wiener Symphoniker will never forget him.
Wolfgang Sawallisch †
Wolfgang Sawallisch †
![Wolfgang Sawallisch](/sites/default/files/styles/sc_335_224/public/2024-03/Sawallisch_27.jpg?itok=KzC95qR4)
The critic Franz Endler summed it up in February 1993: “Even the musical life of Vienna would be in need of an artist of his quality as a permanent institution – a phrase that will certainly be written after every Wolfgang Sawallisch concert.” Three decades beforehand, Sawallisch was the first Chief Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker (1960-1970) during the post-war transition to normalcy of what was then a locally safeguarded institution with an increasingly internationalized profile. Under his direction, the orchestra first toured the USA in 1964 and Japan in 1967 as part of a worldwide tour. The great success of these tours turned this important Viennese concert orchestra into an internationally recognized ensemble. Through a considerable number of LP recordings, including the complete orchestral works of Brahms, Sawallisch also succeeded in creating a prominent place for the Wiener Symphoniker in the recording world.
As the Karajan cycle concluded in the early 1960s, he provided the impetus for the emerging symphonic cycle that centred mainly around cyclical presentations of symphonic works by the great Classical and Romantic composers. During the economic boom of the 1960s, a kind of three-pillared model of orchestral performance developed that would remain in effect for quite some time. This model combined close attention to the orchestra’s core duties within Viennese concert life with international touring activities and a presence in the record market. After being absent for a decade, it was a pure stroke of luck for the Wiener Symphoniker that Wolfgang Sawallisch returned to the podium in 1980 to lead an extended European tour in honour of the orchestra’s eightieth birthday. This resulted in ongoing collaborations that would last for another quarter century. And so a period of forty-eight years lay between the first and last appearances of this great conductor with the Wiener Symphoniker, an interval of collaborative music-making that hardly any other conductor has equalled.
The musicians appreciated his unpretentious directness, which radiated collegial understanding and occasionally turned into Bavarian grouchiness: “My dear first violins, please play this passage piano for me! Of course you can do it!” With Sawallisch, one always felt in good hands: In the Interest of Clarity is the title of the first book that he wrote about music, and technical as well as interpretive clarity characterized his way of making music. Exhibitionistic displays were abhorrent to him, for he still belonged to the generation of conductors who placed the music – and not themselves – at the centre of their consciousness and considered it their sole, as well as their most distinguished obligation. This sometimes earned Sawallisch the reputation of a dry-dust academic among a fraternity of critics who increasingly presumed that originality of interpretation was the ultimate sign of quality. In their estimation, he always brought predictable results to the table, particularly because he did not get involved in the interpretive changeover as symbolized by the original instrument movement and Urtext editions. But anyone who ever made music with him could feel his passionate, unfailing love for music, which always stood at the forefront of his efforts to fittingly express it, efforts that were always shaped by a great sense of responsibility.
When Wolfgang Sawallisch gave up his active musical career for health reasons in 2005, an era that has a special place in the orchestra’s history truly came to a close.
Current tenders
![liegende Geige](/sites/default/files/styles/sc_335_224/public/2024-02/Wohnzimmer-Konzert%20Staffel%203_Brueggemann_Slekyte_c_Lukas%20Beck%20%28113%29.jpg?itok=u_cRDcN0)
Orchestra
There are currently no vacancies advertised.
Management
There are currently no vacancies in the Wiener Symphoniker's management team.
A PARTNERSHIP FOR 70 YEARS
![Rigoletto auf der Seebühne Bregenz](/sites/default/files/styles/sc_335_224/public/2024-02/rigoletto_c_anjakoehler%201920x1280.jpg?itok=4vhjyVPg)
The Wiener Symphoniker have been the orchestra in residence at the Bregenz Festival every summer since 1946. They not only perform as the opera orchestra at the Spiel am See and the opera in the Festspielhaus, but are also represented in the festival programme with several orchestral concerts.
