User:Meister und Margarita/Salzburg Festival: history and repertoire, 1922-26

Salzburg Festival: history and repertoire, 1927-34 lists all opera productions of the Salzburg Festival in its early years.

Concept
The first Salzburg Festival took place in 1920 — without operas although all concepts for the festival included operas as a main part of the endeavor. The first festival consisted of open air performances of the drama Jedermann [Everyman] by Austrian poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal who wrote several librettos for operas by Richard Strauss. The play was performed at the grand square in front of the Salzburg Cathedral. The play describes the life and death of a rich man and is based on several medieval mystery plays. Jedermann was directed by world famous Max Reinhardt and was a stunning success. The play is still today performed every year at the same place.

In 1921, concerts were added to the festival program. Concerts of the world's best orchestras, singers and soloists still today represent an important pillar of Salzburg Festival. In 1922, Richard Strauss and Franz Schalk brought opera to the festival. Both were famous conductors and since 1919 functioned also as general managers of Vienna State Opera. They chose four works of Salzburg born genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for the first season — the three Da Ponte operas and Die Entführung aus dem Serail [The Abduction from the Seraglio]. In the founding years the festival did not have the means to produce entire opera productions. So Strauss and Schalk brought the settings, the singers, the orchestra and the chorus from Vienna State Opera to Salzburg. The press critically noted that the opera program of the festival constituted ″the summer residence of Vienna State Opera″. Nevertheless, the performances were superb due to the orchestra, the chorus and the great singers. They came from all over Europa and created excellent ensembles for the Mozart operas, later on also for works by Donizetti, Johann Strauß and Richard Strauss. An important role was also given to set designer Alfred Roller who dominated the visual aspect of the first Salzburg Festival opera performances.

All perfomances listed took place at the Salzburger Stadttheater.

1927
Cast changes in repeat performances:
 * Don Juan. Zerline: Adele Kern (22nd).
 * Fidelio. Marzelline: Adele Kern (18 to 28).

1928
Cast changes in repeat performances:
 * Così fan tutte. Despina: Fritzi Jokl (25th).

1929
Cast changes in repeat performances:
 * Don Juan. Donna Anna: Felicie Hüni-Mihaczek (28th).
 * Fidelio. Don Fernando: Karl Hammes (18 and 26), Don Pizzaro: Wilhelm Rode (18 and 26).

1930
Cast change in repeat performances:
 * Der Rosenkavalier. Feldmarschallin: Viorica Ursuleac (11th and 22nd).
 * Don Juan. Don Juan: John Forsell (29th), Zerlina: Adele Kern (29th).
 * Le nozze di Figaro. Graf Almaviva: Wilhelm Rode (16th and 27th).

1931
Cast changes in repeat performances:
 * Der Rosenkavalier. Feldmarschallin: Lotte Lehmann (10th and 27th).
 * Fidelio. Don Pizzaro: Wilhelm Rode (18th).

1932
Cast changes in repeat performances:
 * Der Rosenkavalier. Feldmarschallin: Lotte Lehmann (22nd and 29th).

1933
Cast changes in repeat performances:
 * Der Rosenkavalier. Feldmarschallin: Lotte Lehmann (29th), Octavian: Margit Angerer (29th).

1934
Cast changes in repeat performances:
 * Don Giovanni. Donna Elvira: Luise Helletsgruber (8, 20 and 25), Donna Anna: Elisabeth Feuge (8th).

Source

 * , p. 244–249.