Why Vienna?

 

Vienna and its composers were heavily influenced by French cultural life.  In many areas, France had even laid the groundwork for future trends: the architecture of Schönbrunn Palace, for instance, is modelled on the Château de Versailles; the same holds true for the various court theatres.

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French opera and theatre pieces have a well-established history at the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre. Generally, French music played an important role at the Viennese court. Therefore, it does not come as a surprise that it also influenced composers working in Austria, such as MOZART and BEETHOVEN.

 

 

 

Rediscovering

 

The stunning success of the performance of Jean-Baptiste LULLY’s opera Atys at the Opéra Comique Paris (Les Arts Florissants, William Christie) in 1987 initiated the rediscovery and revival of works composed by LULLY and his contemporaries. In 2003, the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles (CMBV) in France even began to reconstruct the historical instruments, which have since enjoyed great success and are played by renowned ensembles such as Les Talens Lyrique (Christophe Rousset), Les Arts Florissants (William Christie) or Les musiciens du Louvre Grenoble (Marc Minkowski).

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It is time, finally, to bring these sounds back to Vienna, where they once enjoyed great popularity, and to satisfy the local audience’s interest in the French musical theatre as well as its desire for the scenic staging of these magnificent works.

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Music Education Programmes

 

In addition to the opera productions, femubaf will offer concerts, plays, ballets, as well as music and history lectures by internationally renowned researchers. The aim is to familiarize the audience with the musical culture of the French baroque era, which used to be of extraordinary importance for Austria and its capital.

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This is how femubaf will open up new cultural doors in Vienna.

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In 2017, three different presentations in German and French or English (also published in our deluxe programme brochure) will be given in the auditorium of the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre. They will be followed by a musical introduction to the work and to the peculiarities of the French orchestra by the conductor, maestro Robert Lillinger, and his orchestra, Les vents féeriques. The goal is to provide the audience with a vivid impression of the music in advance to prepare them for the opera performance.

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Moreover, there will be workshops and open rehearsals as well as conferences, master classes, and lecture recitals in cooperation with the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna (mdw).

 

 

Culture & Prestige

 

It was King Louis XIV who, during his reign (1643–1715), provided the arts and the economy with an unprecedented degree of patronage.

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Not only did he build the imposing Château de Versailles near Paris and renovate various royal residences. As protector of the famous Académie française and founder of the Académie Royale de Danse and the Académie d’Opéra, Louis XIV brought classical French literature to full bloom and supported the development of French opera, the so-called “tragédie lyrique”, with Jean-Baptiste LULLY as its leading figure, as well as the evolution of the court ballet.

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Being himself a gifted dancer, he played the sun god Apollo, to which his famous epithet “le Roi Soleil” (the Sun King) refers.

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The name of Louis XIV stands for culture and prestige. With this in mind, the following information is intended to give you an impression of how femubaf wants to offer you the taste of the glamour of the 17th century:

 

 

• Historical Venue – Historical Sound

 

The location of Vienna’s unique French music festival femubaf will be a charming, historical venue from the 18th century: the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre. 

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Here, famous composers like HAYDN, MOZART and GLUCK once directed premieres of their own works. Built under Empress Maria Theresia in 1745 and enlarged in 1765, the impressive Court Theatre welcomes up to 400 guests. Being part of the glamorous productions, the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre will allow visitors to enjoy French baroque music as a holistic spectacle.