31 August 2022

Is it the feather pen of 'Magic Flute' librettist Schikaneder or a feather of Papageno's costume? The producer of Austria's most traditional tableware 'Gmundner Keramik' created new Musiktheaterpreis statuette inspired by the making of the opera and the stage presentation of Mozart's 'Magic Flute'

Since 2012, the Austrian Music Theater Prize 'Österreichischer Musiktheaterpreis' honors achievements on stages in opera houses, theaters and festivals. In its 10th year, the prize statuette 'Schikaneder' (named after 'Magic Flute' librettist Emanuel Schikander, handed out from the start) was re-interpreted by the producer of the country's most traditional tableware 'Gmundner Keramik' with a design that combines arts & crafts with music.

The techniques of making Gmundner Keramik dates back to 1492. The name refers to the origin of the ceramic in the region of Gmunden on the Traunsee in the Salzkammergut in Upper Austria. In 2021, the decoration technique known as 'flaming of pottery' with recognisable patterns from the region Gmunden was included into the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. The Salzkammergut region and the company Gmundner Keramik are historically connected to art such as to artists of the Wiener Werkstätte (history). At the headquarters in Gmunden, the current exhibition of the Academy Of Ceramics Gmunden (AOCG was founded in 2022) presents designs for artistic ceramics by artists from Namibia and works by the AOCG Artists in Residence. At gmundner.at/de/academy-of-ceramics-gmunden/, the artists are introduced with short biography and work description such as the originally digital artist Julia Beliaeva who moved due war from Ukraine to Austria and developed in Gmunden works with ceramics referencing Kyiv and her flight.

The new Gmundner Keramik statuette of the Österreichischen Musiktheaterpreis was presented yesterday on 30 August with a press conference at the Hotel Palais Hansen Kempinski in Vienna. The statuette showing the pan flute of Papageno and a feather with the signature green-flamed Gmundner decor tells the story of the librettist of Mozart's 'Magic Flute' Emanuel Schikaneder who himself played the bird catcher Papageno at the premiere in 1791 in Vienna.

Image: The picture shows the statuette 'Schikaneder' designed and produced by Gmundner Keramik. The 'Schikaneder' will be handed out to the winners (nominees) of this year's Musiktheaterpreis on 13 September at the 10-years anniversary gala at the Wolkenturm in Schloss Grafenegg in Lower Austria. A limited number of tickets via oeticket is available at musiktheaterpreis.at. Photo: © leisure communications/Christian Jobst.