Vienna (AFP)

The Vienna Opera, closed since mid-March, announced on Wednesday that it would resume its performances from Monday but with an audience reduced to one hundred spectators per evening to respect the measures in force against the epidemic of new coronavirus.

The lyric establishment, which prematurely ended its season, plans 14 concerts until the end of June. Only one hundred privileged people will be admitted in the hall with 1,709 seats, as required by the regulations for the organization of cultural events.

After three months of silence, other Viennese classical music institutions will also see the public return. This will be the case from Friday at the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus, again with a hundred spectators per performance.

At the Musikverein, where the New Year's Concert is traditionally held, it is the maestro Daniel Barenboim who will be at the desk for an almost private concert, whose seats have been snatched up. Works by Mozart and Beethoven are on the program.

"A hundred people in the audience is not a lot but it's a start and that's how music can and should be experienced - live," said the Israeli-Argentinian chef, during a press conference in Vienna.

Daniel Barenboim will direct the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, all of whose members have passed a negative test for the new coronavirus. They will play without a mask while respecting the physical distance measures, said the organizers.

Music director of the Berlin Opera, the 77-year-old leader has not been on stage in public since March 13, he explained, but continued his musical activity by playing the piano and recording works. broadcast on the internet.

He described the first rehearsal with the orchestra on Wednesday in Vienna as "very moving".

The Vienna Opera, for its part, will not present major productions from the repertoire in June, but above all recitals and chamber music. Tickets will be sold between 36 and 100 euros.

The programming of this hall, which is among the most popular in the world, should resume normally from September. Director of the Staatsoper for ten years, the Frenchman Dominique Meyer hands over this month to the Austrian Bogdan Roscic, previously president of the Sony Classical label.

Austria, which was among the first countries to ease the restrictions taken to fight against the coronavirus, authorizes since the end of May the cultural demonstrations within the limit of 100 spectators. This gauge will increase to 250 in July and then to 500 people in August.

Subject to reinforced health precautions and an agreement of the government, events gathering up to a thousand people in closed places can be organized.

The Vienna Opera usually schedules 350 performances per season for 600,000 spectators and contributes to the artistic and tourist influence of the Austrian capital.

© 2020 AFP