Salzburg Festival: history and repertoire, 1922–1926

Salzburg Festival: history and repertoire, 1922-26 lists all opera productions of the Salzburg Festival in its founding years.

Concept The first Salzburg Festival took place in 1920 — without operas although all concepts for the festival included operas as a main part of the endeavor. The first festival consisted of open air performances of the drama Jedermann [Everyman] by Austrian poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal who wrote several librettos for operas by Richard Strauss. The play was performed at the grand square in front of the Salzburg Cathedral. The play describes the life and death of a rich man and is based on several medieval mystery plays. Jedermann was directed by world-famous Max Reinhardt and was a stunning success. The play is still today performed every year at the same place.Andres Müry: Jedermann darf nicht sterben, Geschichte eines Salzburger Kults, re-edition of 2014, Verlag Anton Pustet, , p. 29-31 (German)70 Jahre Jedermann, Wandlungen eines Inszenierungskonzepts, catalogue to the exhibition 70 years Jedermann at the Salzburg festival 1990, Faistauer-Foyer, Orpheus-Foyer, published by Ferdinand Wögerbauer, Wolfgang Willaschek and Hans Widrich, [Salzburg 1990], p. 17-24

In 1921, concerts were added to the festival program. Concerts of the world's best orchestras, singers and soloists still today represent an important pillar of Salzburg Festival. In 1922, Richard Strauss and Franz Schalk brought opera to the festival. Both were famous conductors and since 1919 functioned also as general managers of Vienna State Opera. They chose four works of Salzburg born genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for the first season — the three Da Ponte operas and Die Entführung aus dem Serail [The Abduction from the Seraglio]. In the founding years the festival did not have the means to produce entire opera productions. So Strauss and Schalk brought the settings, the singers, the orchestra and the chorus from Vienna State Opera to Salzburg. The press critically noted that the opera program of the festival constituted ″the summer residence of Vienna State Opera″.Josef Kaut: Die Salzburger Festspiele 1920-1981, Mit einem Verzeichnis der aufgeführten Werke und der Künstler des Theaters und der Musik von Hans Jaklitsch, Salzburg: Residenz Verlag, , p. 41. Nevertheless, the performances were superb due to the orchestra, the chorus and the great singers. They came from all over Europa and created excellent ensembles for the Mozart operas, later on also for works by Donizetti, Johann Strauß and Richard Strauss. An important role was also given to set designer Alfred Roller who dominated the visual aspect of the first Salzburg Festival opera performances.Stephen Gallup: Die Geschichte der Salzburger Festspiele. Wien: Orac 1989, p. 17, 28, 52 and 59

All performances listed took place at the Salzburger Stadttheater.

1922 Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singerMale singer Don Giovanni by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 14 to 26, 1922 (five performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorRichard StraussHans BreuerAlfred Roller settingsGertrud Kappel Donna AnnaClaire Born Donna ElviraLotte Schöne ZerlinaAlfred Jerger Don GiovanniRichard Mayr LeporelloFranz Markhoff Der KomturRichard Tauber Don OttavioViktor Madin Masetto Così fan tutte by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 15 to 27, 1922 (three performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorRichard StraussHans BreuerAlfred Roller settingsFelicie Hüni-Mihacsek FiordiligiRosette Anday DorabellaElisabeth Schumann DespinaHermann Wiedemann FerrandoFritz Krauß GuglielmoJosef von Manowarda Don Alfonso Le nozze di Figaro by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 16 to 28, 1922 (four performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorFranz SchalkHarry Stangenberg, Hans BreuerAlfred Roller settingsElisabeth Rethberg Gräfin AlmavivaElisabeth Schumann SusanneHermine Kittel MarcellinaLotte Schöne CherubinoPaula von Hentke BarbarinaHans Duhan Graf AlmavivaAlfred Jerger FigaroHans Breuer BasilioJulius Betetto BartoloViktor Madin AntonioHermann Gallos Don Curzio Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Johann Gottlieb Stephanie and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 17 to 29, 1922 (four performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorFranz SchalkHans BreuerAlfred Roller settingsSelma Kurz KonstanzeElisabeth Schumann Blondchen Gerhard Stehmann Bassa SelimRichard Tauber BelmonteHermann Gallos PedrilloNikola Zec Osmin

