09. October 2006

All 22 Mozart Stage Works for TV and DVD

 

Salzburg, 16th of August 2006. Unitel/Classica, BFMI and the Salzburg Festival are setting new standards in the audiovisual documentation of operatic works. "Mozart 22," the unique production cycle of all of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's stage works at this year's Salzburg Festival, is currently being recorded with the best and most advanced audiovisual technology. 20 one-hour documentaries illuminate the musical interpretation and stage concepts of the works through rehearsals, interviews and reports. The entire duration of all recorded stage works totals about 51 hours. Deutsche Grammophon and Decca will be releasing the DVD edition of the works in late fall 2006.

Dr. Helga Rabl-Stadler, President Salzburg Festival:

Prof. Dr. Peter Ruzicka, Artistic Director Salzburg Festival: "One should be grateful to Jan Mojto and Unitel for launching the brilliant initiative to document the Mozart project of the Salzburg Festival 2006, which is unique in its artistic dimensions. The DVD medium seems particularly well suited to 'Mozart 22': recorded with the highest-quality technical means, the performances of 'Mozart 22' and their realization can thus be lastingly preserved and made internationally available."

Dr. Margit Czöppan, Head of the Culture Department at ORF: "To record 22 operas within a few weeks is an incredible challenge not only under artistic considerations – it is an almost unimaginable technical, logistical and, ultimately, financial tour de force as well. Only through the cooperation of several partners has it been possible to accomplish this task. This form of collaboration will no doubt set standards for how to realize such large-scale cultural projects in times of dwindling financial resources."

Michael Lang, General Manager DG: "We at Deutsche Grammophon are pleased to be part of the M22 series and we are proud that our exclusive artists are participating in this unique, historical event. Many of the operas recorded here are being made available for the very first time on DVD."

Jan Mojto, Unitel head and producer: "Our goal is to preserve the extraordinary artistic accomplishment of this one-of-a-kind project and make it accessible to a broad public."

The audiovisual recording of 22 stage works presented the producers and directors with enormous technical challenges. Two to three works are being produced contemporaneously on 53 days, each work being shot three times with the use of up to twelve cameras. Directors Stefan Aglassinger, Karina Fibich, Thomas Grimm, Brian Large, Agnes Méth, Andreas Morell, Hannes Rossacher, Peter Schönhofer, Tomáš Šimerda, Anaïs and Olivier Spiro, and Christian Kurt Weiss will then choose the best material. "Mozart 22" is produced in HD technology and 5.1 Dolby Surround.

Bernhard Fleischer, Moving Images: "'Mozart 22' is making media history alone for the complexity of the production. Thanks to the excellent team work among the partners, the artists and, not least, the production team on the premises, the project is moving along outstandingly."

Garnering 1.5 million viewers on ARD and a market share of 25% on ORF, the broadcast of "Le nozze di Figaro" at the beginning of the festival drew strong ratings. ORF also aired "Die Zauberfloete" and "Don Giovanni.
"3Sat presents documentaries as well as "Mitridate" and "Zaide – Adama." All documentaries and recordings of the stage works will be aired by Classica, the classical music channel on Premiere. The programs can also be seen on the Classica broadcasters in Austria (Premiere), Italy (Sky), Spain (Imagenio) and Japan.

With "Mozart 22," Unitel/Classica, the Bayerischer Rundfunk and the Salzburg Festival continue their successful collaboration, which began last year with Verdi's celebrated "La Traviata."

"Mozart 22" is produced by Unitel and BFMI in co-production with ORF, BR, 3Sat and Classica in co-operation with the Salzburg Festival.

For further information and pictures: 
Unitel/Classica Press
Dorothee Stoewahse
Tel: + 49 89 67 34 69 15
Mobile: + 49 170 63 84 627