The beginnings
As always in such cases, the partnership came about by chance: in August 1946, the orchestra undertook a "trip to Austria", which led to Innsbruck, Jenbach Kufstein and (as the first stop!) to Bregenz, where two concerts, conducted by Hans Swarowsky and Otmar Suitner respectively, took place as part of a "festival week". There was still no lake stage, which was only installed on the legendary gravel barges at the gondola harbour in 1947 and opened with The Abduction from the Seraglio. In bad weather, the performance was given in the equally legendary Stadthalle, which was built by the French occupying forces for the purpose of sports training. The first orchestral concerts also took place there, with Clemens Krauss conducting a programme including The Unfinished, Don Juan and Pictures at an Exhibition in 1947.
Bregenz was a lucrative location for the musicians of the Wiener Symphoniker in the immediate post-war period, as there was no shortage of food - they were prepared to make a day-long journey. Some of the musicians were accommodated in farms in the Vorderer Bregenzerwald and were able to feast in comparison to the conditions at home. In terms of cultural policy, the Vienna-Bregenz axis, symbolised by the presence of a Viennese orchestra for several weeks every year, was of particular relevance, as Vorarlberg, as a remote province that was difficult to reach from the east in terms of transport, had a constant desire for separation and dreams of joining Switzerland.
Basically, the performance conditions in Bregenz remained the same until 1979; from the late 1950s, the restored Kornmarkttheater was added as a venue for in-house operas. The extremely limited space available on stage and in the auditorium determined the artistic programme: in cooperation with La Scala in Milan, an Italian Staggione was staged every year from the 1960s with very good forces, mainly buffo operas from the Rossini-Donizetti era were given, but a prominently cast Falstaff in 1968 under the direction of Vittorio Gui also went down in festival history - which brings us to the opening season of the new festival theatre, as the unforgettable Giuseppe Taddei embodied the title role in both 1968 and 1980.
A new era begins
Under new circumstances, old concepts were continued for some time: the "Italian Staggione" was also initially continued at the Festspielhaus. In 1981 it was Otello - Placido Domingo (with Anna Tomowa-Sintow as his partner) sang this role in Austria for the first time, albeit only for half of the performances, and Nello Santi marked the entire part from the conductor's podium at the main rehearsal. Lucia di Lammermoor followed in 1982 with another star tenor: José Carreras. Contrary to all expectations, Pavarotti did not appear in 1983, but Giacomo Aragall did in 1984 together with Mara Zampieri in Tosca - 23 years later, this work was to move to the lake stage. Edita Gruberova celebrated triumphs in Donizetti's I Puritani, and the "Staggione era" came to an end with Anna Bolena in 1986 and Ernani in 1987.
Change in the artistic programme
Alfred Wopmann subsequently brought about a fundamental change in the artistic programme. Samson and Dalila was to the theatre what Die Zauberflöte was to the lake in 1985/86: a shift in focus to lesser-known operas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, modern lighting direction and character management, spectacular stage effects. Marjana Lipovsek celebrated an overwhelming success, which prompted the management team to repeat this production in 1989. Interest increasingly shifted to interesting directorial works, with Harry Kupfer in particular staging two brilliant productions in the 1990s: Berlioz' La Damnation de Faust in 1992 and Die Legende von der unsichtbaren Stadt Kitesch by Rimsky-Korsakov in 1995, both conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev.
In 1993/94, the orchestra had its first encounters with a very talented young conductor in the performances of Giordano's Fedora and Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini: Fabio Luisi. Almost every year in this phase could be categorised as remarkable in terms of house opera production; perhaps Martinu's operas Griechische Passion (1999, conductor Ulf Schirmer, staging: David Pountney) and Julietta (2002, conductor Dietfried Bernet, staging: Katja Czelnik) as well as Janacek's Schlaues Füchslein (2003, conductor Vladimir Fedosejev, staging: Daniel Slater) stand out from the consistently high standard.
