A Portrait of Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Austrian Residence

Pianist Keiko-Sakuma, at the Austrian residence.

By Roy Lie Atjam.

Once again the Austrian Ambassador Heidemaria Gürer of Austria has open the doors of her residence to host yet another musical evening. During this time the focus was on American-Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold and his opera “Die tote Stadt”

Caspar Wintermans author of the biography“Een jongen van brutale zwier”: Erich Wolfgang Korngold in the Netherlands 1910-1958″ delivered a lecture on  Korngold and the opera “Die tote Stadt”

Mr.  Nicolas Mansfield, directeur Nederlandse Reisopera, was the second speaker at the event. He stated: ¨we believe that opera performance can change your life. That is why we make operas that connect and connect people. We believe that in a time of polarization and negativity, culture gives hope and connection. ¨  The Dutch Reisopera is the largest travelling opera company in the Netherlands. For more than 60 years, it has been inspiring as many people as possible with opera productions.

Die tote Stadt is a psychologically disconcerting love drama with Hitchcock-like features, about Paul who, after the loss of his beloved Marie, slowly but surely gets entangled in a dream world of obsessions and delusions. The music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold makes a spectacular comeback.

Further, featuring on the program was  Sergei Bolotny, violin, and Keiko Sakuma, piano, they  graced the evening with their  music by Korngold from the opera “Die tote Stadt” and from “Viel Lärmen aus Nichts”

H.E. Ambassador Heidemaria Gürer’s soiree on  Erich Wolfgang Korngold and his opera has without any doubt been a dazzling success. Congratulations to Ambassador Heidemaria  Gürer for taking the initiative to organize un avant gout of the opera “Die tote Stadt”.

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Photography by the Embassy of Austria.