Vienna Boys’ Choir

Not only have leading politicians and professional singers risen from the ranks of the Vienna Boys’ Choir, but also some of the most important composers of all times, such as Joseph Haydn or Franz Schubert. On his farewell performance with the Court Choir Boys of those times, he scribbled on his vocal part: "Schubert Franz, crowed for the last time!" Like Schubert once, the boys today sooner or later inevitably meet the same fate: their voices break. This may be a pity for the young star vocalists, but it guarantees that the choirboys live a dream and remain young forever, because at 14 at the latest they have to turn away from their boy’s voice and thus from their life as a member of the boys choir. By the way, with the collapse of the monarchy, the boys not only changed their name (the Imperial Court Boys’ Choir became the Vienna Boys’ Choir) but also their outfit: the cadet uniforms gave way to the famous sailor suits. That’s how the boys are now known the world over, though meanwhile they have outgrown them on occasion and change the blue-and-white garb for a casual world-music outfit. In the 500 years old history of the world’s most famous boys’ choir not only does tradition play a prominent role but an enormous repertoire has also been compiled. Some of this will be performed at the Festspielhaus: music from the 16th to the 20th centuries, among it choral works by Mozart and Schubert as well as songs from all over the world.

Programme Works by Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart et al. as well as music from Lebanon to India

Participants Vienna Boys' Choir. Uli Soyka percussion Jatinder Thakur tabla Bernadette Gratz violin, viola. Artistic direction Gerald Wirth

Following the performance, Café Publik: dj-line with Engelsharfen & Teufelsgeigen!

EUR 39 / 33 / 28 / 22 / 10

Festival Polifonica