Home of the world’s best orchestras, singers and musicians – this is Grafenegg Festival. Set in the gorgeous wine-country landscape of Lower Austria near Vienna, the historic castle and its beautiful gardens invite the audience to a spectacle of classical music inspired by nature. The concert is performed in the “cloud tower”, the spectacular modern open-air-stage, with its breathtaking acoustics. Each year, artistic director and pianist Rudolf Buchbinder manages to lure the biggest stars of classical music to his festival where nature itself is said to inspire their spirits.

In this year’s edition of the “Midsummer-Night’s-Gala”, take a musical stroll through the romantic landscape of Wachau while lending the German soprano Angela Denoke your ear, or the Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas, or the French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. For yet another perspective, how about the Tonkünstler – Orchester Niederösterreich, conducted by Juanjo Mena, one of Spain’s most distinguished conductors, having achieved international recognition by working with orchestras throughout Europe and the United States. Join a musical world tour gliding through space and time – classics from opera, musical, operetta and film-music, composed in Europe and America alike.

When night finally falls over the castle of Grafenegg, the orchestra traditionally performs Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstances”, accompanied by a spectacular firework. A great musical showdown in the very heart of nature.

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PROGRAM:
RAVEL Rapsodie espagnole, 4th movt “Feria”
STRAUSS “Das Rosenband”, Op. 36/1, “Cäcilie”, Op. 27/2
PUCCINI “E lucevan le stelle” from “Tosca”
CILÉA “E la solita storia del Pastore” from “L’ Arlesiana”
M. RAVEL Concert for Piano and Orchestra in G major, 3rd movt
LEHÁR “Warum hat jeder Frühling, ach nur einen Mai” from “Der Zarewitsch”
HEUBERGER “Geh’n wir in’s Chambre séparée” from “Der Opernball”
O. STRAUS “Warum soll eine Frau kein Verhältnis haben?” from “Eine Frau, die weiß, was sie will”
GIMÉNEZ Intermezzo from “La boda de Luis Alonso”
BARCELATA Maria Elena (arr: Roberto Negri)
VELAZQUEZ Bésame mucho (arr: Arturo Márquez)
GERSHWIN “I got rhythm” Variations for Piano & Orchestra
RODGERS “I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair”, “Some enchanted evening” and Overture from “South Pacific”
HOLLAENDER “Ich weiß nicht, zu wem ich gehöre” from “Stürme der Leidenschaft” (arr: Tal Balshai)