Salzburg is in the sky

Salzburg has found its way into heaven, according to reports from local media. On Tuesday night, the city witnessed a triumphant performance of Olivier Messiaen’s Saint François d'Assise, staged by Italian director Romeo Castellucci and conducted by Maximilian Pascal with the Vienna Philharmonic. The production took place before the eyes of the Archbishop of Salzburg, with Castellucci beginning his interpretation at the point where he had left off during his previous work, Salome. This time, however, the focus was on absolute faith, leading through suffering and offering a warning: descendants can quickly undermine the virtues of their predecessors. The opera, one of the few major stage works by French composer Olivier Messiaen, holds a central position in Salzburg for several reasons. Originally composed in 1983 under the inspiration of French President Georges Pompidou, it was first performed against the spirit of the times, a deeply spiritual and religious piece. In 1992, during the composer's death year, the opera made its debut at the Salzburg Festival, marking the rise of young American director Peter Sellars. It became a cornerstone of the festival, reflecting its deep connection to the spiritual dimension of art. For this year’s festival, programmatic leader Markus Hinterhäuser saw the revival of this work as more than just a performance, it was a life mission. And no one else could fulfill this task better than Castellucci, who is well-versed in Catholic tradition and folk faith. His approach to the material is rooted in examining the core purpose of traditions and beliefs. Castellucci is known for not breaking taboos but rather scrutinizing inherited customs and traditions. For him, thought and physical experience, asceticism, knowledge, and salvation form the central categories of his artistic vision. During his earlier work on Richard Strauss’s Salome, he was intrigued by the figure of John the Baptist, who refuses to bend under worldly pressure. Now, he focuses on Saint Francis of Assisi, seeking to interpret his journey toward sainthood in stages that do not necessarily connect. In the opera, Saint Francis follows the unreachable example of Christ, embracing suffering to experience his profound humanity. This is the heart of the opera, and it is here that Castellucci finds his interest. He questions why people submit themselves to absolute certainty, especially in the year marking the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’s death. Castellucci describes the work as an “anti-opera,” because it lacks a narrative thread and instead presents scenes like frescoes by Giotto, depicting moments in which Saint Francis resists all prescribed norms. Through this, he seeks to challenge the idealized image of the saint. The opera includes eight pictures of Saint Francis’s life, and Castellucci takes the beginning of these tableaux seriously, showing how Saint Francis turns away from the comforts of bourgeois life. His direction carefully traces the path of a man who leads others through his convictions, forming a group while remaining alone in his pursuit of the radical experience of salvation. The other figures, his followers, are more likely to raise questions than simply follow blindly. For Castellucci, it is crucial that the person who begins this journey is not already considered holy, but a human being who chooses to walk the path of faith. One key moment in the opera involves the encounter with a leper and the transmission of the understanding that suffering has meaning on the path to salvation. This scene serves as an early guide in the work. As in previous productions, Castellucci continues to explore the role of caring for others, emphasizing the importance of compassion and shared experience in the journey toward spiritual fulfillment.