Petritsch / Piccinini / Lenaerts

Castle actress Barbara Petritsch kicks off a series of serialised readings dedicated to Thomas Mann's »Buddenbrooks«. The social novel is considered a key work of the 20th century. It tells the story of the decline of a wealthy Lübeck merchant family.

Continuation readings with musical dramaturgy

As the »Musik und Dichtung zu Mittag« and »Musik und Dichtung am Abend« cycles progress, readers such as Michael Maertens, Katharina Lorenz and Felix Kammerer slip into the roles of the family members in the various generations. There is a musical thread running from the first to the last event: from classical to modern, the accompanying music makes the gradual decline of the Buddenbrook family comprehensible.

Thomas Mann Year 2025

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Mann, one of the most important German writers of the last century. As part of the »Buddenbrooks« series, the Wiener Konzerthaus is commemorating this famous chronicler of bourgeois heroes.

Thomas Mann & music

Music played a central role in Thomas Mann's life and work. For him, music was more than just a motif: it became a literary principle that characterised the structure, mood and depth of his work. According to Mann himself, the »Ring of the Nibelung« served as a model for the downfall of the Buddenbrook family.

Johann Sebastian Bach to Richard Strauss

Flutist Marina Piccinini and harpist Anneleen Lenaerts lend a special musical depth to this opening reading with works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Clara Schumann and Richard Strauss.