Just a shadow of himself: Daniel Barenboim's opera concert at the Salzburg Festival

Created: 2022-08-21Updated: 2022-08-21, 3:50 p.m

By: Markus Thiel

Final applause in the Great Salzburg Festival Hall.

© © Marco Borrelli

Basically, this concert should never have taken place: Daniel Barenboim and his opera evening in concert in the Great Festival Hall.

The bad news is: Daniel Barenboim still hasn't recovered, on the contrary.

According to those around him, the 79-year-old has been suffering from an inflammatory vascular disease since last spring.

Cancellation of appointments, hospital stay – he actually wanted to fight his way back into musical life this summer.

And actually this evening at the Salzburg Festival was planned as a juxtaposition of two love scenes.

The second acts from "Samson et Dalila" by Saint-Saëns and from Wagner's "Parsifal" in concert, it should have been a gala evening of the failing opera relations.

Even the dress rehearsal had to be canceled, as the story goes below Mönchsberg.

Barenboim, conducting from a seated position, with a waxen face and a shadow of himself, simply let a lot of things in the Great Festival Hall run their course.

At Saint-Saëns most of it was only booked, as in a reading rehearsal.

In "Parsifal" it was at times felt that he was moving in his own world.

The role of the concert master of the Vienna Philharmonic was all the stronger, the orchestra had to move on autopilot in the two and a half hours.

Basically, this concert should never have taken place: Barenboim may have decided for himself to go on stage - but it is all about the responsibility towards his fellow campaigners.

Elina Garanča as Dalila and Kundry caught the situation most confidently and showed that she is on the zenith plateau of her career.

Michael Volle (chief priest/Klingsor) exuded imperturbability and even found his way to writing a text that was concise.

Brandon Jovanovich (Samson/Parsifal) would often have needed help from the conductor - which would be normal given the intricate scores.

He hardly got them.

Further descriptions are forbidden out of respect for Barenboim's lifetime achievements.

In October he is to direct a new production of Wagner's "Ring" at his Berlin State Opera.

After the Salzburg evening there is a big question mark.