Contessa at the Salzburger Festspiele

Le Nozze di Figaro was first performed at the Salzburg Festival on the 16th of August, 1922. The Countess Almaviva was then performed by Elisabeth Rethberg, followed by Claire Born in 1925 and 1927.

On July 27th, 2023 it is Adriana's turn to step into the shoes of Mozart's iconic role of Countess. She will make her debut at the Haus für Mozart alongside the Count of Andrè Schuen, the Susanna of Sabine Devieilhe and the Figaro of Krzysztof Bączyk.

The rest of the cast includes Lea Desandre, Kristina Hammarström, Peter Kálmán, Manuel Günther and Serafina Starke.

Raphaël Pichon conducts. Staging by Martin Kušej.

Performances start on July 27th until August 28th, 2023.

For more information, please visit the Salzburg Festival website.

curious facts

The list of sopranos that have performed the role of Contessa Almaviva at the Salzburg Festival include:

Viorica Ursuleac (1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934), Jarmila Novotna (1935, 1936), Aulikki Rautawaara (1937), Maria Cebotari (1938, 1946, 1947), Maria Reining (1939), Margarete Teschemacher (1941), Helena Braun (1942), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (1948, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958), Lisa della Casa (1960), Hilde Güden (1963, 1964), Claire Watson (1966, 1967, 1968), Gundula Janowitz (1970, 1971) Elizabeth Harwood (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976), Pamela Coburn (1991), Lucia Popp (1992), Solveig Kringelborn (1995), Angela Denoke (2001), Dorothea Röschmann (2006, 2007), Anett Fritsch (2015, 2016).