Rossini Fever and a Giant Cake: Cecilia Bartoli Shines at the Salzburg Festival
A masterful game of deception, world-class vocal artistry, and an XXXL Sacher Torte: The Salzburg Festival presented an opulent spectacle at the Haus für Mozart with Gioachino Rossini’s opera buffa *Il viaggio a Reims* (1825). Following the acclaimed summer revival, the ensemble, the festival board, and prominent celebrity guests celebrated exuberantly at the historic Hotel Sacher in Salzburg.
Hotel Sacher in Salzburg hosted a reception, featuring the signature XXXL Sacher Torte, a custom cake for around 100 people, and champagne to complement the theme of "Journey to Reims." / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Andreas Praefcke [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]
Star director Barrie Kosky’s production turned out to be a fast-paced, high-energy slapstick comedy. Kosky himself compares the production—centered on an illustrious group of travelers stranded at a spa hotel—to a “light, airy, and delicious soufflé.” What begins in the libretto as a lively commotion surrounding the canceled trip to the coronation of King Charles X was transformed by the leading team—comprising conductor Gianluca Capuano (“Conductor of the Year 2025”), set designer Rufus Didwiszus, and costume designer Victoria Behr—into a sparkling frenzy of jealousy, flirtations, and parody.
At the center of the virtuosic ensemble, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli shone in the role of Corinna, performing at the very top of her game. Flanked by a top-tier ensemble of soloists—including Marina Viotti (Marchesa Melibea), Mélissa Petit (Contessa di Folleville), Tara Erraught (Madama Cortese), and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Lord Sidney)—the performance captivated the audience with fast-paced coloratura, musical precision, and extraordinary theatrical wit.
On August 8, the production also featured exclusive star guests: Opera greats such as Plácido Domingo, Rolando Villazón, Pretty Yende, Maxim Vengerov, and conductor Antonio Pappano enriched the gala evening.
Closing celebration at the Hotel Sacher: A giant cake for the ensemble
Immediately after the performance, the festive atmosphere shifted from the festival stage to the Hotel Sacher in Salzburg. Elisabeth Gürtler-Mauthner, representing the owner family, and Hotel Director Angélique Weinberger invited the entire ensemble as well as the Salzburg Festival’s executive board—Festival President Kristina Hammer, Interim Artistic Director Karin Bergmann, and Commercial Director Lukas Crepaz—to a festive reception.
In keeping with the hotel ambiance of the set design, the hostess surprised the artists with an XXXL Sacher Torte—a custom-made cake for about 100 people—as well as exquisite champagne. After an aperitif in the Sacher Bar, the Festival’s distinguished guests celebrated with a sit-down dinner in the historic rooms where, for years, the premiere celebrations of Bartoli’s Pentecost opera projects have traditionally taken place.
The Rediscovered Masterpiece
Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims” (Eng. “The Journey to Reims”) is considered a musical phenomenon in the history of opera. Rossini composed this commissioned work in 1825 for the celebrations marking the coronation of King Charles X of France in Paris.
Large Cast: The royal budget allowed Rossini and his librettist Luigi Balocchi to create no fewer than 18 roles—including ten demanding leading roles.
Lost & Rediscovered: After only four performances, Rossini withdrew the work and used about half of the music for his later French opera Le Comte Ory. The score was long considered lost until the manuscript was rediscovered and reconstructed in Rome in 1977. It was not until 1984 that the work received its historic revival at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro.