In Vienna, there are two major opera houses - the Staatsoper and the Volksoper. But there's also something unique, old in appearance but innovative in content. It's the Theater an der Wien, which translates to "Theater on the banks of the Vienna" in German - Vienna was the name of the river that has now been replaced by the long and delicious Naschmarkt.

In this theater, Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and Beethoven's "Fidelio" were born, operas that immediately (or almost immediately) became famous. In the 1990s, this wonderful building had no opera, and musicals were performed quietly, infrequently. But then opera triumphed - how could it not in Vienna, where everything is steeped in music and opera? There is no permanent company; performances are done on a festival basis - they select the best and perform 5-6 shows. Each performance is worth its weight in gold. Then you can only regret not seeing it live. But recording, especially as perfect as today's, allows us to stop time and watch all the best. It's such a pity that there was no video recording during Mozart and Beethoven's time! Now the theater is undergoing extensive restoration, and Barhatova and Loy's performances are being held in one of the museum halls. And we are watching outstanding performances from past seasons.
- Text by Alexey Parin