Of course, announcements can be heard again shortly before the start of the performances in Salzburg. But this year they have a different urgency.
This is perhaps also due to the fact that in the opening premiere of the festival, at “Jedermann” in mid-July, a corona case was detected in the audience. It is bizarre because this gentleman, who came from Vienna, was told that he should stay at home because his son has Corona. But the gentleman didn’t care, after all, he had already been vaccinated and he didn’t want the premiere ticket to expire. It doesn’t matter to him whether he spoils the festival for the 230,000 visitors, which as a result of his visit are not just voluntary, but Must wear an FFP2 mask.
Hence the urgent request to wear this mask, which is challenging in the humid Salzburg climate, during the performances. The announcements are in German and English, the German version is female and has the tone of empathic caring, the English version is male, sexy, dark, seductive.
This is the board of trustees speaking! Because one voice is that of director Markus Hinterhäuser, the other that of Helga Rabl-Stadler. With this announcement, which she now has to listen to up to three times a day – “I sound like the woman teacher” – Helga Rabl-Stadler says goodbye to the festival.
A time after Rabl-Stadler seems to be hard to imagine for many
She was its president for 26 years, now she may have her peace of mind. Some already recommend her as a different president, namely as that of the whole country, but she only says that if she had wanted to remain a president, then she would have extended the festival. Read a great conversation from 2018 with the title here “I said: I can do it” (SZ Plus).
Quite a few have bigger wrinkles on their faces with each day that the festival progresses, because a time after Rabl-Stadler seems to be hard to imagine. At least not for those eager festival-goers who this summer Rabl-Stadler’s voice is indelibly bored into their heads, so that they can still hear it in their sleep. And then put on the mask without waking up and switch off the cell phone, because you simply have to follow a presidential advice.
This column will also appear on August 20, 2021 in Austria newsletterwhich bundles the SZ’s reporting on Austria. Register here for free.