02 December 2019 |
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“Every Opera House is a nice secret.”

Dominique Meyer is the kind of person to stand as the best example of how politics and arts should go together. Having served for years in different ministries of the French government he has been opera director for 30 years, I discover Mr Meyer at the helm of Vienna State Opera.

The name Dominique Meyer is not maybe related to the kind of fame you discover in Social Media. But once you arrive in Vienna, you may rest assure that at least all the locals know precisely who you are referring to. A hero of our times, he tries to keep a low profile while enjoying most to stay inside the Opera and making sure the Viennese art message remains flawless.
For me it began with the name written on the door of one of the most beautiful apartments from hotel Bristol. The legendary hotel, seated just across the Opera House, has a tradition of naming its most impressive apartments after the special people to be found at the highest position in the Opera organisation.
So here I am, transforming a rainy morning in Vienna into a magic memory while passing the long corridors of the Opera house to reach the office of its emblematic Director. Dominique Meyer acts normal as any of us and it is only the research I did about his impressive career that makes me nervous. His office looks like the place of a very busy man but nothing from the outside opulence of the building makes its way until here. He speaks quietly and has an elegance in his speech that comes naturally while his ideas build up as lessons about Art, Culture and Vienna.

The full story in MISTERWATCH No. 4 printed December edition 2019.

by Constantin Bacheș, Vienna, Austria