Festivals
Seefestspiele Mörbisch 2022
“Der König und ich”
In February 1862, the British widow Anna Leonowens and her son Louis came to the royal court of Siam. King Mongkut rules his kingdom with a strong hand. Anna immediately falls in love with the many children she teaches there.
“That sounds like a Hollywood movie so far – but it’s a reality. 100 years later, Yul Brynner conquers a hundred million people with a film blockbuster, a musical and a TV series as a loving, grumpy family man and worthy ruler, torn between his feelings for Anna Leonowens and his crown. The musical with the most beautiful melodies of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Salmon during the 120 minutes of playing time. A personal tip from me: cover yourself with enough handkerchiefs for the last ten minutes. I am pleased to welcome you to the Royal Court of Siam this year.”
i.A. Alfons Haider
Ticketsale and further Informations
Tourismusverband Freistadt Rust
Tel.: +43 2685 502-0
E-Mail: tourismus@freistadt-rust.at
Opera at the Steinbruch 2022
“Nabucco”
Opera from Giuseppe Verdi
Since 1996, the quarry of St. Margarethen has been a key meeting point for international opera lovers in Europe. The open-air stage in Burgenland (65 km southeast of Vienna) is embedded in the UNESCO World Heritage region of Lake Neusiedl. With its high-quality claim to offer popular and high-quality opera productions, the Opera im Steinbruch St. Margarethen is equally attractive for an enthusiastic audience as well as for international opera stars and musical greats.
Babylon in biblical times. In battle, the people of Israel were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, who was called Nabucco. He enslaves the Hebrews and mocks their faith. When Nabucco’s favourite daughter Fenena not only expresses solidarity with the Israelites out of love for the Jewish prince Ishmael, but even accepts their faith, her older sister Abigaille senses the chance of a palace revolt. She wants revenge on her hated sister and the prince whom Abigaille also desires. Full of arrogance, Nabucco rises to God to be worshipped for all eternity. Lightning strikes the palace, the megalomaniac king falls into spiritual disrepair, and the power-obsessed Abigaille reaches for the crown. No one but Nabucco knows that Abigaille is of noble descent – and so the supposed princess prepares to erase all traces of her history. In a veritable retaliation frenzy, Abigaille wants to destroy her family and the entire Israeli people. The Hebrews have nothing but hope. . .
“Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate – path, thought, on golden wings”. . . – the famous prisoner choir that made Giuseppe Verdi world famous overnight sings of this unshakeable hope of the people of Israel. In powerful images and catchy melodies, the young genius of Italian opera tells this poignant story of despair and hope, megalomania, hatred, revenge, sibling conflict, great love and unshakeable faith. Despite all the political background, Verdi’s work in “Nabucco” focuses on the detailed characterization of his figures and their archetypal relationships to each other. Together with King Nabucco, he creates a fascinating portrait of a powerful man who rises high, falls colossally and is finally purified. With Abigaille, consumed by ambition, Verdi begins his long line of tragically torn female figures that fail in themselves and in life. The quarry of St. Margarethen, with its rugged gorges and gentle hills, is the ideal setting for this dramatic story of truly biblical proportions.
NABUCCO from Giuseppe Verdi
german performance
Steinbruch St. Margarethen
Premiere: Wednesday, 13th July 2022
Start: 8.30 pm / Admission: 6.30 pm
Duration: ca. 2:45 hours (inkl. Pause)
Operatickets starting at € 43
Passionsspiele St. Margarethen 2022
Passionsspiele St. Margarethen –
Emmaus – Story of a Li(o)ving Person
Under this motto, the new staging of the St. Margarethen Passion Play will take place from 26 May to 10 July 2022. Every five years, around 400 volunteer amateur performers and helpers with great commitment and passion are present at the performances.
With this history the Christian faith is expressed in different times. Each time has its own questions and answers. This is why new approaches are always needed in the interpretation of the ancient history of Jesus.
The Passion Play of St. Margarethen, which has existed since 1926, wants to keep up with the times. With a new text, a new stage and a new director, the door is opened for an appealing combination of history and personal concern. And all this in the stunning scenery of the quarry of St. Margarethen!
