Voci celesti – Heavenly Voices Salzburg Whitsun Festival 7 – 10 June 2019
Entitled Voci celesti – Heavenly Voices, the 2019 Salzburg Whitsun Festival dedicates itself to the memory of the great castrato voices. ‘It is no coincidence that I can realize the idea now, when discussions about the abuse of the bodily integrity of artists have become so topical. In the name of art, thousands of boys were mutilated – a terrible tradition which was kept alive for centuries and only rarely questioned. Given this background, I wondered whether the great artistic accomplishments of this era should be celebrated at all by performing these pieces of music? To me, the answer is obvious: yes, absolutely. However, their art must be illuminated from other perspectives too, and the highly problematic context discussed,’ says Cecilia Bartoli, Artistic Director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival.
