As patron and host of Music of Tonight - A Viennese Varieté, Austrian Ambassador Andreas Stadler invites us to join him for an elegant and surprising performance at Valletta’s prestigious Palazzo de la Salle. Laura Swale chats with Mr Stadler as he reflects on putting love and seduction back into classical music in this genre-blending ‘opera-meets-burlesque’ extravaganza of high art and sensual dance

Music of Tonight is a collaboration between Opera Moderne, a “boutique opera company with high artistic value combining opera with innovative multimedia” and the non-profit Fondazzjoni Temi Zammit Community Foundation which runs cultural and community initiatives in support of European programmes. I met with the project’s coordinator, FTZcom’s Marc Cabourdin, himself an eloquent and passionate spokesperson for the work, who briefed me on the “exciting clash of art forms” and the calibre of its performers, before introducing me to its patron.

Austrian Ambassador Andreas Stadler. Photo: Mahmoud Mahmoud-Ashraf, Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the ambassador, a formal exchange on the merits of classical music perhaps? However, the poster for Music of Tonight promised the audience would be “exhilarated, romanced, amused and seduced”. I tiptoed into my questions, but the ambassador turned out to be lively, articulate and full of surprises.

Music of Tonight is billed as an “elegant and eclectic” classical music experience. Can you tell us how this unusual mix of genres came about?

“Many people don’t know this, but classical entertainment always used to be performed with sensuality and eroticism, but these elements have been cut out over time by the Bourgeoisie.

“With dance in particular, there was often an element of the scandalous. Love, seduction and eroticism were an integral part of high-class entertainment. In Mozart’s time, his operas were not performed in a sterile aesthetic, but lasted up to six hours with numerous intermissions for eating, drinking and flirting. Imagine Malta’s opera house filled with partying and singing. With this collaboration we are trying to bring back the soul of classical music. It has to be more than just the notes on the paper.”

Can you give us some back-story? How does this collaboration reflect the Austrian approach to art and entertainment?

“Austria has always aspired to the highest aims in art and music, and Austrian artists have always loved to reflect on and provoke with sexuality. Just think of Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and in the area of medicine and science, Sigmund Freud. Historically we have also cherished elegance and style.

“Over the last 250 years we have found inventive ways to combine these national character traits in the latest cutting-edge entertainment. For example, our most recent project in Malta was Trio Immersio, who presented a hard rock experience through a classical repertoire at the Manoel. It was new and fresh. It was so successful that the theatre has invited them back and commissioned a Maltese composer to write for them.”

When it comes to the performing arts, and dance in particular, how do you envisage Austria’s ongoing collaboration with artists in Malta?

“Most art songs deal with love, life and death, treason and jealousy, and many play with eroticism and sexuality. This part has been eclipsed by the conservative way the classical world looks at historical repertory.

“This is why I try to support young and emerging artists who bring back the communicative and flirtatious elements to performance, especially dance, which has often been seen as scandalous, disappearing from many concert halls. One famous historic example is Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, which caused riots. But contemporary dance has many, mostly female, examples, such as Pina Bausch and Anne Thérèse Kersemakers.”

Music of Tonight is described as “a journey through the music of opera, operetta, musical theatre and contemporary composers.” How do you hope its début in Valletta will be received?

“The concert will focus on major ‘classic’ and romantic super-hits from Haydn, Lehar, Stolz, Kreisler, Korngold and contemporary composer Julia Purgina. These songs used to be known and sung all over the world, but they are mostly forgotten, because of the boring way they have been presented. We want to get young people back into the concert hall and for them to love it. We want to put the flesh back on the bones of classical music.”

Burlesque is super-chic in Paris, New York, Berlin and Vienna. It’s an expression of eroticism in a new world of gender

What kind of audience do you think this event will appeal to in Malta?

“We love to combine the best high quality music, dance and singing with contemporary approaches to entertainment. Burlesque is super-chic in Paris, New York, Berlin and Vienna. It’s an expression of eroticism in a new world of gender. Nowadays love is a topic not just for men and women; Burlesque and Boylesque are popular in straight, lesbian, gay and LGTBIQ+ communities. We must not shy away from celebrating diversity and the open concept of sexuality. Art is about love, sex and life. Ambassador out.”

OK, so he didn’t really say that last bit, but he might as well have. I was sold.

But while Mr Stadler clearly had his finger on the pulse, the real draw of the show is probably its cast, with their impressive past portfolios. The Austrians are joined by Maltese guest artists, who together promise to “lovingly share Austrian and operetta favourites … with a mix of popular musical theatre and some of opera’s most famous hits.”

So who are the stars of the show? Violinist Sonja Schebeck is a founding member of legendary violinist Nigel Kennedy’s Orchestra of Life, and has toured for a decade Kennedy’s his duo-partner. She blends classical music with circus and theatre and founded The Freestyle Orchestra in 2006, “an international interdisciplinary ensemble of classically-trained musicians with modern circus, fire-arts and movement skills.”

Pianist Chanda Vanderhart is a recording artist, chamber musician, lecturer and fellow at Vienna’s University for Music and Applied Arts, and has performed throughout Europe, Asia and North America. She is musical director of the Vienna Hot Box Girls and co-founder of the Mosaique concert series.

Mezzo-Soprano Verena Gunz has performed roles such as Lady Macbeth, Dorabella in Così fan Tutte and Suzuki in Madame Butterfly at London’s Royal Albert Hall. She has performed at venues such as the Vlaamse Opera Gent in Belgium and the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Rebecca Greenstein is an opera singer, cabaret artist and musical theatre performer known for her “beautiful and dramatic interpretations” and “great comedic timing”. She has received critical acclaim from The New York Times and performed at Vienna’s acclaimed Porgy & Bess Jazz and Music Club.

New York/Viennese Greenstein is also founder and executive director of Opera Moderne itself, whose vision is “to produce fully staged opera, concert works and musical theatre in intimate settings… combining opera with innovative multimedia and visual arts programming; (and) to collaborate with artists outside of the music world”.

She explains that tenor Joseph Zammit was selected for the project after his impressive turn as Che in Evita and for his ability to do multiple genres as a crossover artist. She is also excited to have Maltese burlesque artist Undine LaVerve on board, who she describes as epitomising the elegant and beautiful burlesque pin-up, and capturing the sensuality of the dance form, which she refers to as “a tamer version for this concert, to introduce the audience to the art form”; a burlesque without nudity, which tells a story through dance.

“Opera was the entertainment of the 17th century,” Greenstein says, “but this show is a nice mix of German and English operetta, which makes it more accessible. These are multidisciplinary performers, musically, artistically and physically since they are trained in aerial acrobatics. It’s also a wonderful introduction to classical music.”

The event marks the start of a long-term collaboration between Opera Moderne and FTZ, whose creative producer Marc Cabourdin is also an artistic director in the cultural field. Of Music of Tonight he says: “I’m very happy to be involved in this brilliant new show. It’s a unique and dynamic collaboration between international artists and homegrown talent. It makes opera and burlesque more accessible for a wider audience and we can’t wait to start the show.”

Music of Tonight will be held at the Malta Society of Arts, Palazzo de la Salle, 219, Republic Street, Valletta, on November 29 and 30 at 8pm. Tickets available at ticketline.com.mt.