World stars on the Danube

“The sound of the gods” under the sign of the Italian masters

Valentina Naforniţa (left), Andreas Schager and Lidia Baich are looking forward to their joint concert on August 22 in Tulln.

(Bild: Molnar Attila)

Classical music can be so entertaining! "Götterklang meets Donaugold" will take place in Tulln for the fourth time this year on August 22. The world stars Lidia Baich, Andreas Schager and Valentina Naforniţa have already given the "Krone" an insight into the program. We also reveal how you can win an exclusive breakfast date with the star soprano!

For many, it was a gamble when "Götterklang trifft Donaugold" took to the open-air stage on the blue river for the first time in the middle of the pandemic. Since then, the classic open-air event has blossomed into the cultural highlight of the Lower Austrian summer of culture. This year, the world stars Lidia Baich and Andreas Schager will be causing a storm of enthusiasm on August 22.

We are delighted that our concert is now in its fourth year, and it is a special honor for us that Valentina Naforniţa, one of the world's best sopranos, will be our star guest this year.

Andreas Schager

For the first time, the artistic duo, who are also privately married, have enlisted female support. After Grammy winner Thomas Hampson performed brilliantly on the Danube stage in Tulln last year, fans can look forward to soprano Valentina Naforniţa this year. Born in Moldova, she was already a member of the ensemble at the Vienna State Opera and also made her debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2014. After appearances in Paris, Hamburg, Lausanne and Berlin, she is now making a guest appearance in Lower Austria.

A program that plays all the pieces
This week in St. Pölten, the exact program of the summer open air was presented. The first half of the program is dedicated to the Italian masters: Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème" is followed by excerpts from "Otello" by Giuseppe Verdi. In between, there is an intermezzo with works by Felix Mendelssohn and Antonín Dvořák.

Richard Wagner's "Lohengrin" follows after the interval, followed by Johann Strauss - the "Lagoon Waltz" fits harmoniously into the maritime flair of the Danube stage - and Franz Lehár with "The Merry Widow". Before the encore, "The Greatest Showman" by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul is a somewhat more recent work on the program.

An event as a tourist attraction
"Götterklang meets Donaugold is now one of the annual highlights of Lower Austria's cultural scene and has become an integral part of the event calendar," emphasized Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner. "Lovers of classical music can look forward to an unforgettable evening in a unique atmosphere, performed by international greats such as exceptional artist Lidia Baich, heldentenor Andreas Schager and up-and-coming soprano Valentina Naforniţa. Three world stars who will offer wonderful entertainment and art at the highest level with their virtuosity and great voices," said Mikl-Leitner.

(Bild: NLK Filzwieser)

The motto of this year's concert is "Children, create something new!" - loosely based on Richard Wagner. Wagner's piece from the opera "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" is often referred to as "Wagner's song for the youth", as it embodies a message of encouragement and progress.

In keeping with the motto, we also want to promote young musical talent by inviting a winner of the "Prima La Musica" youth competition to join us on the Danube stage.

Lidia Baich

With this work, Wagner wanted to inspire young people to be creative and create something new, be it in music or in other areas of life. It is a hymn to youth and its ability to change the world and bring progress.

Naforniţa invites "Krone" readers to brunch
"There was an immediate emotional spark when Lidia and Andreas invited me to create an exciting program with them on the Danube stage in Tulln. I'm really looking forward to the classical music evening on Austria's largest river stage," said soprano Naforniţa during the program presentation. Incidentally, she knows Lower Austria well; during her time at the Vienna State Opera, she lived in Kottingbrunn in the district of Baden.

In the video, the charming soprano addresses all "Krone" readers: four places for an extensive breakfast brunch with Valentina Naforniţa will be raffled off among all fans who secure their ticket by June 30. 

City is proud of its role as host
Tulln's mayor Peter Eisenschenk added: "We are proud to welcome such great world stars to the garden city of Tulln and look forward to a wonderful and unique musical evening on our Danube stage."

Philharmonic orchestra with electric guitar
"Götterklang trifft Donaugold" will once again be accompanied this year by the Nibelungenphilharmonie Österreich under the direction of Michael Güttler. This year, an electric guitar will also be used in the orchestra for the first time. A break in style? "But no! It will fit in well with the sound ensemble," explains organizer Wolfgang Übl. Fittingly, Richard Wagner was the first classical composer to use an electrically amplified instrument at the time.

All information about the program and tickets can be found here!