As already mentioned, Jerome Savary's production of Die Zauberflöte represented a "paradigm shift" on the lake stage, not least because of the enormous increase in the amount of work involved in stage design and directing. From this point on, each production was shown for two festival seasons for amortisation reasons alone. From the orchestra's perspective, however, these spectacles are far behind the artistically interesting house operas. Until 2006, it was exposed to the vagaries of the weather under the lake stage (either blistering heat or freezing cold), and contact with the stage was naturally only possible via loudspeakers. From the audience's and critics' point of view, however, some productions proved to be outstanding: Der fliegende Holländer 1989/90, for example (Schirmer/Pountney), above all Nabucco (1993/94, Schirmer/Pountney) with the unforgettable thunderstorm scene during the prisoners' chorus at the dress rehearsal, but also Porgy and Bess 1997/98 (staged by Götz Friedrich). Un ballo in maschera (1999/2000) brought another "quantum leap" with its suggestive stage design - from this point onwards, the success of a production was determined above all by the successful development of a visual symbol that condensed the plot. This was achieved just as convincingly in La Boheme (2001/02, where the still relatively unknown Rolando Villazon made his debut as Rudolfo) as in West Side Story (2003/04) and Tosca (2006/07).
Triumphant orchestral concerts
As far as the concerts were concerned, the opening concert of the Festspielhaus in 1980 went down in orchestral annals: Karl Böhm performed with the Wiener Symphoniker for the last time (Beethovens 9th Symphony). It was less the musical quality than the dramatic circumstances of this concert that will be remembered, as Böhm was only able to cope with the rigours of rehearsals with constant medical care, and in the final movement of the performance at the latest, concertmaster Arve Teleffsen practically took over the baton. Perhaps the most sensational concert of the last three decades was conducted by Georges Prêtre in the summer of 1983 - his interpretation of La mer and the Symphonie fantastique made orchestral history. The performances of the old Erich Leinsdorf in 1987 and 1988 are also memorable, as are some impressive concerts with Vladimir Fedosejev - even in his "pre-principal conductor days" in the early 1990s.
Contact
Bregenzer Festspiele
Platz der Wiener Symphoniker 1
6900 Bregenz
Telefon: +43 5574 407-6
Website: www.bregenzerfestspiele.com
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VIENNA'S YOUNGEST AND OLDEST OPERA HOUSE
![MusikTheater an der Wien Zuschauerraum](/sites/default/files/styles/sc_335_224/public/2024-02/taw_zuschauerraum%20%28c%29%20petermmayr%201920x1280.jpg?itok=FMALmoUZ)
The MusikTheater an der Wien has been enchanting audiences for over two centuries with its outstanding acoustics and authentic, intimate ambience and is one of the most beautiful and traditional theatres in Vienna.
The MusikTheater an der Wien was built in 1801
Emanuel Schikaneder, a versatile genius, actor, organisational talent, theatre impresario and, above all, librettist of The Magic Flute, had his theatre built on the banks of the Vienna River in 1801 in the spirit of Mozart. Always open to new ideas, this extraordinary theatre has seen a number of historic premieres, including Beethoven's only opera "Fidelio".
Reopening in January 2006 as a new opera house
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary celebrations of Mozart's birth, the MusikTheater an der Wien was reopened in January 2006 as the new opera house of the City of Vienna and has since presented itself as an innovative stagione opera house. The contemporary aesthetics and high musical quality of the opera productions make the MusikTheater an der Wien the centre for baroque opera and modern music theatre in Vienna.
Quality at the highest international level
With one premiere per month, opera is performed in the stagione system: this means a constant cast on stage and in the orchestra pit from the first to the last performance and thus continuous quality at the highest international level. The modern, open approach to music theatre is emphasised by the repertoire and the international artists as well as by the house itself, its architecture and lively location. The ambience, intimate atmosphere and ideal acoustics in the historic theatre encourage audiences to open their senses to the beautiful. The MusikTheater an der Wien consciously establishes a reciprocal relationship with its lively surroundings on the Naschmarkt and the cultural scene around the Schleifmühlviertel.
New artistic director, new location
The internationally acclaimed opera director Stefan Herheim took over the directorship of the MusikTheater an der Wien in the 2022-23 season. The extensive general refurbishment of the historic building began in the same season. During the two-year renovation period, the theatre moved to Hall E in the MuseumsQuartier Wien for two seasons. The reopening of the theatre is planned for autumn 2024.
