Taipei, July 16 (CNA) Austria's Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper), one of the best known opera houses in the world, will be making its Taiwanese debut in September, organizers announced Monday in a press conference.
Led by Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa, the 130-member visiting group will perform "The Marriage of Figaro" (Le nozze di Figaro) , which was composed by Wolfgang Mozart in eighteenth century and has been one of his most popular operas, during three performances in Taiwan, including two shows in Taipei on Sept. 22 and 23 and one in Kaohsiung on Sept. 24.
However, the performances will be in the form of a concert instead of an opera, meaning performers will not be acting, nor in their operatic costumes, said Niu Hsiao-hua from the main organizer The Management of New Arts (MNA).
"It's unusual for Vienna State Opera to bring its full complement of musicians -- choir, musicians and soloists -- on tour and Maestro Ozawa does not conduct every performance, which indicates that the shows in Taiwan will be extraordinary and a great opportunity to appreciate world-class music, " Niu said.
The Vienna State Opera, Niu said, has been widely regarded as one of the four best opera houses in the world, along with Italy's La Scala, Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
Seiji Ozawa, 71, has worked with famous symphony orchestras in Berlin, Boston and Vienna throughout his career and has been music director of the Vienna State Opera since 2002. Ozawa, India's Zubin Mehta and Singapore's Choo Hoey have been described as the three best Oriental conductors, Niu said.
The group consists of about 60 choir members, 50 musicians and a dozen soloists. They will also stage performances in South Korea and Singapore on its Asian tour.