A musical soirée - based on a true incident, 
with works by Joseph Haydn and others.
With the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz - Conductor: Gabriel Venzago
Three days after his 80th birthday and the celebrations at the Burgtheater in Vienna and with the Austrian Federal President, the celebrated world star Klaus Maria Brandauer will slip into the role of the former palace and park owner Prince Nicholas II Esterházy, one of the most exciting personalities of his era, on the island of Mainau. With the Southwest German Philharmonic Orchestra of Constance, he will take the audience on a journey through the dazzling world of the early 19th century and the music of its time. 

The occasion is the 190th anniversary of the death of the Austro-Hungarian Prince Nicholas II Esterházy, who was banished from Austria in 1827 because of his dissolute life and chose Mainau as his exile. Under him, the island on Lake Constance became a meeting place for renowned personalities from society, art and culture, with whom he celebrated lavish parties at Mainau Castle. As a lover of the fine arts, he supported and financed artists such as Joseph Haydn.

The Prince's eventful life offers numerous stories ready for the stage, which served Klaus Maria Brandauer as inspiration for the libretto written especially for the soirée. Chief conductor Gabriel Venzago, together with Klaus Maria Brandauer, is responsible for the selection of music, including works by Esterházy's contemporary Haydn.

For more than half a century, Klaus Maria Brandauer has been one of the most sought-after actors on the most renowned German-language stages, such as the Burgtheater in Vienna, the Berliner Ensemble and the Salzburg Festival. As a film actor, his international breakthrough came in 1982 in the film "Mephisto", which won an Oscar. Hollywood productions such as "James Bond 007 - Never Say Never" and "Beyond Africa" followed. In addition to his acting work, Klaus Maria Brandauer regularly directs and has staged productions at the Burgtheater, the Cologne Opera and the Admiralspalast in Berlin, among others. His work has received many international awards, including the Bambi, the "Peace Prize of German Film - Die Brücke" and the Ring of Honour of the Burgtheater in Vienna.