Cast changes in repeat performances: Don Giovanni. Conductor: Karl Alwin; Don Giovanni: Hans Duhan, Donna Elvira: Felicie Hüni-Mihacsek, Donna Anna: Rose Pauly, Don Ottavio: Georg Maikl, Leporello: Karl Norbert, Zerline: Editha Fleischer, Masetto: Julius Betetto. Così fan tutte. Conductor: Karl Alwin; Dorabella: Claire Born, Despina: Charlotte Brunner, Don Alfonso: : Karl Norbert. Le nozze di Figaro. Gräfin: Claire Born, Felicie Hüni-Mihacsek, Susanne: Editha Fleischer, Figaro: Richard Mayr, Basilio: Paul Kuhn, Bartolo: Karl Norbert, Cherubino: Rosette Anday, Barbarina: Karola Jovanović. Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Konstanze: Elisabeth Rethberg, Blondchen: Karola Jovanović, Belmonte: Georg Maikl.

In 1923 there were no operatic performances at the Salzburg Festival. In 1924, the Festival had to be suspended due to an economic crisis in Austria.

1925 Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singersMale singers Don Giovanni by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 24 and 28, 1925 (two performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorKarl MuckHans BreuerAlfred Roller settingsHelene Wildbrunn Donna AnnaClaire Born Donna ElviraLotte Schöne ZerlinaAlfred Jerger Don GiovanniRichard Mayr LeporelloFranz Markhoff Der KomturHermann Gallos Don OttavioViktor Madin Masetto Le nozze di Figaro by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 25 to 30, 1925 (three performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorFranz SchalkHans BreuerAlfred Roller settingsClaire Born Gräfin AlmavivaLotte Schöne SusanneHermine Kittel MarcellinaRosette Anday CherubinoPaula von Hentke BarbarinaKarl Renner Graf AlmavivaAlfred Jerger FigaroHans Breuer BasilioFranz Markhoff BartoloViktor Madin AntonioHermann Gallos Don Curzio Don Pasquale by Giovanni Ruffini and Gaetano Donizetti, August 26 and 29, 1925 (two performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorBruno WalterHans BreuerMaria Ivogün NorinaRichard Mayr Don PasqualeHermann Wiedemann MalatestaKarl Erb ErnestoViktor Madin Notar

Cast change in repeat performances: Don Giovanni. Zerline: Maria Ivogün.

1926 Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignersFemale singersMale singers Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Johann Gottlieb Stephanie and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 9 and 28, 1926 (two performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorBruno WalterAlois MoiraAlfred Roller settingsMaria Gerhart KonstanzeAnni Frind BlondchenHans Duhan Bassa SelimRichard Tauber BelmonteHermann Gallos PedrilloPaul Bender Osmin Don Giovanni by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 10 and 22, 1926 (two performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorFranz SchalkMarie Gutheil-SchoderAlfred Roller settingsMária Németh Donna AnnaClaire Born Donna ElviraMaria Rajdl ZerlinaHans Duhan Don GiovanniRichard Mayr LeporelloFranz Markhoff Der KomturRichard Tauber Don OttavioViktor Madin Masetto Die Fledermaus by Karl Haffner, Richard Genée and Johann Strauss II, August 13 to 29, 1926 (five performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorBruno WalterJosef HietzWanda Achsel RosalindeRosette Anday OrlofskyFritzi Massary AdelePaula von Hentke IdaKarl Ziegler EisensteinHans Duhan FrankErik Wirl AlfredKarl Renner Dr. FalkeViktor Madin Dr. BlindHans Moser Frosch Ariadne auf Naxos by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss, August 18 to 25, 1926 (three performances)Wiener PhilharmonikerWiener StaatsopernchorClemens KraussLothar WallersteinOskar Strnad settingsLotte Lehmann Primadonna/AriadneMaria Rajdl KomponistMaria Gerhart ZerbinettaLuise Helletsgruber NajadeHermine Kittel DryadeKarola Jovanović EchoViktor Madin HaushofmeisterHans Duhan Musiklehrer/HarlekinJohn Gläser Tenor/BacchusGeorg Maikl Tanzmeister/BrighellaHermann Gallos ScaramuccioFranz Markhoff TruffaldinoHeinrich Berthold Brighella (Vorspiel)

Cast changes in repeat performances: Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Blondchen: Stella Eisner, Osmin: Karl Norbert. Die Fledermaus. Eisenstein: Richard Tauber, Adele: Paula Beck. Ariadne auf Naxos. Conductor: Richard Strauss (on August 21); Musiklehrer/Harlekin: Karl Renner, Ariadne: Claire Born.

See also Salzburg Festival: history and repertoire, 1935-37

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