Salzburg Festival Blog 22 (16 Aug)

The repeat concert of the Matinee will be broadcast live, which always lends an ‘edge’ to a performance.

I drive in with Sophie, who will attend the concert and take yet more coffee. If anything today’s concert is more free despite the pressure of the live broadcast and at the end I feel we have done this powerful, subtle work of Haydn justice. It is concert-master Markus Tomasi’s last performance is this year’s Festival ( he has been extremely busy) and we take a beer together.

I then take a quick lunch in the Salzach grill with Sophie before taking an afternoon nap. Much needed as tonight is ‘Theodora’ again and it’s four hour length takes a lot of energy. Furthermore, the reaction to the performances has been so good that Unitel are recording tonight’s performance and the next for TV and DVD transmission. We had originally been disappointed that Theodora was not originally taken up by a TV company-excuses ranging from ‘unknown oratorio’, ‘lots of slow numbers’, ‘very long’, etc. but are pleased that the extremely positive press and public reaction (particularly in Germany and France) has led to this point.

The evening goes well and at the end I am exhausted.