Vienna Opera Ball Press Conference: January 16th, 2026

Vienna Opera Ball Press Conference: January 16th, 2026

Instead of considering it a Press Conference, I believe it has been more of an ORF (Austrian Television) Event, not a State Opera one, than anything else. An Event to which some members of the press have also been invited.

An Event that was more concentrated on souvenir items, which are to be sold during the Ball, the TV faces that will do the moderation, and the Tiaras for the Debutants, than on the Music and Dance of the Opening sequence Programme. Let’s not forget that this is a Ball that, historically considered, was originally the „The Artist’s Ball“ of Vienna. Think of that.

I will not go into more details because I do not see (to paraphrase Miss Piggy of the old „The Muppet Show“) a „Kissy-Kissy“ Event in any connection with the seriousness and image of the Vienna State Opera. Too superficial, too filled with futility - and perhaps some shallowness - for my taste (But that is what an early serious TV station turned into). I prefer to keep (in my remembrance) the image of a high level that I associate with the traditional Opera Ball, which has had many important guests throughout the years. Nowadays, most of the (really) important guests do not wish to be either filmed or interviewed for TV. Privacy is more important. And it is “in”. That’s a fact. But the Ball, obviously, I add, is a chance for the B and C Celebrities to shine for a few minutes on “TV’s Firmament”.

The good News is that Pablo Heras-Casado will be conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. Also to be celebrated are the participations of Pretty Yende, a dazzling Soprano from South Africa who is having quite a quick ascent in the Opera World, and of Benjamin Bernheim, a Tenor whose voice is being praised as „the most beautiful one since Luciano Pavarotti“.

Also good News is the inclusion of some „Musical references“: Bernstein’s „Maria“ and „Tonight“ from „West Side Story“ in the programme as well as the Ballet, by Jessica Lang, an ex-dancer of the Twyla Tharp Company (!) and a choreographer who has been in great demand internationally for some years. Miss Lang is at the moment in Vienna, also rehearsing „Let Me Mingle Tears With Thee“, a ballet that will be part of a „quadruple bill“ named „American Signatures“ with Ballets by Jerome Robbins, Pam Tanowitz, Lar Lubovitch, and Miss Lang. It will have its Première at the Volksoper on May 9th.

At the Opera Ball on February 12th, the Vienna State Ballet will present Miss Lang’s choreography for „The Carousel Waltz“ from the classic musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Alessandra Ferri charmingly commented on the Ballet news, the only reason that made me, as a ballet critic, take part in this Event. But Bogdan Rosčič, the Director of the Vienna State Opera, while speaking about the music programme, had previously commented that both Rodgers and Hammerstein are not „quite known“ in Austria. I need, with all my respect, to rectify this comment:

It is not that they are not known (Some years ago their „The Sound of Music“ was even shown at the „Volksoper“), because this would mean that Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart (Yes, the first musical Partner of Richard Rodgers was Lorenz Hart), Lerner and Loewe and many others are also not „well known“ here. I want to explain that, apart from a Generation gap, since a kind of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Disney Monopoly started to dominate Broadway, people haven’t been allowed to watch these „classic shows“ anymore. As far as I remember, the last „big show“ was „Anything Goes “ (by Porter), and this was quite a few years ago. Think of Broadway not as „The Lion King and Mary Poppins Kingdom“ but of what would have happened to Broadway History without (Rodgers and Hammerstein’s) „South Pacific“, „Oklahoma“, and „The King and I“. Caring and respecting such music, the late Marcel Prawy, a man known not only for his knowledge but also for his openness of mind, spoke often of it.

„The Carousel Waltz“ was also used in 1992 by Kenneth MacMillan in his choreography, after Agnes de Mille’s original choreography from 1945. Unfortunately, he died two weeks before the Première. Matthew Ball and Mayara Magri have brilliantly and sensitively „revived“ MacMillan’s „If I loved you“, also a part of Carousel, a few years ago.

I believe that this „innovation“ at the Opera Ball may make another, a younger generation, aware of the richness and genius of such Composers. This is a good initiative.

Ricardo Leitner

a t t i t u d e

Vienna, January 17th, 2026