MusikTheater an der Wien
Adress
MusikTheater an der Wien
Linke Wienzeile 6
1060 Wien
Tel: +43 (0)1 58885
Current:
MuseumsQuartier | Halle E
Museumsplatz 1
1070 Wien
Tickets
In person
Monday to Saturday 10.00am to 6.00pm
Sunday and bank holidays with performances 2.00pm to 6.00pm
Matinees: 10am to 1.00pm
as well as from 6.00pm on the day of evening performances
Website
www.theater-wien.at
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The Golden Sound of the Musikverein
![Musikverein Wien Großer Saal](/sites/default/files/styles/sc_335_224/public/2024-02/musikverein_wien_c_martina_draper.jpg?itok=WBegeAkB)
History of the Musikverein Wien
In December 1857, the Musikverein was delighted to receive a "magnificent, truly imperial Christmas present". Emperor Franz Joseph 1 had authorised the demolition of the old city walls and thus created the possibility of a large-scale expansion of the city. Vienna's Ringstrasse era began. New buildings - including an opera house, galleries and museums - were to be built on the Ringstrasse according to imperial decree, and so the Musikverein also hoped to finally escape the old Musikverein building.
Vienna's first real concert hall
This building - located in the inner city at Tuchlauben no. 12 - was occupied in 1831 and housed Vienna's first real concert hall. It could accommodate 700 listeners - a capacity that was soon no longer sufficient to cope with the crowds. Nevertheless, patience was once again required. It was not until 1863 that the Emperor showed his generosity and gave the society a large area opposite St Charles' Church.
Musikverein Wien - space for 700 music lovers
The Musikfreunde had the opportunity to fit into the ensemble of Ringstrasse architecture with a prestigious building. They planned accordingly generously. Two concert halls were to be accommodated in the new building. Prominent architects, including Theophil Hansen, August Siccard von Siccardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll, were invited to draw up corresponding designs. Siccardsburg and van der Nüll, the creators of the court opera, declined. Hansen remained - and proved to be the very first choice.
Built by architect Theophil Hansen
Theophil Hansen (1813-1891) set to work with fervour. The competition with the Court Opera inspired his imagination and encouraged him on his path towards a new style, towards "strict historicism". In contrast to the architects of early Romantic historicism - including Sicardsburg and van der Nüll - he explored the architecture of the High Renaissance. And he consistently went further, allowing the "Neo-Renaissance" to lead him back to classical antiquity.
Hansen was literally at home here. Before the Danish-born architect came to Vienna in 1846, he had spent eight years studying and working as an architect in Athens.
This stay left its mark: inspired by classical Greece, Hansen became an advocate of what he himself liked to call the "Greek Renaissance". Hansen's philhellenism can be seen at every turn in the Musikverein building.
The Caryatids and Ionic columns
The caryatids in the Großer Musikvereinssaal, the Ionic columns and the temple roof in the Brahms Saal, Apollo and the Muses as eye-catchers on the ceiling of the Großer Musikvereinssaal and Orpheus on the pediment of the front façade - these are all Greek reminiscences, as is the colour scheme of the Musikverein building, a perfect example of antique polychromy.
Hansen had created a truly classical ambience for the performance of "classical works". The friends of music could be proud of their new home. In 1870, three years after the ground-breaking ceremony, they solemnly formulated the certificate for the laying of the final stone of the Musikverein:
"Dedicated to the art of music in school and mastery, this house shall be and remain: a work of art in itself, a home of music, an ornament to the city and the empire."
Musikverein
Adresse
Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien
Musikvereinsplatz 1
A-1010 Wien
Kontakt
Telefon: +43 1 505 81 90
E-Mail: tickets@musikverein.at
Website: www.musikverein.at
Tickets
Die Tageskassa befindet sich auf der linken Seite im Musikvereinsgebäude.
Öffnungszeiten
Montag bis Freitag 9.00 - 20.00 Uhr*
Samstag 9.00 - 13.00 Uhr
sowie 1 Stunde vor Konzertbeginn (bei Eigenveranstaltungen)
In den Sommermonaten Juli und August:
Montag bis Freitag 09.00 - 12.00 Uhr