Vienna State Opera Told to Tighten Belt

The prestigious Vienna State Opera has been told by the Austrian government to find savings of 10 million euros ($12.3 million), its flabbergasted musical director was quoted as saying Friday.

Franz Welser-Moest said that Finance Minister Maria Fekter had told him -- on holiday -- "to save 10 million euros if possible, which it isn't," he said in a television interview to be broadcast on Sunday.

"How we are meant to achieve this was not explained since the Vienna State Opera is a very efficiently run opera house," Welser-Moest said.

"Compared internationally we have the highest box office takings. The Bavarian State Opera is 10 million behind us, the Berlin State Opera 20 million behind us. We have a capacity utilization of almost 99 percent," he said.

"There are no possibilities to increase our revenues."

Currently the opera house, which posted a profit of 31.3 million euros in its last season to June, gets 56.4 million euros from the government each year. Last year an audit identified 6.7 million euros in potential savings.

Austria, in common with other European countries, is seeking to cut spending in order to balance its budget and reduce its debt.

Welser-Moest also complained that culture in Austria, which he said was the country's main selling point, is longer valued as highly as it once was.

"The Salzburg Festival, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna State Opera, these are institutions in which we lead the world. What else do we know how to do?

"Becoming the best is hard. But staying on top is considerably more difficult, requiring incredible amounts of innovation and investment."