Also: “John Neumeier – A Life for Dance” and “The Culture Week” – from 9:05 a.m. on ORF 2 and on ORF ON
Vienna (OTS) – The Austrian cultural summer is already in full swing – from Burgenland to Vorarlberg people are playing, singing and dancing again. On the occasion of the upcoming Bregenz Festival, which opens on July 17th, the “matinee” will be held on Sunday, July 14th, 2024 at 9:05 a.m. on ORF 2 and on ORF ON and is initially available in an edition of the series “Der Taste of Europe” on a cultural and culinary trail in the Bregenzerwald. Afterwards, the documentary “Of Hunters, Dealers and Other Professionals” (9.35 a.m.) provides an outlook on the highlights of this year’s festival on Lake Constance. The cultural morning presented by Clarissa Stadler also pays tribute to the now 85-year-old American dancer and choreographer, who shaped the international ballet scene for decades and is now looking for more, with the film portrait “John Neumeier – A Life for Dance” (9:55 a.m.). than 50 years as director of the Hamburg Ballet. The “matinee” concludes with “Die Kulturwoche” (10:50 a.m.) with current reports and tips.
“The Taste of Europe – Bregenzerwald” (9:05 a.m.)
In this 2018 edition of the ORF series “The Taste of Europe,” presenter Lojze Wieser and filmmaker Florian Gebauer explore the Bregenzerwald on their foray through European regions and their cuisines. In addition to local specialties such as the traditional Käsknöpfle, hearty roast pork, the Bregenzerwälder Sig, which is also originally referred to as “forest chocolate”, and the “Riebel”, a simple dish made from corn semolina, you will also find other flavors of the cultures that have mixed over the centuries in the Ländle . But there is not only a lot to discover in the heart of Vorarlberg in terms of cuisine, the ability of the “forests” to combine tradition with modernity is also reflected in the architecture and craftsmanship. Between Lake Constance and the Hochtannberg Pass, Lojze Wieser meets people who bring the old recipes into today and thus maintain culinary traditions. He meets pioneers in sustainability and respectful treatment of the environment as well as producers who want to take new paths in order to make a small contribution to ensuring that future generations can also draw on nature’s rich treasures.
“Of hunters, dealers and other professionals – The Bregenz Festival 2024” (9.35 a.m.)
Every two years, the Bregenz Festival fascinates with a new opera on Europe’s largest lake stage. For 2024/2025, “Rigoletto” maker Philipp Stölzl returns to Bregenz with a new production of Carl Maria von Weber’s opera “Der Freischütz”. The ORF will broadcast the production, for which a winter landscape was built in Lake Constance, on Friday, July 19th, live with a time delay at 9:20 p.m. on ORF 2, a Dacapo will be on Saturday, August 31st, at 8:15 p.m. on 3sat to see. In his documentary, Markus Greussing not only provides an insight into the spectacular interpretation of director Philipp Stölzl, who this time also acts as set designer, but also traces the DNA of the festival. What makes Bregenz a place where such a diverse festival is possible? There is a lot to discover again in the summer of 2024, which also marks the farewell of director Elisabeth Sobotka. After ten successful years, she leaves Vorarlberg for the Unter den Linden State Opera in Berlin.
“John Neumeier – A Life for Dance” (9:55 a.m.)
The choreographer John Neumeier will say goodbye in the summer of 2024 after more than half a century as ballet director of the Hamburg Ballet, which he shaped intensively with his neoclassical, mostly full-length ballets – from large story ballets based on literary sources to choreographies to sacred music.
In Andreas Morell’s documentary, Neumeier looks back on more than six decades in the world of dance – first as a ballet dancer, then as a choreographer and later as an artistic director. His choreographic style testifies to the tradition of classical ballet, but it also represents his keen interest in new, contemporary forms. For the American, it’s not just the perfection of the dance that counts, but above all the human element: the motives of each individual figure that he creates together with his dancers, their feelings and depths. John Neumeier is not interested in “dancing people, but in people who dance”. And he wants the audience to be able to see themselves in his pieces.
Director Andreas Morell paints the portrait of an outstanding dancer and teacher, a person deeply anchored in art and religion. The film takes you back to the roots of his art and provides insights into Neumeier’s current artistic work. Friends and companions of the artist have their say and, like Neumeier’s husband, give private insights.