Around 5,200 guests were expected to attend the 66th Opera Ball. Prominent figures from culture, business and politics can lose themselves in opera rooms.
Pink roses arrived at the last minute. In one night, countless pieces of “Pink Floyd” were artfully painted at the Vienna State Opera. Even in dress rehearsal, Opera Ball director Bogdan Roščić said they were “rebuilding, establishing, expanding” all night. He kept his promise. At the entrance, visitors can walk up the stairs through a lush pink floral archway. An opera in a rush like the spring of flowers. Of course, you should notice something like this in the crowd: because it is also the Vienna Opera Ball: a combination of imperial decadence combined with spotlight frenzy. Visitors feel like they belong there for a Thursday evening.
About 5,200 guests (and nearly 2,000 actors, catering staff, police officers, technicians, etc.) wanted to come together to see, see and discover opera. Because you see them like never before. Open from basement to floor: a floor of hidden possibilities meticulously planned every year. The aim is to discover the newly designed number one bar, where the popular Eden Bar appeared for the first time this year. In the wine bar in the Schwind Foyer you can taste the wines of the twelve Styrian families presented this year. If you want something more rustic, you can visit Paul-Heuriger Weininger, get ice cream from the ice cream maker, or organic bread and wine at Straße-Fierabend. More sophisticated is what Schwarzen offers at the Camille/Campari bar or at home and court caterer Gerstner likes to serve goulash soup and vegetarian lentil stew — but oysters and caviar to guests in boxes. Music beyond waltzes and more was provided by Radio Vienna Disco and of course the club: Kleinode, which wanted to score points with a live DJ, saxophone and cocktails.
A site to discover
Tenor Piotr Peksala, who opened the ball with soprano Elena Karanka, had already noticed that he had a lot to discover in the dress rehearsal the evening before. His favorite spot on the ball? “I have to find out first. You can't be everywhere. There are many rooms here.” The parquet is something special. “But it's very tight here.” On his last visit, he really liked a room with jazz music, but unfortunately he doesn't remember where it was. It's good to have more signs: “Otherwise you'll get lost here. ”
However, Spanish soprano Serena Sanz, almost 30, who sang the opening piece alongside Karanka, felt more nervous the previous evening than an opera performance. He said in an interview to “Press” that such an evening cannot be compared to opera. “Because he's so special. We got to engage the audience 360 degrees, and it's a completely different relationship with the band because we rarely see each other.” Still: “It's a really nice feeling.”
Director Petty
She later did not spend the ball singing at the disco. Because this Friday, she will sing Queen of the Night in the children's “Magic Flute”. Opera Ball director Bogdan Roščić found his favorite spot at last year's ball: the front room of his box. Because there you can close the curtain and close the door, then no cameras can see inside. “If you have a glass with a good guest, the opera ball is very nice.” His office becomes interesting at two in the morning, where he gives a reception of sorts. And “some stay there until four or five in the morning. It was really cool last year.” He doesn't want to reveal in advance who will be there this time, but “there's no confusion about it, we're a very liberal crowd.”
